Fad diets and weight loss programs make big money every year, especially because weight is one of the top health concerns in almost every age group. Trying to lose weight can feel like an unclimbable mountain; believe me, I know. I’ve been on that goal-setting loop too.

New year, same stress? Because we operate from two states of being: stressed (sympathetic) and relaxed (parasympathetic), many of us share a common challenge. Our bodies are designed to live in the relaxed state for 23 hours a day and manage the stressed state for only 1 hour per day.

Our current landscape is strange, but you’re handling things well, right? Or maybe you thought you were, but you’ve recently hit a wall. Believe me, I get it. When the COVID-19 restrictions started, I was determined to handle the stress of the situation thoughtfully. I told myself that I would not buy into conversations, news, or social media posts that would feed my propensity to feel stressors and emotions intensely. I tried to carefully reserve my cortisol (stress hormone) so I could calmly manage situations as they arose—rather than spiraling or letting the stress catastrophically flood my life.