We talk about skincare, gut health, and what we should be eating. But how often do we actually talk about stress and what we’re doing to manage it? Most of us are dealing with some kind of stress. We’re busy with work, family, and everything else life throws at us. We push through when we’re tired, tell ourselves we’ll rest later, and before we know it, feeling stressed has become part of our everyday life.

The thing is, stress doesn’t just affect how you feel mentally. You might notice you’re not sleeping as well, your stomach feels off, or you find yourself snapping at people over things that normally wouldn’t bother you, and when you’re dealing with it day after day, it can start affecting your health and your relationships, too.

First, Let’s Look at the Numbers

Sometimes, seeing the numbers puts things into perspective, and the numbers show that a lot of Canadians are dealing with stress on a regular basis.

Statistics Canada reported in 2023 that nearly one in four Canadian adults found most days of their lives quite or extremely stressful. That’s a lot of people dealing with stress as part of their everyday routine.

Work is another big one. A 2025 TELUS Health report found that around 40% of Canadians felt constantly stressed, with younger adults particularly affected. More than half reported feeling burnt out, and over two-thirds said stress was affecting how they showed up at work. Money is a major source of stress, too. According to the 2025 FP Canada Financial Stress Index, 42% of Canadians said finances were their biggest source of stress, up from 38% four years earlier. Nearly half said financial worries were keeping them up at night, and in an Ipsos survey, 38% of Canadians said stress had affected their daily lives. The survey also found that more women reported feeling stressed than men, at 66% compared with 58%.

When you look at all these numbers together, it’s clear that stress is something a lot of people are dealing with. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, you’re certainly not alone.

Signs You’re More Stressed Than You Think

After a while, you can get so used to stress that you stop noticing it. It just becomes part of your daily life. You might not even realize how much it’s affecting you until you start noticing a few changes in how you feel.

• You’re snapping over little things and your patience is pretty much gone
• You’re exhausted but you can’t actually rest or sleep properly
• Headaches, tight shoulders, sore jaw… you’re holding a lot of tension in your body
• Your stomach is off , you have nausea, bloating, changes in appetite
• You’re procrastinating way more than usual and avoiding things you normally handle fine
• You feel kind of checked out, just going through the motions
• You keep getting sick or it takes forever to recover
• You can’t stop thinking about a problem even when you’re trying to take a break
• Things that didn’t used to feel big now feel completely overwhelming

One or two of these things can happen for all sorts of reasons. But if you’re noticing a few of them at the same time, it might be worth looking at how much stress you’ve been dealing with lately.

What Stress Actually Does to Your Body

When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These are part of your fight-or-flight response, which helps you react when you’re in danger. But your body can also react to everyday pressures, like work emails, bills, or having too much on your plate.

Stress itself isn’t necessarily a problem. It’s when it keeps happening and you don’t get enough time to recover that it can start taking a toll on your body.

Your Heart and Blood Pressure

When you’re stressed, your heart beats faster and your blood pressure can go up. That’s a normal response, and it isn’t usually a problem when it happens now and then. But if stress sticks around for a long time, it can put extra strain on your cardiovascular system. Research has linked chronic stress to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Your Immune System

Cortisol also plays a role in how your immune system works. When you’re under stress for a long time, it can affect your body’s immune response. You might notice you get sick after a particularly busy or stressful period, once things finally settle down. If you’re getting sick often or taking longer than usual to recover, stress could be one factor, although there can be other reasons, too.

Your Gut

Your gut and brain are connected, and the vagus nerve is one of the pathways that helps them communicate. When you’re stressed, you might notice changes in your digestion, like nausea, bloating, cramps, or changes in appetite. Stress can also make symptoms of IBS worse. Ever get that knot in your stomach when you’re anxious about something? That’s a real physical response. Stress can affect your gut, just as what’s going on in your gut can affect how you feel.

Your Muscles and Tension

When you’re stressed, your muscles can stay tense without you even noticing. You might start getting headaches, tight shoulders, jaw pain from clenching your teeth, or an aching back. After a while, you can get so used to feeling this way that you don’t realize how much tension you’re carrying around.

Your Sleep

Cortisol normally follows a daily rhythm, with levels generally lower at night and higher in the morning. Stress can interfere with sleep, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. You might lie in bed with your mind racing or wake up at 3 a.m. and struggle to get back to sleep. Then you spend the next day feeling exhausted, and everything seems harder to deal with. Before you know it, you’re struggling to sleep again the following night.

50% of Canadians say stress negatively impacts their sleep. Half of us are lying awake because of it. (Ipsos/CTV)

Your Brain

When you’re stressed for a long time, you might notice it’s harder to concentrate, remember things, or make decisions. You lose your train of thought, forget little things, or feel overwhelmed by choices that would normally be easy to make. It can be frustrating, especially when you’re already trying to keep up with everything going on in your life.

