Catching Stress Before It Takes Over
In the opening pages of Choosing Presence, Jim Heaney introduces us to Sam — a CPA who wakes at five in the morning, his mind already racing through deadlines and worries. “Sam isn’t even out of bed,” Jim writes, “and he’s already stressed.” Most of us know that feeling. The stress cycle begins before we’re even aware it has started.
That’s the trouble with stress: it rises in the unconscious mind, quietly, before we notice it. As Jim explains, the unconscious mind “lives through memory or anticipation rather than what is happening at this moment.” The inner dialogue of the ego “stirs our negative emotions that then spin the gears of the compulsive thinking” — and by the time we recognize it, we’re already caught in the current.
But the body often knows before the mind admits it. Stress shows up first as physical signals — tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, a held breath, a fist we didn’t realize we were making. This is where presence becomes practical. Practicing presence, Jim writes, “allows us to fully experience — body, mind, and spirit — this moment we are living right now.” When we notice stress’s physical onset early, we can interrupt the cycle before it takes us over.
The solution, Jim reminds us, “only comes through a shift in awareness, from our unconscious mind to our conscious mind.” This week, let your body be your teacher. The moment you feel tension rising, pause, breathe, and come back to now.
Brian Mueller – Poet, Community Organizer, and Spiritual Guide
Brian Mueller is a poet and community organizer based in Dayton, Ohio. He serves as Director of Education & Engagement for ChoosingPresence.org and is an active member of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman, where he co-leads writing retreats that support men’s spiritual journeys. As a writer, Brian is known for his candid, accessible poetry, with works including Cock‑A‑Doodle‑Doo: 100 Morning Haiku, the Poem of the Day series, and the Bull Series. Inspired by poets like Rumi and Mary Oliver, he believes everyone carries the voice of a poet within.
