That constant, low-grade stress that you’ve probably stopped even questioning isn’t who you are… it’s your nervous system trying to get your attention. Episode 347 of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast is about why you should finally listen to it, and how to do that. It’s out now. So, let’s talk!
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This Week’s Episode:
Click here for episode transcript
Episode 347: Why your stress never switches off
Why do you feel stressed all the time, even when nothing’s necessarily ‘wrong’ right now? If you can’t remember the last time you felt properly calm or relaxed, your stress response probably isn’t broken; it’s just never getting the signal to stand down.
In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I break down what’s actually happening in your nervous system when stress becomes your resting state instead of a passing feeling, as well as why your stress response won’t just switch itself off and why treating it as a workload problem usually only tells you half the story. I dig into the internal sources of stress most of us never name, like the self-criticism, the guilt around rest, and the standards we hold ourselves to, alongside the external causes of stress. You’ll walk away understanding what your stress is actually trying to tell you, and you’ll have practical and sustainable ways to calm your nervous system and address whatever’s driving it to stay on high alert… without just trying to grit your teeth and push through.
👉 Ready to understand what your chronic stress is really trying to tell you? Then let’s talk!
💡 TL;DR: Your chronic stress isn’t a personality trait or a productivity problem… it’s an alarm system that’s stuck on the loudest setting, and this episode shows you how to actually turn the volume down. 🙂
Find Let’s Talk About Mental Health on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Other platforms
Tip of the Week:
And while we’re talking about getting unstuck: here’s a tip from my archives, specifically Episode 277 about how to stop procrastination… because sometimes the small signals you’re missing aren’t about the direction of your life, sometimes they’re about the thing that’s been sitting on your to-do list for ages. So the simple tip I’m sharing is:
Stop treating your brain like a swirling vortex of thoughts.
If this week’s topic has you thinking about everything currently stressing you out, here’s a small follow-up suggestion that makes a huge difference: get it out of your head instead of letting it just go around and around and around in your head. Because it will.
Write it down, voice-note it, talk to a counsellor or therapist, do whatever works for you. But stop trying to hold it all in your mind at once. Because the more you try to remember, the more mental bandwidth it eats up… and that kind of vague, floating stress is exactly what keeps the background hum of chronic stress going and it’s what leads to your brain thinking (and overthinking) about everything at 2am.
Naming it and getting it out is the first step to actually being able to do something about it.
If your stress often tips over into feeling mentally maxed out, foggy, snappy, and/or unable to make even small decisions, it’s worth going back and revisiting Episode 280 about Mental Overload, where I go deeper into what that specific state is along with why it’s different from stress/burnout and how to start clearing the overload.
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Huge thanks to my wonderful Patreon supporters (in alphabetical order): Amanda K., Ashley, Brittnee, Carol B, Charlie, Elizabeth, Janis & Steve, Kaiulani, Karen, Lenka, Lylii, Monte, Patricia, Paula, Rachel, Roxanne, Susan, Tatiana, Taylor.
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Next Week on LTAMH:
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New here? Hi! Let’s Talk About Mental Health is your weekly dose of practical mental health advice for real life. I’m Jeremy Godwin (hello! 👋) and I keep things simple, straightforward, and doable so that you can feel more in control of your life and your mental wellbeing. If you’re not already a free subscriber, sign up below to have episodes and transcripts land in your inbox every Sunday:
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