Simple Daily Habits to Master The Stress Response

In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become a dirty word. It’s the constant background hum associated with the pressure of juggling family, work, finances, physical activity, eating ‘perfectly’, and even keeping up with the relentless tsunami of notifications from all of our electronic devices.

The thing is, our body’s response to all those stimuli isn’t the issue. Our natural hormonal systems are triggered, yes, which over time can cause us health concerns, but it’s actually our tendency not to create boundaries around our time that allow those systems to reset that we need to address. The stress response is purely an increased level of alertness designed to help us survive whatever situation is currently requiring us to move, react, breathe, and even think, faster. It should save our lives and then turn off.

The problem is many of us are now living in a constant state of low-grade state of ‘fight or flight’ which is incredibly taxing on our system as, for all it knows, it is constantly fighting for its survival. Research suggests that the hyper-convenience of our modern lives - from ultra-processed foods to twenty minute food delivery orders to scrolling social media instead of socialising - actually correlates with lower satisfaction and higher stress. In the pursuit of ease, we’ve accidentally engineered out many of the grounding rituals that once supported our health. 

Let’s explore how to bring them back.

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Stress and the body: a delicate balance

Stress is your body’s natural response to a perceived threat. In small doses, it’s useful - it sharpens focus, mobilises energy, and keeps us alert. But when stress becomes chronic, the constant release of cortisol and adrenaline can disrupt nearly every system in the body.

Chronic stress has been linked to increased inflammation, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes and Type II diabetes), obesity, blood pressure issues, cardiovascular disease, digestive dysfunction, sleep problems, low mood, and a weakened immune system. Stress will often be the root cause that throws off the delicate symphony of hormones, neurotransmitters, gut bacteria and more.  

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The role of nutrition in building resilience

This is where nutrition steps in as a powerful tool. Certain nutrients can calm inflammation and support the health of the brain and nervous system - helping the body become more resilient to stress. We also want to keenly focus on balancing our blood sugar levels as this can be dysregulated by stress but also then loop back and become a stressor itself. Read my blog post here to master the basics of blood sugar balance.

• Magnesium is often called “nature’s tranquilliser” for good reason. It helps regulate the stress response, supports healthy cortisol levels, encourages muscle relaxation, and promotes restful sleep. Unfortunately, many people are deficient - thanks to depleted soils and modern, high-stress lifestyles that rapidly deplete magnesium stores.
  
  • Magnesium bisglycinate is particularly effective for calming the nervous system, as are Epsom salt baths using magnesium sulphate crystals (read more on this here).
• B Vitamins, especially B6, B9 (folate), and B12, are critical for energy production, nervous system function, and the synthesis of calming neurotransmitters. Low levels of these vitamins have been linked to fatigue, anxiety, and low mood.
  
  • Food sources of these would be:
    
    • B6 - meat, poultry, potatoes, bananas
    • B9 - liver, green leafy vegetables, wholegrains, beans
    • B12 - organ meats, red meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs (those on a plant based diet must supplement active B12, vegan food sources aren’t chemically active)
  • My favoured supplement is Power Up by Motion Nutrition which combines these 3 key B vitamins with adaptogenic herbs and other key nutrients for supporting stress resilience.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids, particularly EPA and DHA found in oily fish, are potent anti-inflammatories. They support the structure of brain cells, reduce neuroinflammation, and have been shown to improve mood, cognitive performance, and stress resilience.
  
  • You would want to aim for 4 portions of the SMASH-T varieties of oily fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring, trout) per week but even then most people will still need a supplemental top up.
  • I recommend either a small oily fish derived product like this, or better yet a krill oil which is more potent.

While a food-first approach is ideal, supplementation can be a valuable support when dietary intake falls short. It’s also important to remember that stress decreases our digestive function so often we find our requirement for nutrients goes up due to faster rates of use when we are stressed, whilst our ability to absorb nutrients from our food goes down as a result of stress. A therapeutic top up through a high quality supplement bridges the gap, and will actually help the body calm faster. 

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Five stress-reducing habits that work with real life

1. Start Your Day with Protein and Colour

Blood sugar stability is crucial for stress resilience. Starting your morning with a balance of protein, fibre, and healthy fats helps regulate cortisol, reduce energy crashes, and support neurotransmitter production (like serotonin and dopamine - a.k.a. the “happy hormones”).

