Stress and burnout start with a word. Dr. Sohan Mansingh says should is the word. It carries shame, it carries guilt, and it keeps people exactly where they don't want to be.

The deeper issue is the nervous system. Mansingh points to hormesis, the kind of stress that produces positive health outcomes, things like exercise, sauna, and meditation. It requires rest afterwards to work. Most people never get there. We are overly stimulated, he says, locked in sympathetic fight or flight, and the rest and repair cycle never comes.

His practical note for the morning: avoid the phone for the first 30 to 60 minutes. Looking at it immediately throws the nervous system into fight or flight. Sit with yourself. Get some sunshine. Hydrate before the caffeine. Small steps that create the awareness needed to know when you are actually burning out.

Topics: stress and burnout, stress management, hormesis, morning routine tips, healthy living Canada

Originally aired on 2026-05-12