Stress Reset: How Chronic Stress Can Disrupt Sleep, Digestion, And Weight

You can be doing “all the right things” and still feel exhausted, puffy, moody, and stuck. That’s why we wanted to have a real conversation about stress and not the vague kind. We get into what chronic stress actually does inside the body, why your physiology can’t tell the difference between emotional stress and lifestyle stress, and how that constant load can quietly derail your energy, metabolism, digestion, sleep, and even your cycle.

Alongside guest Emma Aguirre, a nutritionist and personal trainer who’s expanding her work into functional diagnostic nutrition, this episode unpacks the HPA axis, cortisol rhythms, and the common patterns we see when cortisol gets dysregulated: waking up tired, relying on caffeine, the 3 p.m. crash, cravings, brain fog, and feeling wired at night. We also talk about why cortisol isn’t the villain, why “just work out more” can backfire when your recovery is already poor, and why so many of us blame hormones when stress is the bigger root cause.

You’ll leave with practical stress management tools you can use immediately: a simple calendar audit to spot what’s optional, permission to say no without over explaining, protein at breakfast to stabilize blood sugar, better sleep hygiene, a more honest look at caffeine, training for resilience, and digestion support that starts with slowing down and sitting to eat. We also share the power of starting small with habit stacking, plus morning sunlight and short walks as anchor habits that can change with each season of life.

If this helped you, subscribe to Words of Wellness, share it with a friend who’s running on empty, and leave a quick rating and review so more people can find these wellness tools. What’s the first small shift you’re willing to try this week?

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In Health, 

Shelly

Transcript

Permission To Shift Your Anchors

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Find your anchors and acknowledge that they're going to change as you shift through life. They'll always be there. They just look different. And again, that's a permission. That's like, you know, just saying it's okay to take a walk today. I don't have to go run six miles. I can just take a leisurely walk with my dog and it's great.

Show Mission And Listener Promise

Meet Emma And Name The Problem

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Do you get confused by all of the information that bombards us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated, or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing? What foods you should or shouldn't be eating? How to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone. I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more. To share tips, education, and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you. To bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness, and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life, and that you will, we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives full of energy, happiness, and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today. Hello, my friends. Welcome back to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly, and I'll be your host. And today I am bringing you an amazing guest. She is a nutritionist and personal trainer, and she is currently working on expanding her nutritionist knowledge and becoming a functional diagnostic nutritionist. And that sounds really fancy. So maybe you'll have to share a little bit with us about that too. But I want to welcome Emma Guire to the show today. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 2:22

I'm okay. Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to share more about FDN and what I do there and also talk about, you know, stress and all of the things that come with it.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Well, and we we have for our listeners, we are doing a little bit of a redo. We had a little bit of a hiccup with technology on our first recording. And we are going to dive right into it today because this topic is a topic that affects each and every one of us. And like Emma said, we're going to be discussing stress. And it's a topic that is talked about a lot, but we are not always managing it the best way that we can in the most effective way that we can. So we're going to dive right in. And this is this is Emma's uh expertise. So let's get started.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Yeah, which is interesting considering yesterday I had come off of a you caught me at the end of a 14, 15-hour day. And now you had the stress of the redo and all of the things. The the irony there is kind of funny. Um, but I think it is really um an important topic, like you said, because we're busier than ever. Our lifestyles are full, and it's not always necessarily bad stress. It's all usually good things that are happening, but it is a fullness. And I think, in particular, um, the women that I deal with in my coaching business, we just naturally are now attuned to blame our hormones. We're like, oh, it's our time of life and it's our hormones, and everything's out of whack because of that. But I want to peel back the layers today and kind of help people understand that that stress is really doing doing a number on our on our insides, and that could be a root cause of all of the other things that are happening.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

