Are you feeling stressed? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. Everyone feels stressed sometimes because life is stressful. So what is stress exactly? Stress is a mind-body response to a real or perceived threat, event, or change in your life, which manifests through physical sensations, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This event or threatening situation is known as a stressor and can be internal like negative self-talk, perfectionism, an all or nothing attitude, or external such as job responsibilities, loss, finances, major life events/transitions, or relationships. The stressor can be a one time occurrence, or it can be ongoing such as a chronic illness or the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few weeks ago, while watching the Netflix movie The Prom, I was struck by the song “Just Breathe.” The main character, seventeen year old Emma Nolen, sings, “Just close your eyes, and count to ten. Go to your happy place and then. Try not to combust. Just breathe.” In this song, she describes the challenges of being gay in a town that does not accept her for who she is. Her mantra “Just breathe” is a reminder that she can overcome obstacles by trusting herself, taking a breath, and continuing to move forward without “combusting” or letting others bring her down. Although Emma’s message is simple, her reminder to just breathe is exactly what we all need sometimes.