Chaotic Canning Co.

Insert 90’s, American hip-hop legends Salt-n–peppa sound track here.

Stress Is Lethal — And It’s Everywhere

Before I became a homesteader with dirt under my nails and shelves full of hand-canned goodness, I was deep in the grind. I spent 20 years in the corporate world, handling hundreds, thousands, even millions of dollars — all under relentless deadlines, constant expectations, and the ever-present pressure to be perfect. There was zero margin for error.

At night, I bartended. On weekends, too. I did that to help put my husband through college. That job was another form of chaos — slinging drinks in a packed bar, dealing with crowds that wanted everything yesterday, smiling when I wanted to cry, (tips depend on your face a bit) and pretending I had it all together. The nights I bartended after the working at the professional grind during the day equated to twenty hour days. Yes, you read that right.

Twenty. hour. days.

Before all that, I did a stretch in retail management training. That year and a half was a different beast — long hours, thankless tasks, and the pressure of trying to prove myself in a fast-turning hamster wheel of expectations. There were many 3am mornings spent in tears, merchandizing walls- paying attention to EVERY detail because the GM was coming that day.

If there’s one thing all these jobs (and lets be honest, life) had in common, it’s this:
Stress.

The Type Doesn’t Matter — It’s All Heavy
Corporate stress.
Service industry stress.
Retail stress.
Even now — farming and running my own canning company — stress doesn’t just go away. I have a real problem of adding entirely way too much shit to my plate, thinking I can get it all done in a day. (I have a VERY loose relationship with time and reality.) My doctors, every damn one- has said things like “I’m sorry, WHO’S expectations are you under?” Or “You do understand the expectations you put on yourself are completely unreasonable, right?” I’m working on it, okay?….. kind of.

I grow everything I use. I start every plant from seed. I till, plant, water, fight pests, harvest, and preserve. I don’t clock out at 5. I don’t get vacation days. I do this because I love it. Because it matters. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. I am the full-time farmer, the chef, the CEO, the packer, the label designer, the marketer, the customer service rep.

Stress comes in all flavors.
And it doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing a suit and stilettos, a bar apron, a name badge, or muddy boots — it takes a toll.

🧠 So What Does Stress Actually Do to You?
Let’s get scientific for a minute — because this isn’t just emotional exhaustion. It’s biological breakdown.

Chronic stress shrinks your brain.
Yep — literally. According to a study in Biological Psychiatry, long-term stress reduces the volume of gray matter in areas of the brain responsible for emotion regulation, memory, and decision-making.

Stress weakens your immune system.
Prolonged exposure to cortisol (your stress hormone) suppresses immune response, making you more vulnerable to illness and slower to recover.

It messes with your heart.
The American Heart Association links chronic stress to high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

It wrecks your hormones.
Stress contributes to adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and even thyroid dysfunction. Women especially may experience irregular cycles, weight gain, hair loss, or fertility issues due to chronic cortisol elevation.

It tears up your gut.
Ever get bloated, nauseous, or develop food sensitivities when you’re stressed? That’s not coincidence — stress inflames the gut lining, messes with digestion, and can trigger IBS and other gastrointestinal issues.

Mental health? Shot.
Long-term stress is a key risk factor for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and even PTSD-like symptoms. The toll is real, and it stacks.

And if you’re someone who’s grown up around trauma or chronic tension? Your nervous system likely starts the day already on high alert — a “normal” level of stress for you might already be over the edge for someone else.

You’re Not Just Tired — You’re Burned Out
Stress doesn’t always scream.
It doesn’t always show up as panic.

Sometimes, it shows up as:

Getting sick all the time

Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep

Brain fog

Rage at little things

Crying when you’re alone

Digestive issues that “don’t make sense”

Feeling numb, like you’re on autopilot

Does any of this sound familiar?

Me too.

Stress is a slow death.
And when we don’t stop to breathe, rest, or ask for help, it wins.

🙏 Please — Slow Down.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning, still healing, still figuring out how to breathe.

But I do know this:
You have to slow down. You have to check in with yourself. You have to stop expecting yourself to carry it all without breaking. Because you will. You will break if you don’t pause.

Breathe.
Cry if you need to.
Scream into the void.
Cancel the plans.
Take the nap.
Eat the real food.
Go sit in the sun.

And for the love of everything good, give yourself grace.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Exhausted.
You’re not behind. You’re overwhelmed.
You’re not failing. You’re fighting.
And you’re doing a hell of a job — even if no one’s told you that in a while.

Please, slow down before life forces you to. It sure as hell forced me.
You deserve to feel well, to breathe easy, and to live a life that doesn’t chew you up and spit you out.

Take it from someone who’s been in every lane of the stress highway —
you have nothing to prove and everything to preserve.

Lots of love, E.