In 1992, the Health Resource Network launched what we now know as National Stress Awareness Month after recognizing something that felt both obvious and overlooked, people weren’t just occasionally stressed, they were living in a constant state of it.
The goal was simple but powerful: help people understand what stress is doing to them and give them practical ways to respond before it turns into something more serious.
As a Health Coach and in my own life, I see how easy it is to normalize feeling overwhelmed, wired, or just not quite right. I push through, and assume it’s “just a season,” and can frequently ignore the early signals. Yet when I slow down with myself and my clients, the realization dawns that a pattern exists: some emotions are draining and things like frustration, pressure, worry, and that constant sense of urgency create fatigue. While other emotions actually give something back, moments of gratitude, calm, connection and even a quiet sense of hope create clarity, coherence and provide more energy. Most of us are living with far more of the first and far too little of the second. Think of this; what if those early signals we tend to ignore are actually invitations? Invitations to pause, to shift what’s happening inside, and to gently ask, “What’s really driving this?” Because when we begin to pay attention at that level—not just to how we feel, but to what’s underneath it—we open the door to real, lasting change.
What if we slowed this down just enough to get curious about our own patterns?
You might begin with a few simple but honest questions:
What situations or moments in my day consistently leave me feeling drained or on edge?
What am I telling myself in those moments—and is it true?
Where do I feel stress in my body when it shows up?
And just as important…what are the moments, however small, that leave me feeling even slightly calmer, clearer, or more like myself?
These questions aren’t meant to overwhelm—they’re meant to help you notice. And once you notice, you can begin to shift. One simple place to start is with your breath. Try this: gently bring your attention to the center of your chest, slow your breathing down just a bit, and imagine the breath moving in and out from that space. Stay there for a few minutes, softening your body as you breathe. Then, while you’re in that slower rhythm, bring to mind something that evokes a sense of appreciation or calm—someone you love, a place that steadies you, a moment you’re grateful for.
This practice is called Attitude Breathing, a technique developed by the HeartMath Institute, and at its core, it’s about recognizing that our attitudes, just like our emotions can either drain us or restore us. The practice invites you to first notice the feeling or attitude you want to shift, maybe it’s impatience, anxiety, or that sense of being overwhelmed and then gently choose a different internal posture, something like calm, patience, ease, or even simple neutrality. From there, you bring your attention back to your heart area, breathing a little slower and deeper, and begin to “breathe in” that new attitude as if you are drawing it into your body. What’s powerful here is that it’s not just a mental exercise you stay with it long enough to feel the shift.
Sometimes that takes a minute or two, especially when the original feeling is strong or feels justified. But even then, the body doesn’t distinguish between “justified stress” and stress it still drains you. And so, you practice. You return to the breath, again and again, especially when those old patterns resurface, gently anchoring the new feeling until it becomes more familiar. And if you can’t quite access a positive feeling in the moment, even shifting into a neutral space can begin to quiet the internal storm.
Over time, this simple rhythm of noticing, breathing, and replacing becomes more than a technique it becomes a way of interrupting the stress cycle and creating a different internal experience, one that supports clarity, steadiness, and a more resilient way of living.
And this is exactly the work I have the privilege of doing every day. As a certified HeartMath practitioner, I guide people through these kinds of shifts in real time whether it’s CEOs navigating high-stakes decisions, college-aged men and women learning how to regulate their stress and perform at their best, or everyday mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers simply trying to feel better in their own lives. The truth is this applies to every single one of us. If you’re finding yourself in that place of “pushing through” but knowing something underneath needs attention, I would love to walk with you in that process. You don’t have to figure it out alone. Sometimes the most powerful next step is simply starting the conversation.