I think that's such an excellent point because it's almost like we've gone from one extreme to the other, not really being very knowledgeable about our hormones and now finding out all these symptoms that are associated with them. So, like you're saying, it's so easy to, I guess, put the blame on them. But I think like what you're saying too is we all go through stress. And I remember when I would share this in the health classes that I used to teach, helping everyone understand that it can be a good stress, like you're saying, it could be positive or it could be negative, but our bodies physiologically react in the same way. So that's why it's so critical to be able to manage it, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:43

Absolutely, absolutely. Our body does not know the difference between, you know, emotional stress and deadlines and mental load and kids and relationships and finances, and it doesn't know that it's actually, you know, the body perceives like um, you know, poor sleep and digestion, under eating, and blood sugar swings. Physical exercise can be another stressor on our body, and our body does not differentiate, it just all goes into the same bucket and it perceives load, it perceives that as a threat, and it evaluates then whether it can maintain the homeostasis and the balance. And that's really what stress is is anything that's going to throw that balance off.

Chronic Stress Cortisol And Metabolic Chaos

SPEAKER_01 5:22

So true. So I think one thing too is to like you're you're sharing just the different things that affect us when and it can be, you know, cause stress. So, what would you say for our listeners are symptoms to really be looking for? Because I think sometimes, like you and I have experienced this, and many of the listeners I'm sure have as well, that we don't always trace things back to stress. We get caught up into you know our day-to-day lives.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Yes, without knowing it. Exactly. We're just attuned. This is our system, this is our routine, this is our pattern, this is how we do things. And we're so exhausted that we don't have time to really sit back until something really hits us in the face, like a chronic illness or burnout or whatever it may be. And so um I think that, yeah, the symptoms are really important to get to. And I think it's important to understand what happens physiologically, right, within our system. So acute stress is that short-term stress. It is the deadlines, it's the bad traffic, it's the cranky kid, it's those things. And that's healthy, it's normal. The problem is when it becomes chronic stress, and then our body never really fully resets and the load stays high and the signals are firing off all the time, and our body is impacted, it shifts from metabolism support and hormones and energy regulation, and those things start to change. And that's when we might notice it. So understanding there's acute stress, that's normal, it happens, and understanding that there's chronic long-term stress is really key in this too. And so when we're in that chronic stress state, um, we our HPA axis is impacted. That is just a fact. That is the hypothalamus pituitary and adrenal gland that kicks into gear to help us support that stress response, whatever it may be. Cortisol comes along with that, it's released as part of that response. And it's, I think also cortisol is getting a bad rep right now. I see a lot of it on the socials. Oh, you've got cortisol belly, or too much cortisol, and all of those things. And um, cortisol can actually be a good thing. It's it's a survival hormone. We need it, it's required. You have to have it to wake up in the morning. Um, it regulates blood sugar, it responds to everyday life and triggers and things that we have, but it wasn't supposed to be on all the time. So recognizing that. It follows a rhythm, it's higher in the morning, and then it tapers off throughout the day. And um, that rhythm can be disrupted when we um when that stress becomes chronic and it's gonna spike at the wrong times, it's going to, it's it's just gonna be completely dysregulated. And that's when we start turning to things like caffeine in the afternoon because we're slumping too low, or it's not high enough in the morning, so we're reaching for two, three cups of coffee, and that just adds more stress to our body. So we're trying to overcompensate, right? So blood sugar becomes harder to regulate. Um, we are the signaling, the insulin signaling signaling is becoming less efficient. That's when cravings start to increase. So that 3 p.m., whether it's chocolate or candy or sugar, whatever sugar or whatever it is, that's when fat storage starts to accumulate. And that's how that happens. All of a sudden you you wake up and you've gained weight and you start blaming your hormones. That's the cycle that we get sucked into. Digestion can take a hit, sleep becomes disrupted. And, you know, that's what we call at uh FDN uh metabolic chaos. Really, everything's kind of all over the place. All of those systems are completely dysregulated. And the idea then is that we're not going to be cutting calories or working harder. We have to take a step back and reset and look at everything. So that's kind of my explanation on how stress impacts us inside, and we can't control that necessarily. What we can control are some of the outside symptoms that we might be experiencing. So they show up as patterns in our life, right? So um it's waking up exhausted. If you are relying on caffeine to just get you out of bed in the morning and feeling wired at night, you're unable to shut your brain off. We've all had those nights. Um, that is a major red flag that something is going on there. Um, it's the afternoon crash, like we talked about. Um, your focus drops, you get a little brain fog, you're looking for the sugar, just to get through the second half of your day. You might start to feel shaky or irritable, anxious without if you go too long without eating, especially we're we're notorious for again slamming the cup of coffee, no major protein source in the morning. And so we get that hanger hit, and it's just because your blood sugar is swinging way more than it should. Um, that's something to pay attention to. Um, you might have bloating after meals, you might have some reflux, digestion's gonna be off, um, you just a general sense of, you know, food doesn't feel right. Certain foods don't sit well with you, and you become kind of a sensitive, you have a sensitive tummy all of a sudden. That's something to watch for. Um, if you are waking up and you don't feel refreshed, that's a red flag to look for. Um, and one of the key things as well, if you, I think in our society, one of the things that we know to be true, many, many people do exercise. And I think we are the society of harder, faster, stronger, better, all of the things. But if those workouts were working for you six months, nine months, 12 months ago, and now you're exhausted and you're depleted and you're sore and your recovery is poor, that's a major red flag that something is going on under the hood within that chronic stress load. And I mean, general, just like motivation. If you're not excited about life in general or your workouts or your, you know, doing all these things that are filling your life, that is something to be concerned about, that irritability, that anxiety, that depression. We want to clue into that a little bit and we want to find out where that stress is and how we can help it along the way. Things like PMS symptoms are gonna shift, cycle changes, low libido, all of those things are gonna be impacted by stress. So that's just a handful of symptoms that we can look to when stress is in play, chronic stress is in play.

