The Oake Raven

Stress is our body’s way of letting us know something’s off. It’s a survival tool, meant to kick in when something isn’t safe or needs our attention. But these days, stress doesn’t seem to be just a short-term thing—it seems constant. It’s like we’re always stuck in survival mode, running on fumes, unable to focus or move toward what we really want. It drains our energy and leaves us feeling unhappy, tired, or even sick.

When stress sticks around too long, it messes with everything—your mind, your body, even how you see the world. You get stuck in a loop, telling yourself that stress is just a normal part of life.

Yes, stress and anxiety are both absolutely normal and necessary in the human experience, but it’s not normal to feel them all the time, and letting yourself linger in that energy can lead to real problems like panic attacks, high blood pressure, heart disease, or worse.

I know this firsthand. For years, I lived in an environment that kept me constantly on edge. The stress destroyed my health—I ended up with adrenal issues, ulcers, and even a mini-stroke. It wasn’t until I realized I had no control over my own life that I made a choice between staying stuck and keep suffering or fight my way out. In all honesty, fighting my way out wasn’t easy, but I did it. And a major part of that was learning how to be mindful.

Mindfulness is about being in the moment, noticing what’s happening around you and inside you without immediately reacting. It’s what helped me see my situation clearly so I could start making changes. At first, it was little things—pausing to notice a bird outside my window or the way sunlight hit the ice. Those small moments of awareness helped me feel grounded, even when everything else felt chaotic. Over time, mindfulness became a tool that helped me manage stress and build a better life.

Mindfulness isn’t just about feeling calm; it helps your body, too. It can lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, and even help you sleep better. It gives you the space to see things as they are, not worse than they are, and figure out what to do next.

Some mindfulness practices I used and love to talk about are:

• A body scan where you stop, breathe, and check in with yourself.
• Identifying your stressors where you take a moment to think about what’s really stressing you out and how you’ve been handling it.
• Boundary-setting where you make the effort to say no when needed and to prioritize your needs.

Mindfulness doesn’t make stress magically disappear, but it gives you the tools to handle it better. It helps you focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. Over time, it builds resilience, so when life gets hard—and it will—you can face it with a clearer mind and a stronger sense of self.

I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s possible. I’ve been through it, and I know what it’s like to feel stuck and overwhelmed. But I also know what it’s like to wake up one day and feel free from all of the chains and the darkness. Mindfulness was a big part of that for me, and I hope it can help you, too.

For some downloadable worksheets around this, check out the Digital Downloads page!