We’ve all been told to “just reduce stress,” but let’s be honest — in today’s world, that’s easier said than done. Between work, relationships, parenting, screens, and the constant pace of modern life, the stressors around us aren’t going away anytime soon.
What if instead of focusing on decreasing stress, we focused on increasing our capacity to handle it?
That’s where adaptability, resilience, and nervous system health come in.
Your Adaptive Capacity Is Like a Cup
I like to use the analogy of a cup to describe how your nervous system manages stress. Every stressor — whether it’s physical (like posture, birth trauma, or sleep deprivation), chemical (like toxins, blood sugar swings, or poor nutrition), or emotional (like anxiety or overwhelm) — fills your cup a little more.
When that cup overflows, symptoms start to show up: pain, tension, sleep issues, anxiety, illness, or behavioral changes in kids.
Chiropractic care helps in two powerful ways:
- It empties the cup: by helping the nervous system process and release built-up stress.
- It increases the size of the cup: by improving adaptability and resilience, so you can handle more of life without overflowing.
What HRV Tells Us About Stress and Resilience
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is one of the best ways to measure how adaptable your nervous system is. A higher HRV means your body can shift easily between “fight or flight” and “rest and digest,” showing flexibility and balance.
When the nervous system is stuck in overdrive, constantly bracing for the next stressor, HRV tends to drop. Over time, that means less capacity, less adaptability, and a cup that fills faster and empties slower.
Regular chiropractic adjustments improve nervous system function and help restore that adaptability. Many patients see their HRV improve as their body learns to regulate better, rest deeper, and recover faster.
Why This Matters for Babies, Too
Even babies (yes, even those who seem perfectly “healthy”) have cups that get filled every day. From the stress of birth itself, to chemical exposures, to emotional cues from caregivers, their little nervous systems are constantly taking in and responding to the world.
The earlier we support their adaptability, the better their body can grow, develop, and thrive. Chiropractic adjustments for babies aren’t always about treating symptoms, they’re about helping their nervous system stay clear, calm, and capable of handling life’s stress from the very beginning.
The emptier and bigger their “cup” is, the better chance they have to stay healthy, balanced, and adaptable through every milestone ahead.
The Takeaway
You can’t always eliminate stress, but you can train your body to adapt better.
Through gentle, neurologically focused chiropractic care, we help your nervous system do what it was designed to do: regulate, heal, and respond to life with more ease and less overwhelm.
Whether you’re a parent, a busy professional, or a brand-new baby just learning how to be in the world — building adaptability is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health.