Boundaries That Prevent Burnout

SPEAKER_01 11:45

I love this because it's just so right to the point. And I I hope that the listeners are really, really taking this in and thinking, okay, maybe that sounds like you or oh, that's familiar, or I'm experiencing that. Because I think going back to where the what happens as a result of the stress when we start to feel tired or our metabolism slows down and then we gain a little bit of weight, it what do we end up doing? What is the first uh reaction to to exercise more, to do more, right? Which is just the opposite of what our bodies are needing, but that's just the natural response. So I think it's so important to kind of reiterate the fact that no, you need to take a step back and really kind of think through what does your body needs? What is it feeling like it needs at this point in time? And I think, like you and I were talking, even before we started recording, about having boundaries, being able to say no. And I just said this and talked about this on my most recent solo episode about the fact that many times we do get so caught up in doing all of the activities and committing to different things in our lives and getting to that point where you can recognize is this moving me forward? Is this in alignment with what I want to be doing in my energy, or is it not? And being able to be okay with saying no, and like you mentioned, saying no and not have to have a reason why we are all are so used to explaining away things, I feel like. Yes, yes, we don't have to do that, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Not at all. And we also don't have to wait until we are in a state of burnout or chronically stressed to take that recovery and to put those no's into place. I had a client that I was working with um who had a very full calendar. She was an attorney, and one of my coaching points to her was like, let's see where you're filling your time. I hear that you say you don't have time. Show me where your time is going and let's maybe see where we can rearrange some things. And so she we we got on board with that, and that was great. But there was no fun, there was no joy, there was no, nothing was scheduled and calendared just for her. Kids had a calendar, husband and her shared a calendar. Where's your calendar? And what are you doing with your personal time? So she would get post-its throughout the week and any kind of play she heard about, any museum she heard about, any class that she wanted to try, she would jot down on a post-it. And then we would talk about it at the in our in our coaching call. And it's like, okay, well, I can do this on this day if I move this and I can shift this around, you know, and just have bringing that back to my own time. And I can say no to this, but I'm gonna put that into play, and that's better for me. And I think that's really important. It was a really good strategy for her just to see it visually as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Then that's beautiful because again, it's that permission. And I don't know, I don't, I'm not quite sure where so many women, maybe, and maybe men too, lost that along the way. Like, what where did we lose the fact that it's it's okay to say no? And it's also important to add in, like you're saying, the fun and the joy. And that's such a big part of of my message too for my mom's community is where is that? Like, that's so such a big part of our lives. And I know that I experience it a lot, and I want others to experience it too. And it could be again the phase of life that we're in. Sometimes it's a little bit easier when we're not when we don't have such a full schedule during the week. It's easier to experience that and to fit in the fun. And so I love that you're sharing that because even for someone who's a professional and they have a full work schedule and family life, it's still important to prioritize that. And it you did a beautiful job of that. So thank you for sharing that because I think that's important for listeners to hear and to really incorporate that themselves.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