Why This Actually Matters

People treat stress management like it’s optional. Like something you get to if you have the time. But it doesn’t really work like that.

Chronic stress is linked to:

• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Depression and anxiety disorders
• Weakened immune function
• Digestive disorders
• Hormonal imbalances
• Burnout — which is its own category that takes a long time to climb out of

In 2022, more than 5 million Canadians aged 15 and older were experiencing significant symptoms of mental illness. And 41% of Canadian adults with a diagnosed mental health disorder said their needs were only partially met or not met at all. (CIHI / Statistics Canada)

A lot of people are struggling with stress, but not everyone is getting the support they need. Many of us just try to get through each day and deal with things as they come, even when we’re finding it hard to cope.

Stress Hygiene (What to Actually Do)

Think of it like brushing your teeth. You do it regularly to look after them, not just when something goes wrong. Stress hygiene works in a similar way. It’s about making room for little things that help you manage stress regularly, rather than waiting until you’re completely worn out to do something about it.

Move your body,  just keep it consistent

Exercise has been studied quite a bit for its effects on stress and mood. You don’t need to join a gym or do an intense workout to get started. Even a 20-minute walk can help you unwind and feel a little better. Find something you enjoy and can fit into your day, whether that’s walking, stretching, or riding a bike.

Take sleep seriously

Most adults need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. I know it’s tempting to stay up late to get more done, especially when there’s always something waiting for you, but losing sleep can make the next day harder. You might feel more tired, have trouble concentrating, or find yourself getting frustrated more easily. Your body needs time to rest and recover, so try not to treat sleep as something you can keep putting off.

Find out what actually helps you decompress

Sometimes we spend our downtime scrolling through our phones, but that doesn’t always leave us feeling rested. Taking a break from screens and doing something else might help you unwind. You could read a book, go outside, cook something, listen to music, or sit and talk with someone. Think about what helps you relax, and try to make a little time for it during the day.

Get honest about your load

Stress can build up when you keep taking on more than you can handle. Sometimes you have to be honest with yourself about what you can manage. That might mean saying no, asking someone for help, or accepting that some things can wait. It can be hard to do, especially when you’re used to handling everything yourself, but taking on too much will only leave you feeling more overwhelmed.

Talk to people you actually trust

Not just venting. Actually talking about what’s going on. TELUS Health found that workers without trusted relationships had mental health scores 16 points lower than those who had them. Having people you can turn to can make a difference, especially when things get tough. Sometimes, just being able to talk openly about what’s going on helps you feel less alone with it.

Limit what you can’t control

Some things that cause stress are within your control, and others aren’t. You can’t control what’s happening in the news, what’s going on around the world, or the choices other people make. But you can decide how much time you spend following it all. If constantly checking the news leaves you feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it’s okay to step back for a while.

Watch your intake

When you’re stressed, it’s easy to reach for more coffee, something sweet, or a drink to unwind. But caffeine can make you feel more jittery or interfere with sleep, and alcohol can affect how well you rest. What you eat can also play a role in your overall health and energy levels. You don’t have to cut everything out, but it helps to notice your habits and whether they’re actually making you feel better.

Get help if you need it

You don’t have to wait until things get really bad before reaching out for help. If stress has been affecting your sleep, health, relationships, or daily life, talking to a therapist or counsellor might help. I know finding support isn’t always easy or affordable, but it’s worth looking into if you’re struggling to manage things on your own.

The Bottom Line

Stress is a normal part of life, but when it goes on for too long without enough time to rest and recover, it can start affecting your health and how you feel day to day. A lot of us get so caught up in work, family, and everything else we need to do that we don’t really stop to think about how we’re coping. We just keep going because that’s what we’re used to doing.

Looking after yourself when you’re stressed doesn’t have to mean making big changes to your life. It can mean getting enough sleep, going for a walk, making time for people you care about, or recognizing when you’ve taken on too much. These things might seem simple, but they can help you manage stress as it comes up. You might not be able to change everything that’s causing you stress, but you can start paying attention to how you’re feeling and what you need, and if it’s getting to be too much, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.

Simply Salt & Soul

The Salt (The Science): Stress is a normal response, but when it goes on for too long, you might start noticing changes in your sleep, digestion, energy, or ability to focus. Eating regular meals, getting enough rest, moving your body, and taking a few breaks during the day can help you manage stress and give your body time to recover.

The Soul (The Wellness): Most of us don’t pay much attention to stress until we’re already feeling overwhelmed. But it can build up over time without us really noticing. Taking a moment to ask yourself how you’re feeling, what you need, or whether you’ve taken on too much can help you recognize it earlier. Even a quick check-in with yourself during the day can help you get a better sense of how you’re doing.

Sources & References:

• Statistics Canada (2023)
• Telus Health Mental Health Index (2025)
• FP Canada Financial Stress Index (2025)
• Ipsos/CTV
• CIHI (2025)
• Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey