It’s been four months since my last stress update. Figured it was time to make another one. (Here’s a link: https://www.leahcutter.com/2025/05/more-of-that-stress-thang/)
Daily, I still ask the three questions morning and night (AM: what am I looking forward to, what am I grateful for, what social interaction can I have. PM: what brought me joy, what am I grateful for, was I able to make someone smile.)
I also do the 3x per day check in, breathing and quick body scan/relaxation. I regularly get out into nature, and I do the deep breathing exercises when I need them, so maybe 2-3 times per week. I daily tell myself to let go of unnecessary stressors, though I’m also aware that someday I’m better about it than others. I also still work hard on changing my attitude towards a stressor. It’s a work in progress. I stopped doing the Wim Hof breathing in July just because it was one thing too many.
This last week, I had kind of an emergency trip down to see my niece in Portland. (Everything’s okay—she’s started her first post-surgery job and is a bit overwhelmed.)
I find it stressful ANY time I leave my environment and my regular routine. Being with my niece brings a few extra stressors as well.
I packed my usual food and snacks. I generally am hungry and needing to snack the entire time I’m down there.
However.
I wasn’t hungry! Not like I usually was. I ate my meals and that was it. No snacking.
This is one of the clearest signs to me that I’ve been successful lowering my baseline stress level.
On the way home, I listened to a Huberman Lab podcast, this time about the immune system. One of the experiments that scientists have done is to inject volunteers with e-coli, then taught them Wim Hof breathing. (The control group was just taught some other meditation technique.)
The group that did the Wim Hof breathing had a better immune response to the infection, measuring their blood. In addition, they had less severe ill effects.
This morning, I started back with the Wim Hof again. I told myself that it was just going to suck for the next week, but I could do it, and it would get better.
However, it didn’t suck. Not at all. It felt really good to get back into it. I figure this is just another sign that my baseline stress levels have decreased in general.
I’m proud of myself for continuing to do the work, to continue to reduce my stress levels. I feel as though they’re going to continue to be put to the test, because stressful things are always going to be coming my way.
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