How Chronic Stress Disrupts Cortisol—and What Actually Helps with Marina Wright
Release Date: 01/14/2026
How to Set Boundaries With Confidence
Calmly Coping
You know you need a boundary. You also know that the second you set it, you'll be bracing for someone's disappointment. This one is for you if you put your own needs last and avoid conflict at all costs. I walk through how to figure out which boundary you actually need, the seven types of boundaries I come across most in my work with clients, and what to do when setting one feels too hard to follow through on. In this episode, you'll learn: 👉 The 3 questions that tell you which boundary you actually need right now 👉 The type of boundary almost nobody talks about, and why it changes...
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How to Face Your Fears in 5 Steps
Calmly Coping
Fear is meant to protect you, but it can also hold you back from living the life you truly want, and working towards the goals that matter to you. ✨ QUIZ: Do you have high-functioning anxiety: In this episode, I will walk you through the simple 5 step process to dig down deep to the root of your fears, empower yourself to move past them, and take intentional action to crush them. Grab a notebook or the notes app on your phone, because this one works best if you follow along and do it with me. In this episode, you'll learn: 👉 How to identify and name the specific fears that...
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Nervous System Reset for High Achievers
Calmly Coping
Use this nervous system reset to move out of overdrive and into a state of calm. Follow along to regulate your body and feel grounded. If this helped you settle, follow Calmly Coping wherever you're listening so you don't miss the next one. You can't think your way into feeling calm. Your body has to actually experience it, and experience it often enough to learn that it's allowed to relax. This is a short guided reset for high achievers whose bodies have been stuck in overdrive for too long, and it works best when you come back to it regularly. In this episode, you'll learn: 👉 The...
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Stuck in Survival Mode? Here’s Why
Calmly Coping
There's a point where pushing harder stops improving your performance and starts degrading it. If you've hit that wall and caught yourself wondering what's wrong with you, this episode is about what's actually going on. 🎓 FREE TRAINING: How to overcome high-functioning anxiety (on-demand, watch anytime): There’s this belief that if you are just disciplined enough, if you keep pushing harder and doing more… then you will accomplish your goals and improve your performance. But what if that’s not true? What if you are pushing harder and your performance starts to degrade? Or you...
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Grow On Purpose, Not On Autopilot
Calmly Coping
You hit one goal, and before you can even feel it, you're already onto the next one: being more productive, more efficient, more successful, constant improvement, and seeking perpetual growth… But have you ever stopped to ask what all that growth is actually for? If the goalpost keeps moving no matter what you accomplish, this one is for you. 🎓 FREE TRAINING: How to overcome high-functioning anxiety (on-demand, watch anytime): Growth gets treated as an automatic good, so we rarely stop to question it. In this episode, I unpack the difference between healthy ambition and the...
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The Strengths That Are Secretly Costing You
Calmly Coping
You're the reliable one, the one who's always five steps ahead and seems to have it all together. But what if those strengths are secretly costing you? 🎓 FREE TRAINING: How to overcome high-functioning anxiety (on-demand, watch anytime): In this episode, you'll learn: 👉 Why your most praised strengths might be quietly costing you 👉 How to tell the difference between genuine drive and anxiety in disguise 👉 How to keep the strengths you value while changing what's fueling them ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Reliable One Trap 01:26 High Achiever Burnout Signs 02:18...
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What No One Taught You About Your Cycle: PMDD and PME Explained
Calmly Coping
If certain times of the month leave you anxious, unmotivated, and questioning yourself, it might not just be PMS. In this episode, I'm breaking down what premenstrual disorders like PMDD and PME actually are, why they're so often misunderstood, and why high achievers tend to be hit especially hard. As part of Podcasthon 2026, I'm spotlighting the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and sharing free resources that can help you or someone you love start getting real support. In this episode, you'll learn: What PMDD and PME are and how they differ from typical PMS...
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What Your Procrastination Is Actually Trying to Tell You
Calmly Coping
If you keep putting something off and can't figure out why, it might not be laziness or lack of discipline. It might be your subconscious trying to tell you something. In this episode, I break down what's really driving procrastination beneath the surface, and walk you through how to use it as a signal to understand yourself better and finally get unstuck. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why procrastination is often a signal from your subconscious, not just laziness or poor discipline How I used my own procrastination patterns to uncover a deeper belief that was keeping me stuck A three-step...
