In our fast-paced world, stress often feels like an unavoidable companion—and I used to be its favorite host. As a lifelong stressor, Enneagram 3 People-Pleasing Fawner, living up to pressures and demands was how I believed people showed love, loyalty, and grit.

Until I burned out.

On the other side of that experience, I realized that the goal isn’t to eliminate stress—but to learn how to “stress better.” Think of it like this: if stress is a weight, stressing better is like strengthening your muscles so you can carry it without injury. You’re not making the weight disappear—you’re making yourself more capable of handling it.

This approach empowers you to navigate life’s pressures with clarity, confidence, and resilience.

What Does “Stressing Better” Mean?

“Stressing better” is about shifting your relationship with stress. Instead of seeing it as the enemy, stress becomes a form of feedback—a prompt to pause, reflect, and respond intentionally.

Through this lens, stress transforms from a source of burnout into a catalyst for growth. We create micro-practices in the moment—breathwork, grounding, movement, connection—that help clients acknowledge the stressor and turn toward it with intention. The result: a rooted sense that they are bigger than any single moment of pressure.

By the end of the workday, they’re no longer feeling drained and defeated. They can see the trees through the forest and recognize their own value.

The Stress-Proofing Blueprint

Another focus is building a stress-proof career and life through the intersection of Health & Wellness. This involves:

• Recognizing Stress Signals: Identifying when stress becomes harmful and having tools to reset.

• Setting Intentional Boundaries: Knowing your limits and protecting your well-being.

• Building Resilience: Creating habits that support physical and emotional strength.
  
  

As a Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, I help clients navigate chronic or borderline health conditions—pre-diabetes, inflammation, tension headaches—by integrating care into their workdays.

When I burned out, I experienced chronic inflammation, tension in my neck and shoulders, headaches, and digestive issues that created new food sensitivities. I had to completely shift my diet—and the way I treated myself at work. Through small, consistent practices, I began to recover and regain clarity. I realized I was the only one holding all the pressure and demands in place—and I chose to take ownership of un-messing the mess.

Some practices that made the biggest difference for me:

• 5–10 minutes of midday stretching

• Writing a daily “to-do” list and removing at least two items

• Dedicating one night a week to extra hours instead of working late every night

• Requesting deadlines and estimated times for requests, and pushing back when it was unrealistic

• Blocking off quiet work hours and setting timers for tasks and projects – trusting that what needs to get done will be the innate focus of my time

• Sticky notes with reminders like “I’m here to get it right, not to be right” and “assume good intentions”

• Swapping priorities as needs shifted vs just saying yes to more

The results were transformative. By tending to my needs and relearning how I work best, I created the right level of pressure to experience flow. My joy returned, and my confidence grew.

This holistic approach ensures stress becomes a manageable part of your journey, not a roadblock. Prioritizing physical health and wellness—movement, mindfulness, sleep, nutrition—reactivates energy and helps us respond to stress intentionally.

Embracing the Unknown

I often talk about embracing the unknown as a way to develop your own superpowers. This aligns perfectly with “stressing better.” Stepping into uncertainty with curiosity and growth transforms stress into a powerful ally. It expands our ability for self-compassion – recognizing our efforts shift day to day without shifting our wholehearted intention of living better each day.

Moving Toward Stressing Better

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or disconnected from your own energy at work, you’re not alone. “Stressing better” isn’t about perfect habits or never feeling pressure—it’s about building the presence to move with stress, not against it.

Through my work, I guide people to rediscover clarity, balance, and energy, and to develop practices that let them respond to stress intentionally, with confidence and resilience.

So they can feel alive at work.