“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” ~ Joan Borysenko

I used to think I can take any amount of pressure in my 20″s. And I did excel under pressure at the time. I would study until late for exams and then go take them on 2 hours of sleep. I did and still do work well under stress. However, while I could achieve results under stress, I did not realize how I was harming my own body and mind in the process.

It was about a year after my daughter was born, when I started to see the full effect of the stress taking over my mind and body. It took the form of persistent migraines, lower back aches, dark circles under my eyes and forgetfulness. It was then that I realised something was seriously wrong. Physically, all my tests were normal, and that was a wake up call for me. I knew I had put so much pressure on myself, and needed to take back control of my life. For my sake and my baby’s.

Stress is the psyche’s way of signaling that something within or around you feels out of alignment. It arises when your inner sense of harmony is disrupted by a perceived challenge or demand that seems greater than your current capacity to meet it. In essence, stress is the body’s sacred messenger, alerting you to areas where balance, boundaries, or deeper presence are needed. When experienced in small doses, it can awaken growth, focus, and resilience. But when it lingers, when tension becomes your constant companion, it can fragment both body and spirit, calling for restoration, compassion, and mindful recalibration of your inner world.

Here are 10 gentle signs that your spirit may be stressed and is asking for care and renewal… along with reflections and healing practices for each.