I think about it. I I heard this analogy one time, and it's kind of like, you know, our life is like a racetrack, right? We're going around, we're going around, we're doing all the things. We would not, if you think about a race, it's, you know, there are pit stops along the way and they check the tires and they check the engine and they check all the things, and then you go again. We don't wait until the wheels fall off before we check the engine light, right? We are in the race, they are checking it along the way. And so why are we not doing that in life so we can go the distance, so we can keep going. We shouldn't have to wait until literally the wheels fall off and everything's everywhere to be uh rest and to take care of ourselves and to clue into that stress load and see where we're at physically.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Such a great analogy. And it reminds me of what I always talk about too is taking those steps to be proactive with our health now, taking care of our nutrition and our exercise, our movement, our sleep, like you're saying, and our stress, because what happens to so many people, it's when they get sick or get that diagnosis that then they pull back and go, oh, then they start taking making the steps, taking the steps to be healthier and take care of themselves rather than let's do that now before that happens later. So exactly like what you're sharing. I I love this. I think this is such important and practical information and advice for everyone, no matter what phase of life.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Absolutely. It's foundational and it's going to shift, right? It's it's going to shift from when you're in your 20s and you're kind of starting out just out of college, and you can eat a salad and be great. A salad would not do well for me in my 40s right now, because it's just, you know, I need the protein. I need all of that. So it's those kinds, and but it's nutrition is still important regardless of where you are. So what are you you doing? Same thing with, you know, working out. You know, what are you training for in your 20s? I don't know, maybe you're into the marathons or the or any or things like that. In my 40s, I'm not, you know, I do sprint tries once a year, and that's great for me. And you know, it's just shifting and adjusting. But at one point in my life, I did have to pair, you know, peel back. And I was doing Pilates, I was doing yoga, I did have to learn to meditate because my own stress load was so high and it was a real adjustment. But that movement and that, you know, physical exercise did not go away because it was it's a foundation, it's an anchor point for me. So I think when you can find your anchors and acknowledge that they're going to change as you shift through life, they'll always be there. They just look different. And again, that's a permission. That's like, you know, just saying it's okay to take a walk today. I don't have to go run six miles. I can just take a leisurely walk with my dog and it's great.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

That's such a beautiful message. And I love that. I share the same exact message. I think it's so important because it does change and your goals, your body, everything changes in different phases of your life. And I think that's the other thing that we I feel like we get away from in a good way later on in life. Somewhere along the way, we get exposed to that all or nothing mentality. And then we realize that's not that's not serving us. So, like you're saying, I know you went through a really kind of stressful time in your life that really forced you to pull back and to, like you're saying, take yoga, meditate, just kind of slow down. And I've been that way too with my workout over the last year or two, where I love to run, but now I also love to walk. And I basically kind of base it on my day-to-day workout routine and then also how my body's feeling, you know?

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Yeah, yeah. Why push through if you're not feeling a hundred percent? Some days you're gonna have all the energy and it and you go, you go, and some days you're like, this feels like a good day to stroll. I like it.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Yeah, yeah. The walks are the best. I love them, they're so stunning.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

I call them mental health walks.

