Why Stress is Still Stress (Even When It’s “Good”)


We love to label things.

Good job? Good stress.
Toxic ex? Bad stress.

But your body doesn’t speak in categories Reader, it speaks in sensation.

Whether you’re prepping for a big opportunity or walking away from something that broke you, your nervous system reacts the same way:

Your heart races.
Your breath shortens.
Your shoulders creep up toward your ears.

That’s survival mode. And it doesn’t care about context.

Here’s what that means: Success can burn you out just as fast as heartbreak can. And your body doesn’t care if it’s a wedding or a funeral—it just wants to feel safe.

So what do we do with that?
We stop trying to justify or rationalize how we feel.
We stop minimizing our needs just because the thing causing the stress is “positive.”
We start tending to the body first.

Start small:
🌀 Three deep breaths.
🌀 Drop your shoulders.
🌀 Remind yourself: I’m safe. I can slow down.

The body keeps score, but you get to rewrite the ending.

Breathe with me,
​Jess​

Jess Leone

Not your typical love-and-light bullsh*t. Just my subtle (okayyyy, sometimes NOT-so-subtle 😘) way of calling you OUT & calling you BACK to yourself, all while reminding you you're not alone in any of this.

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