Strength Over Stress: How to Protect Your Body (and Your Mind) When theWorld Feels Chaotic

There’s a kind of stress that simmers under the surface.

It’s not dramatic. It’s not loud.

It’s the constant low buzz of “something’s not right.” The kind of tension you carry in your

shoulders, your jaw, your sleep. The kind that keeps you in reaction mode, even when everything looks fine from the outside.

If you’ve been feeling that way lately — I get it.

You’re not alone. And no, it’s not “just how life is now.”

You can absolutely feel strong, grounded, and steady again.

But here’s the truth:

You won’t find that in the headlines. You’ll find it in your body.

Strength is Not About Fitness — It’s About Feeling Capable in Your Own Life

When I talk about strength, I’m not talking about pushing harder, burning calories, or chasing

six-pack abs.

I’m talking about real-life strength — the kind that helps you:

• Get off the floor without panicking

• Carry groceries with confidence

• Walk with purpose and balance

• Feel good bending down to tie your shoes

• Move through your day without worrying your body won’t cooperate

Strength is what lets you keep living life on your terms.

And when things around you feel uncertain or overwhelming, strength becomes your anchor.

I Didn’t Want to Move — So I Didn’t

I looked at my Apple Watch recently and realized something surprising:

From October through February, I had barely moved.

Like... barely.

And it wasn’t an injury.

It wasn’t time.

It was something deeper — a kind of mental and emotional resistance to movement.

The world felt chaotic.

My anxiety was higher than usual.

The idea of sweating, putting on workout clothes, even being “productive” in that way... I just

couldn’t do it.

So I didn’t.

And I’ll be honest — it didn’t feel good.

Avoiding movement didn’t bring relief.

It brought disconnection.

I felt more stuck in my head, more irritable, more tired.

I wasn’t just stressed. I was losing my own strength.

When You Stop Moving, Your Body Starts to Believe You’ve Given Up

The truth is, stress lives in the body — and if you don’t move it through, it just stays stuck.

Your muscles tighten.

Your breathing gets shallow.

Your posture caves in.

You start skipping the stairs. You hesitate to bend over.

You start to feel old.

That’s not age.

That’s strength quietly fading away.

And the longer you stay disconnected, the harder it becomes to rebuild — mentally and

physically.

But here’s the good news:

It doesn’t take a huge comeback to start feeling better.

It takes one intentional moment. One squat. One walk. One stretch.

That’s how you come back to yourself.

“I Know I Should Exercise... But I Just Don’t Want To”

I hear this a lot.

And you know what? I don’t roll my eyes. I don’t say “You have to.”

Because I’ve been there.

But here’s what I will say:

You deserve to feel strong.

Not because someone told you to. Not to lose weight. Not to prove anything.

But because strength feels good.

When your legs feel strong, you walk with more confidence.

When your balance improves, your fear of falling decreases.

When your muscles are working, your metabolism responds, your joints feel more supported,

and your mind feels clearer.

You don’t have to love exercise. You just have to move with intention.

Start with:

• Standing up from a chair 5 times

• Taking a walk around your block

• Doing 10 wall pushups in your kitchen

• Stretching your arms up and breathing deeply

This isn’t about being fit.

This is about reclaiming your strength — one movement at a time.

It’s Not About Getting It Perfect. It’s About Getting It Back.

Here’s what I learned from those months I barely moved:

Not moving didn’t help me feel more in control.

It didn’t make me feel calmer.

It made everything heavier — physically and mentally.

Coming back to movement didn’t “fix” anything overnight.

But it gave me momentum. It gave me connection.

It gave me proof that I could choose to support myself again.

If you’ve been stuck, stalled, frozen, or full of “I just don’t want to” — I hear you.

And I believe you can come back.

Because strength isn’t about pushing harder.

It’s about choosing to care for yourself when it would be easier not to.

A Small Step You Can Take Today

If this message hit home, here’s what I want you to do:

✔ Choose one way to move your body today. Just one.

✔ Not for a goal. Not for anyone else. Just to say, “I’m here. I still want this.”

✔ And then tomorrow? Maybe do it again.

And if you want help — if you need a no-pressure way to get started again — I’ve got you.

DM me “STRONG” and I’ll send you my free guide: It’s Not Your Age, It’s Your Muscles. It’s short, real, and actually doable.

No judgment. No perfection. Just support.

Because your strength matters.

And you’re not too far gone.

Not even close.