Understanding Stress Holistically: Mind, Body, and Soul Perspective
As holistic therapists we view stress as more than just a mental or emotional burden–it’s a full-body experience that affects your mind, body and soul.
Stress is also a natural response to life’s challenges, but when it becomes chronic, it can have profound impacts on our health and well-being. To truly address stress, we need to look at it holistically, understanding how it influences every aspect of our being.
In this blog we will explore what stress is, the signs and symptoms it presents across mind, body and soul and why it’s important to take a holistic approach to managing it.
What is Stress?
Stress is our psychological and physiological reaction to an event or condition that is considered a challenge, demand or threat (aka stressors). Stress is our internal system’s reaction to a stressor, and this stress reaction will often manifest as strain, tension, constriction and/or pressure.
Stressors are different person to person and so are stress responses i.e. what you find stressful, someone else might not because every person is unique (different genes and predispositions, different upbringings in different environments, etc.). A stress response activates the body’s fight, flight, freeze, fawn or flop system, releasing stress hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and cortisol to help us cope with the challenges.
Additionally, there are different kinds of stress, including: acute, episodic, chronic and traumatic, as well as, vicarious stress or trauma. Check out the bullet pointed list below for a brief description and a few examples of each type of stress.
Acute: A short-term, immediate response to a perceived threat or challenge. The stressor triggers the body’s stress response and the release of stress hormones to help a person cope with the situation and once the stressor is resolved, the body typically returns to its normal state. This is the most common and least damaging type of stress.
Examples: giving a big presentation, a difficult phone call with a client, a new assignment at work, taking a test, facing an unexpected non-life threatening situation, etc.
Episodic: This type of stress is a step up in intensity from acute stress and involves bouts of acute stress related to short to medium term situations causing moderate levels of damage. It is often linked to frequent crises or demands and can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
Examples: facing repeated high-pressure deadlines at work, frequent arguments or issues within a relationship, recurring short-term financial struggles like unexpected bills, health scares, etc.
Chronic: A long-term, persistent stressor that occurs when someone faces ongoing challenges or pressures without adequate support, relief or breaks. This type of stress can lead to serious mental, emotional and physical health problems.
Examples: long-term caregiving for a chronically ill family member or elderly parent, being stuck in a job or career that is high-pressure and unfulfilling without foreseeable change, toxic relationships, constant struggle to meet needs due to financial difficulties or long-term debt, etc.
Traumatic: The intense psychological, physiological and emotional response to an event or series of events that are life-threatening or deeply distressing. It overwhelms the person’s ability to cope and can lead to long-lasting effects on mental and physical health, such as PTSD, chronic pain and autoimmune disorders.
Examples: rape, incest, physical abuse, domestic violence, serious accidents, mugging, kidnapping, natural disaster, deprivation/neglect, suddedn loss, chaos, community violence, torture, war, etc.
Vicarious Stress or Trauma: The emotional, physiological and psychological impact experienced by someone who is indirectly exposed to the trauma of others, often through witnessing the event or aftermath of the event or hearing about the traumatic experience. This is common in people who are close to, or work closely with people who are chronically stressed and dysregulated or trauma survivors.
Examples: loved ones and caregivers to people who have experienced high levels of stress or trauma, first responders dealing with accidents or violence, therapists, social workers, healthcare workers, journalists, etc.
It’s important to note that all humans experience stress so if you are experiencing stress you aren’t doing anything wrong. In fact, in the short term stress can be beneficial–it sharpens our focus and gives us the energy needed to overcome obstacles. However, when stress becomes chronic, it takes a toll on our health, leaving us feeling depleted and overwhelmed, potentially leading to burnout, adrenal fatigue and additional mental and physical health issues.
Despite how mainstream society sees and talks about stress, it is not just a mental state. Stress affects us on all levels: physically, emotionally and spiritually. Therefore to truly manage it, reduce it and heal from it, we need to understand how it manifests across our entire being.
The Mind: Mental and Emotional Signs of Stress
Stress often starts in the mind, but its effects can quickly ripple outward. It’s common that the first signs of stress, or dysregulation, are a person’s thoughts becoming anxious, racing and repetitive. Mentally, we feel scattered, unable to focus, or overwhelmed by even simple tasks.
Here are some common mental and emotional signs of stress:
Anxiety or worry: Constantly feeling on edge or amped up with a sense that something bad might happen.
Irritability or frustration: Small things may set you off and finding it difficult to regulate your energy and emotions.
Racing, cyclical or repetitive thoughts: A mind that doesn’t seem to quiet down, even at night. This is another early sign your system is stressed or dysregulated.
Difficulty focusing: Trouble concentrating or making decisions because your mind is too scattered or foggy.
