Healing Also Means Paying Attention to the Source of Your Stress

As I worked on regulating my nervous system—through deep breathing, meditation, journaling, and grounding techniques—I also realized something crucial: healing wasn’t just about calming my body in the moment. I had to take a hard look at what was actually causing my stress in the first place.

If I kept allowing the same stressors into my life, no amount of self-care was going to fix the problem.

Regulating my nervous system and addressing the root causes of my stress went hand in hand. If you feel like you’re constantly managing stress but never actually freeing yourself from it, you might need to shift your focus, too. Here are some of the biggest changes I made that completely transformed my mental and emotional well-being.

(If you haven’t yet, check out my last blog on how stress is showing up in the body for essential tools to calm your body before diving into deeper healing.)

1. Unsubscribing from Fear-Based Teachings

I grew up absorbing certain beliefs that kept me stuck in a cycle of fear and stress. Whether it was from my church, my culture, or well-meaning authority figures, I had been conditioned to believe that worry and suffering were just part of life. But when I started questioning these teachings, I realized they weren’t serving me—they were keeping me small and afraid.

Letting go of fear-based teachings was one of the most freeing things I ever did. Instead of believing I had to earn my worth or live in constant fear of doing something “wrong,” I started trusting myself. I gave myself permission to live with peace instead of pressure.

2. Setting Boundaries (Including Going No-Contact)

This was a big one. There were people in my life who constantly drained me—family members, old friends, even colleagues. I used to feel obligated to keep these relationships alive, even when they were toxic.

Learning to set boundaries (and, in some cases, going completely no-contact) was one of the best things I did for my nervous system. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. If you’re constantly feeling on edge around certain people, that’s your body telling you something. Pay attention.

3. Being Mindful of the Content I Consumed

I used to scroll through social media and binge the news without thinking twice about how it was affecting me. But once I started paying attention, I noticed a pattern: certain accounts, news sources, and even TV shows left me feeling anxious, angry, or overwhelmed.

So, I made a change. I unfollowed, muted, or limited my exposure to anything that made my stress worse. I replaced it with content that actually lifted me up—books, podcasts, and social media accounts that aligned with the life I wanted to create. And guess what? My daily anxiety dropped significantly.

Healing Is About Subtraction, Not Just Addition

We often think of healing as adding things—more self-care, more meditation, more tools. But sometimes, true healing comes from subtracting—removing the beliefs, people, and content that are keeping you stuck in stress mode.

If you’re ready to go deeper and create real, lasting change, I’d love to help. My 1:1 coaching is designed to help you identify the hidden stressors in your life, rewire old patterns, and build a life that feels truly aligned.

Book a free consultation here and let’s start making those shifts together.