When life gets stressful…

One of my clients recently asked me, “What can I do? I feel a surge of stress hormones in my whole body.”

He held my gaze for a few seconds, and I could feel his anguish. He’s been suffering from migraine headaches and has started to notice a clear connection between his stress levels and his symptoms. He has a demanding job and is always “on.”

Some of you may relate. Others may not. But the truth is, even in the most relaxed life circumstances, stress hormones can still be activated. Life will bring out the stress response in one way or another.

As someone currently in perimenopause, I’ve noticed my own tolerance for stress has shifted. Sleep issues, digestive problems, chronic pain, worry about loved ones—or even the state of the world—can all raise our stress levels.

When I say “stress,” I’m referring to the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream.

The Stress Response: A Biomedical View

From a biomedical perspective, stress hormones are produced through the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis—a rapid, cascading alarm system triggered by the brain.

When a threat is perceived, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland, which then prompts the adrenal glands (located above the kidneys) to release cortisol and adrenaline.

The Chinese Medicine Perspective

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, stress affects multiple organ systems in a deeply interconnected way.

Kidneys
The kidneys are the foundation of our grounding and the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. They store our essence—Jing—which we are born with.

Over time, this essence is gradually depleted, especially when the body is under stress and needs to draw on deeper reserves. Each surge of cortisol is, in a sense, a withdrawal from this reserve.

Longevity and balanced aging depend on preserving this essence. Practices like deep sleep, meditation, and anything that activates the parasympathetic nervous system help nourish the kidneys and protect our reserves.

Liver & Gallbladder
In Chinese Medicine, the liver governs the smooth flow of energy (Qi) throughout the body. Along with the gallbladder, it is associated with the Wood element and the energy of spring—growth, movement, and expansion.

When this natural flow is disrupted, the result is tension and congestion—often referred to as Liver Qi Stagnation, a very common pattern in modern life.

Even something as simple as waking to an alarm clock can interrupt this natural rhythm. Imagine instead a day guided by your internal clock—moving, creating, and resting in alignment with your energy.

Ways to support liver flow include:

• Spending time in nature (especially around green and blue landscapes)

• Eating berries and leafy greens

• Engaging in creativity, especially visual arts

• Letting your imagination move freely

Spleen & Stomach
The digestive system is both a source of stress and highly affected by it.

Diet plays a major role. Coffee, sugar, and alcohol are often used to artificially regulate energy—stimulating the nervous system during the day and sedating it at night. Over time, this pattern can lead to symptoms like migraines, acid reflux, high blood pressure, insomnia, skin conditions, and even autoimmune disorders.

Stress itself also weakens digestion. In Chinese Medicine, excessive thinking, worry, and mental overwork impair the Spleen. We rely on this system not only to digest food, but also information.

In today’s world, the constant influx of information places a heavy burden on this “digestive” capacity.

Heart
The heart is considered the “emperor” of all organs. It governs not only circulation, but also emotional balance.

Stress affects the heart physically—raising heart rate and causing palpitations—but also emotionally. The blood flows through the heart, carrying emotions, and it goes through the whole body carrying the messages from the heart. When the heart is unsettled, the entire system feels it. And when other organs are out of balance, the heart is affected in return.

So, What Can We Do?

For me, the first step is always awareness.

Simply noticing when stress is rising—when cortisol is increasing in the body—is powerful. Many of us are so accustomed to living in a heightened state that we lose the ability to feel the subtle shifts in our nervous system.

Emotions can act as breadcrumbs, pointing us toward something deeper that needs attention.

Nutrition also plays a key role. Reducing or eliminating coffee and sugar can significantly improve nervous system balance, stabilize mood, and reduce inflammation—one of the root causes of many chronic conditions.

But beyond food, my greatest healer has always been nature.

Time and again, I return to the woods—the quiet, the sound of birds, the feeling of a gentle breeze. Forest bathing reminds me of something essential: we are part of nature.

Our body, mind, and nervous system recalibrate when we immerse ourselves in it.

In ancient Chinese philosophy, this life force was called Ling—the essence, the source.

And perhaps it’s no coincidence that spring—when liver energy is at its peak and stress can feel heightened—also invites us back outside.

For me, the most powerful remedy is simple:
hands in the soil, planting a garden, breathing deeply after a spring rain, tending to new life.

This is where balance returns.