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Too Overwhelmed to Get Help With Being Overwhelmed?
Calmly Coping
Have you ever been so stressed, so stretched thin, so completely running on fumes... that when someone suggested you try something to feel better, your immediate reaction was "I don't have time for that?" Maybe it was a friend suggesting therapy. A coach recommending a program. A podcast episode telling you to slow down. And instead of feeling relieved, you felt almost annoyed—because who has time to work on their stress when they're already drowning in it? If that's you, then this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why overwhelm doesn’t just affect your schedule—it...
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How I’m Letting Go of Pressure (As a High Achiever)
Calmly Coping
In this episode, I’m sharing honestly about how I realized I was nearing burnout—and the step-by-step shifts I’m making to reduce pressure, regulate my nervous system, and create more grounded clarity in my life and business. Instead of chasing numbers or productivity goals, I’m working backwards from how I want to feel: calm, present, and regulated. If you’ve been pushing hard and feeling the weight of your own expectations, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why burnout isn’t just about doing too much, it’s about mental load and divided focus How...
info_outlineIf you’re feeling exhausted but still pushing through, this episode is for you. I’m joined by Marina Wright, functional nutrition practitioner and author of The Cortisol Reset Plan, to explore what your stress symptoms are really trying to tell you. We talk about how chronic stress affects the body and brain, why cortisol isn’t the enemy, and how small, compassionate shifts in nutrition, lifestyle, and nervous system regulation can help you rebuild resilience from the inside out.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why stress isn’t always bad, and how resilience depends on recovery
- The difference between high and low cortisol symptoms (and why many people experience both)
- How ultra-processed foods, blood sugar swings, and circadian disruption add hidden stress to the body
- Simple nutrition and lifestyle shifts that support cortisol balance without perfectionism
- Why healing from burnout requires both physical and nervous system support
About the Guest:
Marina Wright is a functional nutrition practitioner, health coach, and author of The Cortisol Reset Plan. She helps people build resilience to physical and psychological stress to support lasting physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Marina bridges science and holistic healing, translating complex research into simple, sustainable daily habits that empower people to feel better without overwhelm.
Connect with Marina:
- Book: The Cortisol Reset Plan: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-cortisol-reset-plan-marina-wright?variant=43106558869538
- Website: https://www.marinawright.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinawrightwellness/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinawrightwellness
00:00 Introduction to Stress and Cortisol
04:01 Symptoms of Chronic Stress
14:00 High vs. Low Cortisol Symptoms
16:53 Strategies to Manage Stress
23:41 Nutritional Tips for Reducing Stress
36:27 Five Steps to Reduce Stress and Improve Health
37:27 Balancing Blood Sugar for Better Health
42:24 Regulating Your Circadian Rhythm
51:08 Exercise and Nervous System Regulation
52:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Calmly Coping is a self-improvement podcast for high achievers who struggle with high-functioning anxiety to help you feel more calm, balanced, and confident from within.
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💌 Subscribe to the Calmly Coping Newsletter: https://calmlycoping.com/newsletter
💬 Submit a message, question, or suggestion to the podcast: https://calmlycoping.com/message
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Want more?
👩🏽💻 Work with me: My mission is to help you decrease your anxiety, declutter your mind, and say hello to a life of calm and balance. Learn more about my coaching, therapy, and course offerings here: https://becalmwithtati.com/work-with-me
👥 Join the Calmly Coping Group: The free supportive community for high-achievers with high-functioning anxiety. Join Today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CalmlyCoping
📝 Take the Free High-Functioning Anxiety Quiz: http://hfaquiz.com
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Say hi on social:
🔗 Website: https://becalmwithtati.com/
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/tatianaglpc
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatianaglpc/
📌 Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tatianaglpc
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Intro/Outro Music: Rescue Me (Instrumental) by Aussens@iter (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/tobias_weber/57990 Ft: Copperhead
Disclaimer
All content here is for informational purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your own mental health provider. Please consult a licensed mental health professional for all individual questions and issues.