How to Manage Acute Stress and Rescue Your Health with Air Force Veteran Alexis Nelson

“I was tired of feeling run over all the time. I started feeling down and mopey about things. And I just didn’t know how to turn them around. I was taking on too much and I was trying to carry too much.” 

Today’s guest, Alexis Nelson, was nominated for The Uplifters Podcast by Beth Raynor Webb, from episode 5.  At 33 years old, Alexis has already spent 14 years in the Air Force. Like so many Uplifters, she finds joy and satisfaction in caring for others, but she also had to learn earlier than most what it takes to sustain her service. 

Her work has landed her in physically and emotionally intense situations that have taken a toll on her mental and physical health. As doctors searched for underlying causes, like MS and other mimickers, they ultimately found that acute stress was the real culprit. To treat it she learned small and simple ways to care for herself daily. 

Listen to the full conversation to hear:

• How the Airplane Mask Theory helped Alexis put her well-being in perspective

• The small steps she took to slowly and steadily reclaim her health

• The daily practices she uses to maintain her physical and emotional health

• Her approach to setting and keeping boundaries

• How she stops swirls of “ick” when they start

• Her exact script for asking for support or a timeout when she needs it

• My new theory that Uplifters aren’t just carrying the weight of others’ needs on our shoulders, but in bulging kangaroo pouches