Try this: Scrambled eggs with wilted spinach and avocado on whole grain toast, leftovers from dinner the night before (yep dinner for breakfast!) or blend thick yoghurt, oats and eggs to make pancakes served with cooked mushrooms and tomatoes.

2. Get Morning Light (Before Your Inbox)

Your circadian rhythm - the internal clock that governs everything from energy levels to digestion - is heavily influenced by light exposure. Morning light helps regulate cortisol release, improves sleep quality at night, and balances mood.

Aim for: 10–15 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking. Even staring out of your bathroom window on a cloudy British morning counts! It must be before you look at any electronic devices.

3. Build in 'Nervous System Nourishment'

Your nervous system needs intentional moments of calm. I call these fire breakers in your day. These are about creating an on/off switch style moment for your nervous system. 

If you find you are more easily overstimulated by things like technology, loud sounds, bright lights, and lots of social interaction you don’t need to avoid these, but you would want to be stricter about tech down time and investing more in social connection.

The breaks don’t need to be long, anything from 5 minutes works well. The key is to put them in across the day, every couple of hours or so. And you need to step away from where you have been and have no tech distraction. Play around with these, see which you find works best for you. The idea is they work immediately but are also cumulative over time so investment in them now provides benefits ongoing.

• Humming → ideally go and sit outside, or just somewhere peaceful, maybe near an open window.. 
  
  • Breathe in deeply through your nose to fill your lungs (aim to make this deeper & deeper)  then hum (keeping your mouth shut) to exhale the whole breath out through your nose for a count of 15-20 seconds. Again try to make this progressively longer. 
  • You want to feel the vibration deep in your chest. Do 6-8 of these then off you go. 
  • This is a video that explains it a bit more & gives a few other types of changing the sound for more impact. But you can stick to the simple version above as well
  • ‍You can also trigger the same response by gargling with water.

• NSDR → again sit outside if you can, but you can also do it if you are a passenger in a car/taxi, on a train or even in a cafe!
  
  • Example sessions: Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation → this can be done sitting anywhere, it’s super discreet. Or you can lie down which will be more impactful more quickly.
  • The idea is you work up your body from your feet tensing each part of the body for 10 seconds then releasing.
  • So feet, then calves, then quads & buttocks, stomach, hands, arms into sides, and then face if possible.
  • Then your whole body together.

• Feet above heart → lie down on a sofa with your feet propped up, on the floor by a wall, do a head/hand/shoulder stand. Whatever works.
  • Relax, close the eyes & breathe in for a count of 2, hold for 4 & exhale for 7.

• Grounding → stand in bare feet on a natural surface (grass, mud, sand). Pair with the breathing above.

• Cold face plunge → dunk your face in a bowl of icy water. Breathe out for as long as possible. Repeat 5-6 times.  Not super portable but very effective!

Download a PDF of these six stress fire-breakers here.

You can also try Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy, a science-backed approach to build stress resilience, improves sleep, and balances blood sugar - find out more here.

4. Ditch Ultra-Processed Foods (Most of the Time)

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) often contain refined sugars, additives, and artificial ingredients that not only spike blood sugar but may also increase anxiety and inflammation. The more whole and recognisable your food, the more your body will thank you. You can find more information on how this impacts us in this video.

Make it easier: Batch-cook basics like roast veg, quinoa, or slow-cooked stews so real food is always within reach.

5. Rethink Caffeine - Especially After 11am

Caffeine isn’t inherently bad, but for those already running on stress hormones, it can push cortisol even higher, affecting sleep, anxiety and digestion. If you can’t imagine giving up coffee, try timing it better. Or even better, switch over to matcha or ceremonial cacao (learn why I’m recommending these two specifically here and here).

Tip: Have your coffee after breakfast, not on an empty stomach, and avoid caffeine after late morning if you’re sensitive.

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In summary…

Managing stress isn’t about perfection; it’s about making small, consistent changes that support your biology. Instead of chasing quick fixes, try a simpler (and more effective!) approach: eating whole foods, giving yourself time to reset, and choosing presence over endless productivity.

If you’re struggling with stress and would like some expert advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can book a confidential quick consult with me here for an immediate discussion, or opt for the Liebling Health Nervous System package (call or email based), for personalised nutritional and lifestyle guidance over four sessions, in addition to any targeted supplements.

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