First Steps For Busy Moms

SPEAKER_01 19:38

Yeah, mental walks for sure. And I share that too. And I was talking to someone one time where they said they do their coaching calls while they're walking, and I thought that is so great. What a what a great idea because I feel like you're getting your exercise, but you also have that mental clarity, and there's nothing like it. Absolutely. So share with us, Emma, because this is such great information. What would you tell maybe a mom out there who's like has her young kids and she's working and she's she's so stressed. What would be some of the first steps you would recommend her to take to start to kind of take care of herself and and managing the stress in her life?

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Um, well, just right out of the gate, I think looking at your schedule and your calendar, because I think where we put our time, that's you know, that's going to happen. If you are a very scheduled person, and certainly in my world, if it's not in my calendar, it's probably not gonna happen because I'm going to forget because I've got 18 tabs open at any given time, right? So I think looking at your calendar and recognizing like what's really necessary here and what can I push? Can I, is this is this optional? Do I, you know, and and full disclosure, I've skipped out on a lot of, you know, school events recently because I have a high schooler and I have an elementary school, and I'm kind of like, I've done this, I'm good, I know what's coming. I don't have to go to that meeting. And so it's those kinds of things where you're like, that's optional, that can move. I think that's a first step that anybody can take and free up some time. You don't necessarily have to feel the pressure of filling that time. It's just, oh my gosh, we have a free afternoon on Saturday. That's amazing. And that in and of itself is very freeing. So I think that's an immediate first step that anybody could take today. Um, I think also there's several other things that can come into play long term that they're habit-based, right? That you can shift, you can help your body and support your body through these periods of through our lifestyle, essentially, because stress is not going anywhere. We know that. So I think um starting by stabilizing our blood sugar and starting with breakfast is a really key part of all it starts the day off. We're looking for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, which I know sounds like a lot, but once you get into that habit again, it'll be completely. This means comp uh, you know, consistent meals, getting enough protein and enough intake throughout the day. Like we have to stop skipping our meals, friends. It's not serving us well. Coffee with collagen is not breakfast. And if we're constantly in a deficit in that caloric deficit, that is a level of stress on our body. That's a huge level of stress. We are not supposed to be in a deficit for an extended amount of time. So let's check in with breakfast and see what we, what different changes we can make there. I would support sleep like it's part of your job. I think consistent sleep and wake times is really, really important. Whether you're tired or not, I think setting that boundary again and saying it's 10 o'clock, lights out, eyes closed, the end. And so you're resetting that system and that cycle. Getting up at the same time most days is going to be really beneficial as well. Eventually you'll get to the point where I am where you pop out of bed at 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday and you're ready to go. And you're like, I couldn't sleep in if I if I was paid to do it. It's it's beautiful and frustrating at the same time. Um, so really reducing that late night stimulation as well. If you are a TV watcher, by all means watch a show, but try to cut it off before you, you know, you know, close your eyes. Um, blue light, glasses, those kinds of things, protecting um your eyes from those things. The lights, making sure they're dim, setting the tone around um your sleep hygiene, I think is really important for your nervous system as well. We got to downshift everything, right? Um, I would take a really honest look at caffeine and any kind of stimulants that you're using. We're really good at saying, oh, I only have one cup of coffee a day. Well, you have one cup of coffee a day at home, but then what happens when you get to the office and what happens at the 3 p.m. slump? And what other things are you adding in? Diet Coke has some caffeine in it, you know, tea has caffeine in it. It's it's those other kinds of things. Some foods have caffeine in it. So how are you adding more to your system and how are they propping up your energy when your system is really struggling underneath? I think that's something that we need to look at. I think training, we've kind of touched on this a little bit, but training for resilience and longevity rather than that stronger, harder, faster, more, I've got to work harder in the gym to get results. As you've mentioned, our body is kind of telling us something at some point. Like, we what do I need today? Is it a walk? Is it a run? Is it Pilates? Is it a stretch? Is it what is it? And being okay with that. Um, if your recovery is poor, it's not gonna get better by doing more. It's your it's your body's giving you data. It's saying, no, this is not working for me. And it's another stressor. Exercise is a stressor on our body.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Um, we need to think about supporting our digestion. And what I mean by that is how are you eating? I know that's a kind of funny way to look at it, but I know plenty of moms in particular who stand at the counter and they're prepping their kids' food and they're eating their food, standing up, they're in a rush, they're on the go, or they're eating in the car, whatever it is. And um, I think being able to eat in a more relaxed state, even if it is 10 minutes, you sit down, we enjoy our meal, even if it's a turkey sandwich, it's still delicious. Enjoy it and give our body the conditions that it needs to kind of break down and you know, just relax for a minute rather than being in the car, judging traffic, taking a phone call, handling kids in the back. That's that's not going to be a relaxed state for our digestion to kind of do what it needs to do and absorb the energy that it needs, right?

