If there is one lesson I have learned over the years, it is that health is not determined solely by what we eat, the supplements we take, or the exercise we perform. Our nervous system matters too.

The body was designed to respond to stress. The problem arises when stress becomes chronic and the nervous system never fully returns to a state of recovery.

While occasional stress is a normal part of life, long-term activation of the body’s stress response has been associated with inflammation, impaired sleep, elevated blood sugar, increased cardiovascular risk, and negative effects on brain health.

For those of us concerned about cognitive decline, learning how to regulate the nervous system may be just as important as many of the other interventions we pursue.

Stress Is Not Always the Enemy

Not all stress is harmful.

Exercise is a form of stress.

Learning a new skill is a form of stress.

Sauna use, cold exposure, and even fasting are forms of stress.

In many cases, short periods of challenge followed by adequate recovery help the body become stronger and more resilient.

The goal is not to eliminate stress.

The goal is to improve our ability to recover from it.

The Importance of Recovery

I have become increasingly interested in the balance between challenge and recovery.

A healthy nervous system should be able to move between periods of activation and periods of rest without becoming stuck in either state.

Recovery supports:

• Better sleep
• Lower inflammation
• Improved emotional resilience
• Better cardiovascular health
• Improved cognitive performance
• Greater overall well-being

My Personal Approach

Over the years, I have learned that I function best when I intentionally create opportunities for calm, focus, and recovery.

Some of the practices I use include:

Walking

Walking remains one of the simplest and most effective ways I know to reduce stress and reset my thinking.

Many of my walks include listening to educational podcasts, combining movement with learning and reflection.

Music

Music has always been an important part of my life.

Whether I am listening to classical music, playing the piano, or improvising on my handpan, music has a unique ability to quiet mental noise and bring my attention back to the present moment. At other times, it can transport me back to a happy chapter of my life, where memories become remarkably vivid and emotions resurface with surprising clarity. Few things have the power to connect us to our past as deeply as music.

Time in Nature

Spending time outdoors helps create a sense of perspective that is often difficult to find indoors or in front of a screen.

Fresh air, natural light, hearing the melodies of chirping birds and movement all contribute to a greater sense of well-being.

Learning and Creativity

For me, learning is energizing rather than stressful.

Researching, writing, building websites, studying French, and exploring new ideas keep my mind engaged and focused in a positive way.

Sleep

I have come to view sleep as one of the most important forms of nervous system recovery.

Many of the choices I make throughout the day – from exercise timing to evening routines – are influenced by my desire to support restorative sleep.

Monitoring Recovery

One reason I wear an Oura Ring is that it provides insight into how my body is responding to daily stressors.

While no wearable can measure stress perfectly, metrics such as heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, sleep quality, and readiness trends can sometimes provide clues about whether recovery is keeping pace with life’s demands.

I view these measurements as useful feedback – not something to obsess over.

A Personal Note

When I look back on my childhood, my memories are overwhelmingly positive. I remember visiting the beaches of Rimini, Italy, with my mother; hiking through the sheep-dotted green hills of the Brecon Beacons in Wales; crossing the North Atlantic on a ship (part freighter/part passenger); enjoying family picnics at Cape Spear, Newfoundland (the easternmost point in North America); and later attending boarding school in Germany’s Black Forest in my teenage years.

My childhood was filled with adventure, discovery, and experiences that shaped who I am today. I also had a deeply loving parents – a progressive father who, in the 1960s, told his daughters that “the days of Ozzie and Harriet” were coming to an end. He believed women should never have to depend on a man, and that was a major reason he wanted us educated in Europe and sent to boarding school. My mother was educated and self-sufficient – a woman who knew her own strength.

Yet in my early thirties, I found myself struggling with anxiety and panic disorder. At the time, it seemed to come out of nowhere.

As it turned out, unresolved feelings of abandonment had been quietly operating beneath the surface for years and emerged when my own children approached the age at which I had been sent away to boarding school. While I had many wonderful childhood experiences, being separated from my parents while they lived on the other side of the globe had left an emotional imprint that I had never fully recognized.

With the help of an extraordinary hypnotherapist, I was able to work through those issues and finally understand what was driving the anxiety. The results were immediate. My panic disorder resolved, and I have never experienced another episode since.

That experience taught me that our nervous systems can carry stories we are not always consciously aware of. It also taught me that healing is possible, resilience can be built, and that emotional well-being deserves a place alongside nutrition, exercise, sleep, and every other aspect of health.

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