Chronic Stress

One of the most important factors to address when it comes to chronic stress is lifestyle medicine. This entails looking at our daily habits and cultivating healthy, nourishing practices into our lives. Let’s think about this. We are natural, organic, social beings. And natural, organic social beings need basic elements in their lives in order to thrive and do well: enriching minerals, vitamins and calories through nutritious food, water and sunlight; restful sleep, enjoyable and strength-enhancing movement, and meaningful social interactions.

When we are experiencing stress, the need for these elements increases in order to de-stress and counterbalance. Studies confirm that exercise, meditation practices, and healthy social engagement reduce stress levels. Somatic Practices (such as QiGong, Yoga, etc.) have also been gaining recognition for their ability to help regulate the system and release stress.

Holistic psychotherapy combines traditional talk therapy with alternative and complementary methods. Traditional talk therapy offers the possibility for gaining more insight about aspects in one’s life, recognizing cognitive distortions that may be compounding the impact of stress, and identifying practical solution-oriented daily activities that can help manage as well as release stress. However, oftentimes there can be underlying unconscious patterns or trauma-related patterns that are contributing to the persistence of chronic stress. For example, common patterns associated with chronic stress include:

• People pleasing
• Difficulty setting boundaries
• Harsh inner critic
• Fear of failure
• Low self-esteem
• Guilt

These patterns can also contribute to, or be compounded by, unhealthy habits, toxic relationships, and work-related challenges.

A holistic psychotherapist can address the multilayered aspects of chronic stress, both attending to healthier coping mechanisms for managing stress better in the short-term, as well as going deeper within the sessions to create longer-term shifts in the internal patterns themselves. For instance, by working with clients somatically, clients can discover how to actively bring regulation to a stressed-out nervous system and help to activate the body’s natural capacity towards health and wellbeing. Working with a holistic therapist, clients can also improve self-awareness, strengthen their capacity for healthy boundaries, discover more effective communication skills, improve self-esteem, and foster personal growth. This empowers individuals to build resilience for future challenges.

Holistic Physiotherapy integrates classical physiotherapy with visceral manipulation therapy (VM) and craniosacral therapy as needed to help bring back greater well-being. Techniques such as manual therapy, massage, and soft tissue mobilization target areas where stress accumulates—like the neck, shoulders, and back—helping to reduce muscle tension and physical discomfort. Visceral Manipulation improves circulation, releasing tension around organs, and enhancing the body's natural healing mechanisms. By softening adhesion that may have occurred between tissues and organs, VM can reduce inflammation and the long-term effects of stress on the body. 

Additionally, the physical contact of manual therapy and body movement stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain and stress reducers, which can lift mood and promote relaxation. This approach supports whole-body balance while specifically targeting physical compensatory patterns created by chronic stress to support the return of structural and functional integrity of the entire body.

As chronic stress often manifests in the body in the form of muscle tightness, especially in the head, neck and spine, craniosacral therapy may help release the effects of chronic stress by easing tension patterns, particularly in the cranial and spinal areas, as well as easing fascial restrictions. Through the gentle contact that focuses on supporting the rhythmic flow of the craniosacral fluid, CT can induce the parasympathetic nervous system response, stimulating the physiology into the healthy rest and digest state. 

You should consider starting sessions of holistic physiotherapy for chronic stress as soon as you notice persistent symptoms that affect your daily life, such as ongoing muscle tension, headaches, neck pain, chronic back pain, digestive disturbance, clenched jaw or TMJ, fatigue, sleep disturbances, or emotional distress. Early intervention can help break the cycle of physical discomfort and psychological strain that chronic stress creates.