Take Charge: Manifest Health

Many people feel the need to be in control. But what does control really mean for the body short and long term? How does the body respond to the stress and emotion that come with a control mindset?

Stress can show up in three forms: emotional, physical, and chemical. All three move through pathways that drain the body’s resources, increasing its overall demand. Which is why it is important to bring awareness to the areas of our lives where we seek control. It could be our children, our spouse, the political climate, or something else entirely.

No matter the object of our control, the body still responds.

Taking Control vs. Taking Charge 

So what’s the difference between taking control and taking charge? The key distinction is control is an illusion. You can’t control other people.

True leadership isn’t about controlling others— it’s about managing the work, not the person.

What I often see with patients is the overwhelming need to control their environment. Their bodies are wound up so tightly they’re dealing with chronic pain, injuries, locked-up muscles, or they’re simply an accident waiting to happen.

And those emotions? They’re connected to specific organ systems. This is all part of the body trying to maintain homeostasis, internal balance, from the demands of stress and control. 

Taking Charge Starts with You

Taking charge means acknowledging that control is an illusion, but your ability to respond— your response-ability—starts with you.

It’s your job to help your body adapt to the world, not to control it.

Operating with a control mindset drives the autonomic nervous system into perceived stress ultimately draining you and your body’s resources. Ask yourself: How much energy am I wasting by trying to control things I can’t?

How would it feel to refocus that energy on what you actually can influence?

When you take charge of your life, your energy aligns with your intentions. You start manifesting what you do want, not what you don’t.

The result is: you feel more organized, more purposeful, and more connected with your body and your direction.

Stress: The Silent Divider

There are two main types of stress: distress (harmful stress) and eustress (beneficial stress).

Going to the gym (if done safely) is eustress—a positive challenge that makes your body stronger and more adaptable. Showing up to the gym is choosing to take charge of your body, not simply controlling it to be what you want it to be.

The cost of chronic negative stress, or distress, on your nervous system leads to premature aging and faster breakdown. That need to control can become one of the most costly habits you carry.

The difference between “taking charge” and “taking control” is subtle—but powerful. When you get it, you’ll feel the shift. You’ll conserve your energy. You’ll protect your body’s tissues and makeup. You’ll start showing up for yourself in a whole new way.

Why It Matters: The Adrenal Connection

So why is all this important?

Because your adrenal glands are the ones responding to the stress or threat you perceive— even when it’s self-inflicted through emotion or thought.

Let’s say you’re watching the news while eating dinner. You may not feel it, but you could be eating in a “distressed” state. When you’re in stress mode, you’re not in rest and digest mode.

That emotional stress while eating slows digestion. It forces your body into a state called leukocytosis, which increases your white blood cell count. Your immune system literally gets recruited to help manage digestion— a job it shouldn’t have to do.

The result is more inflammation in the body leading to more stress on your system and more ways your body has to compensate to continue functioning.

Take Charge. Support Your Body.

Your body is constantly making massive internal adjustments to keep you going.

But if you’re always reacting from stress and chasing control, you’re working against your body. 

My goal is to teach you how to work with your body so you can become the manifestor of your best health.