Welcome back to This Holistic Life, where faith, science, and holistic wisdom come together to help you thrive in every season. I’m Tracie Braylock, holistic nurse and wellness guide, and today I want to challenge a mindset that’s become all too common in our world – managing stress.
We’re constantly told to “manage” our stress, as if stress is some inevitable, permanent part of life that we’re just supposed to learn to live with. But what if we stopped trying to manage stress – and started eliminating it instead?
In this episode, I’m going to show you how—and why—you can begin doing exactly that.
The Problem with “Managing” Stress
Here’s the thing: managing stress implies that you’re planning to keep it around. You’re essentially creating space for it in your life – organizing your schedule and adjusting your expectations around it.
Managing something means you’re trying to control it, contain it, or function in spite of it. But stress – especially chronic stress – is not something you were meant to manage forever. It’s something you were meant to notice, address, and eliminate when possible.
Instead of expecting stress, I want you to begin expecting relaxation. Instead of anticipating overwhelm, anticipate peace.
The more you accept stress as your normal, the more it will stay embedded in your habits, your body, and your lifestyle.
What Stress Looks Like from a Nurse’s Perspective
In nursing, we have clinical diagnoses that speak directly to how stress shows up in someone’s life. Let me share two that I often see:
Ineffective Coping – This diagnosis is used when someone’s unable to manage their stressors, emotions, or challenges effectively. It often leads to emotional distress, confusion, or burnout.
Stress Overload – This is when someone is facing too many demands at once – more than they can reasonably handle – which impairs their ability to make decisions, care for themselves, or function well.
These aren’t just labels. They’re real ways we assess and identify what’s happening in someone’s mind and body. And they’re signs that something needs to shift – not just be tolerated.
Start Addressing Your Stressors Head-On
You don’t have to keep rearranging your life around stress. You can start confronting the root causes of your stress and removing them – one by one.
Here are a few examples of stressors that you can eliminate or reduce:
Declutter a drawer that’s constantly overwhelming you
Take a different route to work that feels less chaotic
Turn off notifications that interrupt your peace
Step away from relationships that consistently cause you tension
Say no to commitments that leave you depleted
This is about empowerment. It’s about understanding what’s within your control and taking intentional action to remove what no longer serves your health or well-being.
Let Go of What’s Out of Your Control
Not all stressors can be eliminated. But here’s the key: don’t give your energy to what’s beyond your control.
Instead of fixating on things you can’t change – like traffic, politics, or someone else’s behavior – focus on what you can do:
Create peaceful routines
Set and maintain boundaries
Adjust your inner dialogue
Choose your response with intention
Peace begins with perspective. And the more you reclaim your focus, the less power external stressors will have over your life.
Tools That Support Stress Elimination
As a nurse and wellness educator, my role is to help you identify the stress in your life and offer you evidence-informed tools to help you let go of what’s causing it.
Some of those tools include:
Journaling – to uncover and release mental clutter
Music Therapy – to soothe your nervous system
Aromatherapy – to bring calm to your senses
Meditation & Prayer – to center your thoughts and reconnect spiritually
Ecotherapy – to ground you through time in nature
These practices don’t just help you manage stress – they help you create a lifestyle that resists it altogether.
Closing Thoughts
You were not created to carry chronic stress. You were not designed to just “cope.” You were made to live in peace, clarity, and freedom.
So stop managing what you can begin releasing. Start looking at your life with fresh eyes – and begin eliminating the stressors that are within your control.
If you’re ready for more support and guidance, grab a copy of my book Radical Relaxation: Releasing the Stress You Were Never Meant to Carry. You’ll find simple, holistic strategies that help you break the cycle of stress and create lasting calm.
You can also explore more tools and resources at traciebraylock.com. I’m here to walk with you every step of the way.
Until next time, let go of the weight, reclaim your peace, and remember to relax often and enjoy the journey.
Thank You to Our This Holistic Life Sponsors
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