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Yeah, so good. I think that's such a great point, too, because we forget, we get in the the we kind of form some maybe perhaps not so great habits of, like you're saying, standing up and eating, watching TV while we're eating, and all of this affecting if we're in a hurry, like you're saying, it all affects our digestive system. So if we're having stomach issues, a lot of times that's why we're just not taking that time to relax and enjoy that meal. And it's more of a race than just a relaxing moment to nourish your body. So that's such an important reminder.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Yeah, for sure, for sure. And I think ultimately all of these things, these five different things that we just kind of talked about, you know, the real shift is just understanding that recovery has to be part of the plan. And again, it's not something we earn. It's not something that we get to, you know, we don't go through Monday through Friday and then kind of collapse into Saturday. That's really not the goal here. The goal is to be able to sustain that energy and to keep the stress at a manageable level using these foundational habits so that we can keep going long term. I think that's really the major mindset shift here that we have to, we have to get on board with. When we can reduce those hidden stressors, that's what we call them in FDN, um, and we create more stability. Um those things that you are doing are going to, they're going to start working again. Once those systems that require the help are functioning, your metabolism is going to kick kick in again. You're going to feel the energy. You're going to have the motivation to do a little bit more. And that's how that all happens. But it has to start at the internal base level first before those other things will happen.

Start Small And Build New Habits

SPEAKER_01 27:39

And it goes back to the message and the reminder of taking, taking one step at a time, making daily habits that that just committing to one thing that becomes a habit, then commit to another, right? And it you start to have it stack, it starts to add up, and you start to feel better and better, then it make all makes sense, right? Because I know for many people it can be overwhelming in the beginning. Yes. And I again, it's always just that reminder that it it doesn't have to be overwhelming. It's just a small, small step. I think you and I had mentioned even, I touched upon before we were recording, we the about the idea of stepping outside in the morning, getting a little bit of sunlight, sunshine. And and I always recommend that. It could be like two minutes, five minutes, where you're just having some quiet time, a little bit of sunshine, some deep breaths in, and then move on, right?

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Exactly. Yes, that morning sunlight, huge, absolutely. And really, I just love that idea of start small. I coach on that often. It's very much like what is one shift that we can focus on this week. Let's eat breakfast every single day. It doesn't have to be perfect, it can be half a bagel out the door, but you can still check the box. And then once you're in the habit, we make it a little bit better and a little bit better. And before you know it, it's a real anchor point for you and it becomes non-negotiable in your life. And I think, you know, that stepping outside, that's I mean, if if I'm real honest, I'm looking at my patio doors right now. Stepping outside is not a hard thing for me to do in the morning. Um, and so it, I think we overthink it in our mind. I think we get overwhelmed with that idea of like transforming and overhauling everything. And it just does not have to be that hard.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

One thing at a time. Right. That's such a great message. It's so important. And I just think it's such a great reminder because we tend to tackle it all at once, right?

