How many times has someone told you that you seem stressed out, agitated, or exhausted?
That maybe you should “reschedule” because it looks like you’ve got a lot on your mind?
Or maybe you’ve left an event because every person in the room seemed to piss you off (and not subtly).
Or you couldn’t focus because your mind was spinning like a hamster on caffeine?
These are signs of stress in the brain, and they’re a flashing red light telling you it’s time to deal with your stress and overwhelm.
Before we dive in — if you want quick stress relief tips that actually work, grab my free Stress Reset Toolkit here — 20 simple ways to calm your brain fast.
Why We Ignore Stress (Even When It’s Obvious)
I used to think I could power through stress. Dealing with my stress seemed like it would either slow me down or be pointless.
Managing stress for women is especially tricky. We’re taught to multitask, people-please, and “do it all” even when we’re running on empty.
And stress affects our thinking — literally. It messes with stress and brain function in ways that make us believe things like:
- “I don’t have time to deal with this.”
- “This is just life. I’ll be fine later.”
- “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
That’s your stress talking. And it’s lying to you.
How Stress Hijacks Your Brain
Here’s how stress and brain function are connected:
Stress triggers a hormonal response — pumping out cortisol and adrenaline. Those hormones change how your brain works. They shove things like focus, memory, and clear thinking off to the side so your body can “survive.”
Translation:
You can’t think straight because your brain is high on stress hormones. Hello, stress brain fog!
Imagine your brain sitting in a bathtub. As stress builds, the tub fills up. Eventually your brain is underwater — and drowning. You have to pull the plug and let the stress hormones drain out — so oxygen (and sanity) can return.
Why does interrupting your stress response help:
You need to interrupt your stress response so it doesn’t keep cycling and building.
Stress works like a feedback loop. The more stressed you feel, the more stress hormones your body releases, which makes you feel even more stressed. Interrupting the cycle helps break this loop and brings your brain back to balance. Even something as simple as a deep breath is enough to disrupt it.
10 Signs It’s Time to Deal with Your Stress
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to deal with stress and overwhelm, here are 10 clear signs of stress in the brain:
- You’re snapping at people for no reason.
- You feel mentally foggy — can’t think clearly.
- You start things and can’t finish them.
- You avoid social situations because everyone annoys you.
- You can’t focus on tasks that normally feel easy.
- You’re physically exhausted even if you’ve slept.
- You make impulsive decisions and regret them later.
- You forget simple things constantly.
- People tell you that you “seem stressed.”
- You re-read emails or texts and think “What was I thinking?!”
How to Interrupt Your Stress Response (Fast)
Good news: Interrupting stress is a lot easier than you think. It is literally as simple as:
- Breathing: forces oxygen back into your brain.
- Moving: Movement flushes out stress hormones.
- Connecting: Connection and joy release happy chemicals like dopamine.
Here are 20 quick, easy and proven ways to reset:
- Breathe (4 counts in, 4 counts out)
- Stretch
- Walk outside
- Listen to your favorite song
- Laugh
- Call a friend
- Listen to water sounds
- Hug someone
- Drink cold water
- Chew gum
- Count backward from 25
- Roll feet on a tennis ball
- Give yourself a hand massage
- Look out a window
- Drip cold water on wrists
- Journal
- Organize one small space
- Do something tactile (bubble wrap!)
- Dance
- Clean something
Want this list in a printable cheat sheet? 👉 Download the Stress Reset Toolkit here.
Your Stress Is Showing
If someone actually tells you that you “seem stressed” — trust me, your stress is showing. In your voice, in your body, in your energy.
Stress is contagious, and smart people will do what they can to avoid it (even if that means avoiding you).
So take back control. Start simple. Your brain — and your relationships — will thank you.
Ready to Calm Your Brain and Reset Your Stress?
👉 Grab your free Stress Reset Toolkit here — simple ways to calm your brain and start your burnout and stress recovery journey.
👉 Want deeper support? Learn about working with me here. I help women build lasting resilience, not just “get through” another day.
