From Stress to Stillness: Finding Peace and Healing Through Surrender

By Traci Schmidt

As women, we are no strangers to stress. Each of us carries an invisible load every day. We are caregivers to children and aging parents—sometimes at the same time. We are wives, moms, daughters, sisters, friends, employees, and business owners, often feeling pulled in too many directions. Society has normalized this pace of life so that when we aren’t feeling stressed, we wonder if something is wrong.

But stress is not normal. Nor is it something God designed us to carry. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:34 that worry was never meant to be our way of life. In fact, research consistently shows that chronic stress plays a significant role in many modern health issues—something that is not surprising when we understand how deeply stress impacts our sleep, hormones, digestion, mood, and energy.

Stress doesn’t just live in our minds—it settles into our bodies. Tight shoulders. Restless sleep. A mind that’s always racing and can’t seem to turn off. Exhaustion that lingers. We often live with these things for so long that we start to accept them as normal. 

So what actually happens in our bodies when we experience stress?

When we feel stress, our bodies activate a response often referred to as fight, flight, or freeze. God designed this response to protect us in moments of true danger. The body, however, cannot distinguish between a life-threatening situation and the pressures of everyday life—tight deadlines, family responsibilities, or ongoing worry. As a result, the body shifts into survival mode.

In this state, stress hormones increase, heart rate quickens, and blood is directed toward the muscles. At the same time, digestion, immune function, and reproductive processes are slowed—because healing and restoration are not priorities in survival mode. While this response is a brilliant part of God’s design for short-term emergencies, it was never meant to be activated continually.

When stress becomes chronic, healing is interrupted.

This is not something to feel guilt or shame over. Instead, stress becomes a signal—an invitation to pause, to listen, and to return to God’s design.

So how can we reduce the stress in our lives? Prayer.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 that when we turn our anxieties into prayer “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7, Christian Standard Bible (CSB)) will guard and protect us.

Peace is not found in the absence of chaos, but in the middle of it.

Prayer doesn’t just change our perspective; it changes our physiology. When we pray, we shift from self-reliance to God-dependence. Prayer is not merely the words we speak to God—it is the posture of laying down what we were never meant to carry alone.

Through prayer, the nervous system begins to calm. The body moves out of survival mode and into a state of rest, safety, and restoration—the very environment in which healing can occur.

You may be thinking, I do pray, but I still feel stressed. If that resonates, it may be worth asking: Have I truly released control over what I am praying about? Have I surrendered it fully to God?

Surrender is active. It is a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment choice. Our default as women is often to carry the load ourselves, believing we must figure everything out. But God already knows the way forward. He promises to guide us, to lead us, and to carry what feels too heavy for us to bear.

When we hand our worries over to Him and trust His guidance, peace begins to permeate not only our hearts but also our bodies. And when this occurs, calmness, restoration, healing, and true miracles happen.

This exemplifies how God created us to thrive, not merely survive. We are whole beings—mind, body, and spirit—and each part requires care. With our minds, we are called to align our thoughts with truth and take captive what leads to fear and anxiety (2 Corinthians 10:5). With our bodies, we are invited into rhythms of rest, nourishment, and movement. And with our spirits, we are strengthened through Scripture, worship, gratitude, and meaningful community.

God has designed our bodies with incredible wisdom. The more we understand how they function, the more awe we gain for our Creator who thought of every little detail. Our bodies want to live in a state of health—God made them that way. When we provide what He designed us to need, restoration naturally follows.

When we’re faced with a health challenge, we must remember - God designed our bodies with an incredible capacity to heal. But healing often begins when we stop striving and start abiding.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress today, I encourage you to bring it honestly to God. Lay it at His feet. His peace is available to you right now.

Prayer Lord, we come to You weary and heavy-laden. We release the stress, the striving, and the pressure to hold it all together. Teach us to rest in Your peace, to trust Your design, and to nourish our bodies, minds, and souls according to Your wisdom. Quiet our hearts and restore what has been worn thin. We surrender it all to You. Amen.

Author: Tracy Schmidt is a health and life coach who helps women feel like themselves again—energized, emotionally calm, and in control of their health. She believes the body was created to heal and supports women through burnout, chronic stress, and hormonal imbalances using a holistic, sustainable approach rooted in faith.

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