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Because we can, right? We're just we it's not necessary, but you know, somewhere along the way. Yes. I don't know where it came from, but we told us we could do it all.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

I don't see to talk to them.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

And hey, I guess maybe we can, just not all at once. No.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Not all at once. And also just because we can doesn't mean we should. Exactly. At what cost? At the cost of ourselves, at of our at our health, uh, uh, cost of our health. And I just think the only thing that we can really count on is our health, right? We it good health, we can control it and we can we can support it. And I think this is one of the ways. I just think stress is so underestimated in terms of how we live our life. It leads to so many things, inflammation, chronic disease. And if we can avoid all of those things, then why wouldn't we?

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Absolutely. And I think it comes back to once you start to get into this habit of just taking a little bit of time, taking time for yourself, then that lends itself to being more in tune with how you're feeling. I I feel like when we're caught up in the busyness of life, we and we don't take that time, we're not as in touch with what are what we need. And that's another that's another point like I like to share with my clients as well, is take that time. You want to take that time to be intuitive and whatever is coming through, move in that direction, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:05

It's data. Your body talks all the time. And having that awareness is huge. And it's a learned skill, I think. It's that slowing down and recognizing, okay, where are my aches and pains today? That's where we can start. And how am I feeling in my body? And then it goes on from there. But also these little, you know, if we're if we're going back to the example of, you know, taking our tea or our coffee outside in the morning, getting that hit of sunlight, when you've done something good for yourself and you know that you've taken that five minutes for yourself, you put your own oxygen mask on and then you can be something to everybody else that needs you. You're going to be pulled in a million directions. And knowing and having that trust in yourself, like I've done my workout, I've had my sunlight, I took my walk, I journaled, I did whatever it was that makes me feel like me. Um, now I can be good for everybody else. It's really an important thing.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

Yes, that's huge. Just filling up your cup first, and then you can fill up the cups of others.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

Definitely. And it's a hard lesson. As certainly as women, um, it usually takes a lesson. It's not something that's naturally built in us, I don't think, at this point in our in our lives. I think it's it's some usually along the way, it's it's there's a lesson been learned. There is an exhaustive, exhaustive phase. There is, you know, a burnout, there is a major life event because they haven't taken the time for themselves first.

Where To Find Emma And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Yes, so true.

SPEAKER_02 32:31

Well, where can people find you, Emma? So I am usually on, I'm definitely on Instagram all the time. That is my that is where I get most of my that's where you'll find fun and fitness and food and um all of those tips. And it is um Thrive uh Thrive Lab Health. And um my again, my name's Emma Agiri. And so um you can find me there. And I just think I actually have a, I was I meant to tell you this earlier. I do have a cortisol management guide that I found in my library, and I would love to be able to share that. There's lots more um tips and tricks and how to clue into that cortisol and help bring the stress down and and and manage it a little bit better. So if that's something I can share, I'd be happy to do that.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

That's wonderful. Yes, I will put that in the show notes and I will put all of your contact information in the show notes. So that would be fantastic. Thank you for that. Absolutely awesome. And this has been amazing. Thank you so much for sharing all of the knowledge. And this has been really, really valuable. And I guess just the last thing would be is there any last words of wellness or inspiration you want to share with the listeners?

SPEAKER_02 33:42

I think really it's um just here's your permission slip. You know, here's your permission slip to take a step back and pay attention to the data, the things that your body's telling you, those symptoms that we talked about, and pick one thing that you can work on and do that because it's a step in the right direction. So good.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

So good. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

Yeah, you got it. Absolutely. It's been a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 34:07

So, so great. And to all the listeners, take time for yourself and your wellness on your day, uh, in your day, and just you know, take to heart some of these tips that Emma has shared with us today so that you can apply them to your own personal day-to-day life and manage that stress more effectively so that you can experience more joy and energy and vitality. That is the whole purpose of all of this. So have a beautiful, blessed rest of your week, everyone, and we'll see you next time on Words of Wellness. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did. And if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review Words of Wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening. And if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelley Jeffries, and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy, and blessed week.