In today's fast-paced world, stress is an inevitable part of life. However, it’s not just the presence of stress that matters, but how we perceive and manage it. Rise Above Stress is a foundational offering that introduces how stress affects your mind, body, and energy - and how you can begin to respond instead of react. This approach is now the first step in a broader path I’ve created for sensitive, high-achieving women: The Re-Aligned Journey™ - a three-phase spiral of healing and remembrance. In this post, I’ll walk you through what stress really is, how it shows up in different life stages, and how this first step can help you begin rising above it.

Understanding Stress: Acute, Episodic Acute, and Chronic

Stress manifests in three primary forms: acute, episodic acute, and chronic. Understanding these types helps us better navigate and manage stress in our lives.

1. Acute Stress:

- Description: Short-term stress that arises from specific events or situations. Common triggers include work deadlines, exams, or minor accidents.

- Effects: Acute stress can enhance performance and focus in the short term. However, frequent episodes can lead to emotional and physical symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, headaches, and digestive issues.

2. Episodic Acute Stress:

- Description: Frequent occurrences of acute stress, often due to a high-stress lifestyle or personality traits such as constant worry and pessimism.

- Effects: Women experiencing episodic acute stress may feel perpetually rushed and overwhelmed. This can lead to persistent physical health issues like hypertension and migraines, as well as emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.

3. Chronic Stress:

- Description: Long-term stress resulting from ongoing pressures, such as financial struggles, demanding jobs, or strained relationships.

- Effects: Chronic stress has severe health implications, including increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders, and a weakened immune system. It can also lead to burnout and significantly diminish quality of life.

Stress and Sensory Processing Sensitivity

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a trait found in about 15-20% of the population, characterized by a deeper cognitive processing of sensory input, heightened emotional reactivity, and greater sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Women with SPS also known as HSP, highly sensitive person, may experience stress differently and more intensely due to their heightened sensitivity.

Effects of Stress on Women with SPS: These women may be more susceptible to overstimulation and emotional exhaustion. They might experience higher levels of anxiety and stress in response to common stressors and may have a more pronounced physiological response to stress.

Stress in Women: A Life Stage Perspective

Women in different life stages experience stress differently, influenced by various factors such as childhood influences, relationship patterns, career pressures, family responsibilities, and hormonal changes.

Women in Their 20s:

- Challenges: Transitioning into adult life with career aspirations, personal relationships, and financial independence. This age group often faces acute and episodic acute stress due to these transitions and uncertainties.

- Holistic Approach: Integrative mental health techniques, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and positive psychology can help manage stress, reflect on past experiences and navigate the changes with parental relationships.

Women in Their 30s:

- Challenges: Juggling career growth, family planning or parenting, and personal development. Stress at this stage can be both acute and chronic, often influenced by work-life balance and evolving personal goals.

- Holistic Approach: Techniques that combine neuroscience, positive psychology, and functional medicine can support mental and physical health. Addressing negative thought patterns, toxins, and unresolved trauma is crucial for comprehensive stress management. Mindfulness and spiritual practices provide resilience and help maintain inner harmony.

Women in Their 40s:

- Challenges: Managing career demands, caring for loved ones, and experiencing midlife transitions. This stage often involves chronic stress due to sustained pressures and the early onset of hormonal changes.

- Holistic Approach: A combination of neuroscience-based therapies, functional medicine, and quantum physics principles can aid in understanding and mitigating chronic stress. Addressing negative thought patterns, detoxifying the body, and healing unresolved trauma are essential.

Women in Their 50s:

- Challenges: Navigating the full impact of menopause, adjusting to empty nests, and shifting relationships with young adult children. Chronic stress can be prevalent due to these significant life changes.

- Holistic Approach: Emphasizing therapies grounded in neuroscience and functional medicine can be beneficial. Detoxification, healing unresolved trauma, and adopting new positive thought patterns are critical. Incorporating spiritual psychology and mindfulness practices helps in maintaining emotional equilibrium and overall wellness.

Rise Above Stress: A Process of Resiliency and Empowerment

Rise Above Stress is an entry point that helps women understand how stress patterns form. It’s about developing a mindset that sees stress not as an insurmountable obstacle but as an opportunity for growth and empowerment. This approach seamlessly melds multiple disciplines into a cohesive strategy for managing stress and promoting overall well-being.

At the core of this philosophy is neuroscience, which helps us understand how stress impacts brain function and behavior. By leveraging this knowledge, women can develop effective coping mechanisms and therapeutic interventions .

Positive psychology plays a crucial role in fostering resilience and positivity. By focusing on strengths, cultivating gratitude, and nurturing positive relationships, women can build mental strength and emotional stability .

Functional medicine addresses the root causes of physical ailments, offering personalized nutrition and lifestyle interventions that enhance physical health and support stress resilience. Detoxifying the body from harmful toxins is crucial for maintaining optimal health .

The principles of quantum physics underscore the profound connection between our thoughts, energy, and physical states. Understanding this connection empowers women to harness their mental and emotional energy to create positive changes in their lives .

Spiritual psychology integrates mindfulness, meditation, and other spiritual practices, nurturing the soul and fostering inner peace. This holistic approach helps women connect with their deeper selves, promoting a sense of purpose and fulfillment .

By combining these elements into an empowering introduction, Rise Above Stress offers more than just symptom relief - it plants the seeds for long-term wellness and personal growth. This foundational approach helps women begin developing a more balanced and harmonious relationship with their minds, laying the groundwork for deeper healing and transformation. For those who feel called to explore further, this series serves as the first step into The Re-Aligned Journey™ - a three-phase spiral of healing and remembrance.

Conclusion: Embrace the Positive Shift

Perception is a powerful mechanism in navigating stress. When we shift our mindset to view stress not as an insurmountable barrier but as a catalyst for growth, transformation becomes possible.

Rise Above Stress introduces the foundational science and self-awareness needed to begin this shift. It’s where we start gently - learning how the mind works, how stress patterns form, and how to reconnect with our breath, attention, and inner presence.

When you commit to yourself and your health, the shift is not just possible - it’s inevitable.

Ready to begin?

I’ve created a short, powerful 3-session series called Rise Above Stress: Self-Awareness & the Mind. It’s a self-paced course designed to help you understand how your mind was shaped (and how to rewire it), how to work with - not against - your nervous system. Breath and intention tools to reclaim calm, clarity, and choice. I’ve created a short email series that introduces the foundations of Rise Above Stress.

Begin your journey with awareness and ease.

Originally published July 2024. Updated June 2025 to reflect the evolution of Rise Above Stress as a foundational offering and its connection to The Re-Aligned Journey™.

SIGN UP NOW: Rise Above Stress Intro

1. Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Understanding the stress response.

2. Mayo Clinic. (2020). Chronic stress puts your health at risk.