A wonderful human in my network recently shared something powerful. Despite doing all the “right” things - walking outside, practicing gratitude, taking breaks - her body told her she was still in stress expressing it as an acute physical ailment.
This was an important reminder: stress relief practices like walks, gratitude moments, and taking breaks are great, but they are often not be enough to truly regulate and release stress from the body.
Here’s why:
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Stress often builds up in ways we don’t notice.
It can start from moments we barely register - triggered by how the primitive part of our brain perceives threats. Even small things can cue a stress response beneath our awareness.
Or we think we are regulating stress by walking, exercising, taking breaks, while in fact it is still in the body. -
Stress is multifaceted: mental, emotional, and physical.
Mental stress comes from circulating thoughts and pressure - worrying, overthinking, and continuously processing or re-processing a situation.Emotional stress is felt in the body. It forms as a result of painful emotions - such as feeling hurt, disrespected, unseen, or like a failure.
Physical stress can come from overworking, whether physically or mentally - even if we enjoy the work.
These types of stress are interrelated. Together, they settle in the body as pockets of stagnant energy.
These invisible clusters of tension impact how we think, process information, interact, and make decisions. They shape our mental and emotional state.
We may not consciously notice it, but it keeps us in a cycle of accumulating inner pressure.
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Without intentional energetic release, stress lingers.
Unless we consciously release these energy clusters from the body, we don’t fully regulate stress. It stays in the system - and continues to build, affecting the body. Eventually, the body reaches its limit and begins to show signs of physical ailment.
It can also heighten mental and emotional reactivity, making our responses more acute and harder to manage.
How to Actually Release Stress
Here are some ways to release stress in a more complete and embodied way:
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Be with yourself.
Carve out time to be alone in a quiet space - ideally in nature.
Listen inwardly.
How does your mind feel?
Your heart?
Your body?
What’s really present? -
Practice intentional breathing.
Use your breath to soften and release tension or pain. Breathing is one of the most effective tools for both quick resets and deep clearing - at the levels of both the nervous system and the body.
Combine breathing with:
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Natural scents or essential oils
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Gentle movement where you can feel your breath (walking, swimming, stretching, etc.)
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Nature views and elements
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Petting an animal
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Listening to or playing music
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Candles or campfires
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Watching the sunrise or sunset
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Floating, paddling, or simply being near water
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Yoga or mindful stretching (not just for mastering poses)
You don’t need fancy breathing techniques. Just simple, slow, deep breaths - in and out - are more than enough. If techniques like box breathing, square breathing, or counting feel like “too much,” return to a gentle, natural rhythm.
Let the breath feel like it’s stretching your chest slightly and filling your body with oxygen. Let it be easeful and uplifting.
Try other practices that feel right to you. As long as your breathing is intentional, you’ll start to feel the shift.
I’ve developed simple energy flow activations that combine guided breathing, nature’s energy, and gentle visualizations. You can use them on the go, in the moment—even with your eyes open.
Try them here: https://newyou.edelweiss.academy
If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they work for you.
In addition to breathing, it’s beneficial to pair stress release with a mental activity—such as journaling, free writing, or engaging with reflection prompts—to help process and clear what’s on your mind.
Want support with your daily and weekly check-ins?
Use the Bloom + Flourish Journal - a soulful set of tools to reflect, release, and realign. It includes prompts, energy flow attunements with breathing and visualizations, and Bloomtica Art practices. Together, these elements create a holistic and deeply effective experience.
Discover more and begin your journey here >> https://journal.bloomtica.com
If you have any questions or not sure where to begin, reach out team@edelweiss.academy. We are just an email away.