Mood swings: Emotional highs and lows that seem unpredictable or like they “come out of nowhere”.
These mental signs are signals that the body and mind are no longer in harmony. Your mental energy is being depleted and your thoughts are stuck in a cycle of fear or overwhelm.
The Body: Physical Signs of Stress
Stress has a profound impact on the body. It dysregulates the autonomic nervous system, also known as the “fight, flight, freeze, fawn and flop” responses, which prepares us to survive the perceived threat. This can be helpful in the short term, but when our bodies are in a constant state of alert, it leads to physical strain.
Common physical signs of stress include:
Muscle tension: Especially in the neck, shoulders, jaw and hips.
Headaches or migraines: Tension headaches are a common result of prolonged stress.
Fatigue or exhaustion: Constant stress drains the body’s energy, leading to a feeling of burnout.
Digestive issues: Stress can disrupt digestion, causing symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, indigestion, constipation and/or diarrhea.
Sleep disturbances: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is a hallmark of stress.
Weekend immune system: Chronic stress weakens the body’s defenses leading to more frequent colds, illness and infections.
Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
Sexual changes: loss of desire and/or ability, or hypersexuality i.e. increased use of sex to release tension
High blood pressure
In holistic therapy, we view these physical symptoms as the body’s way of communicating that it is out of balance. Chronic tension and fatigue signal that the body needs rest, relaxation and nurturing to return to a state of equilibrium.
The Soul: Spiritual and Energetic Signs of Stress
While stress is often discussed in terms of the mind and body, it also deeply affects our spirit. Our felt sense of vitality decreases and we end up feeling disconnected from our sense of purpose, inner peace, and connection to something greater than ourselves.
Common spiritual and energetic signs of stress include:
Energetic depletion: stress drains our life force energy leaving us feeling empty, fatigued and/or numb
Frantic, hustle energy: Feeling like you're running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Feeling disconnected or lost: Stress can make us feel like we’re drifting, unsure of our path or purpose.
Lack of fulfillment: We may feel like we’re just going through the motions, without joy or meaning in our daily lives.
Disconnection form intuition: When stress overwhelms us, it becomes difficult to hear or trust or inner voice
Loss of connection: Stress can create a sense of isolation or disconnection from the world around us (nature, other people, community, the universe)
These spiritual symptoms are just as important as the mental and physical ones. They remind us that true healing requires reconnecting with our deeper selves and finding ways to nourish our spirit.
The Importance of Listening to Stress and Addressing It Holistically
Stress is not something we can simply ignore or push through even though these tactics are glorified by U.S. culture. When we view stress holistically, we understand that it is a signal from our mind, body and soul that something needs attention. Instead of suppressing stress, we can learn to listen to it, allowing it to guide us toward the areas of our lives that need healing and balance.
As holistic therapists we encourage you to honor your stress and approach it with curiosity and compassion. It’s not a weakness or something to be ashamed of–stress is a natural part of life. Check out the bullet pointed list below for a general overview of various tools and strategies that are useful in managing and reducing stress:
Mind: Mindfulness practices like meditation, journaling or breathing exercises can help slow and soften the mind to reduce anxiety caused by racing thoughts. Cognitive reframing, or learning to shift negative thought patterns, is also a powerful tool for reducing mental stress.
Body: Physical practices such as yoga, gentle stretching, or somatic therapies help release tension stored in the muscles. Regular movement, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep are essential for supporting the body’s ability to cope with stress.
Soul: To nourish the soul, we can turn to practices like meditation, grounding, spending time in nature, or engaging in creative expression. Spiritual practices, whether prayer, energy healing, or simply deep reflection, help us reconnect with our inner selves and restore a sense of peace.
And…a holistic approach to stress doesn’t just treat the symptoms, it seeks to restore balance across the entire person. While there are things we can do to better manage and reduce stress, ultimately it’s important to get at the root cause i.e. why your inner system reacts the way it does to stressors (stayed tuned for information on getting at the root of stress in an upcoming blog titled “Healing Stress at Its Root”).
Final Thoughts
Stress touches every aspect of our being, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm us. By approaching it holistically (mind, body and soul) we can learn to navigate stress with greater ease and resilience. Healing stress isn’t about eliminating it entirely (remember some stress is actually useful!); it’s about cultivating tools and practices that bring us back into alignment, as well as, resolving past wounds, so we can face life’s challenges from a place of balance and strength.
Holistic therapy offers a pathway to this balance, reminding us that healing is a journey that involves nurturing every part of ourselves. If you’re tired of being tired and over being stressed all the time, head to the “contact tab” in the upper righthand corner of our website, submit a contact form and we will be in touch ASAP!