“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Happy Thursday, Emma!

Let’s talk about stress for a second. Not the kind of stress that makes you feel like you forgot your guitar before a gig (been there). I mean the kind that creeps in, tightens your chest, and makes everything feel like an uphill battle.

You know the feeling. That moment when it all seems too much, and suddenly, you're questioning everything.

I'm sure you understand exactly what I'm talking about.

But here’s the thing: we can spend all of our time focusing on the problem, but that's not actually helpful. It’s how we respond to it that makes all the difference.

Last week, I had the absolute honor of leading my fourth stress management coaching session for journalists and NGO workers as part of a HEFAT training (Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid Training) here in DC. These are the people out there covering war zones, exposing corruption, and bringing untold stories to light. The stakes? HIGH. The stress? Off the charts.

And yet, the tools we used to help them regulate their nervous system? They’re the same tools I use in singing and songwriting coaching:

• Breathing techniques to control anxiety before going on stage (or, you know, facing a high-stakes interview or going into a war zone).
• Mindfulness and body awareness—because tension lives in the body as well as the mind.
• Reframing stress as fuel—because sometimes, the things that challenge us the most become the songs that define us.

So today, I want to share something I talk with my clients about all the time — 10 ways to reframe our stress into success that will help you take control of your energy, reclaim your time, and turn stress into fuel for creativity, confidence, and empowerment.

10 REFAMES TO TAKE CONTROL OF STRESS

1. From Obligation to Ownership Reframe: “I should” → “I choose to.” Action: Swap out “I have to” for “I GET to.” Suddenly, your responsibilities feel less like chains and more like choices.
2. From Urgent to Important Reframe: Just because something is loud doesn’t mean it matters. Action: Delete three non-essential tasks from your list right now. Trust me, it’s liberating.
3. From Tension to Feedback Reframe: Stress isn’t an enemy—it’s information. Action: Name where you feel tension in your body. Awareness weakens its power.
4. From Time Management to Energy Management Reframe: Your energy is a finite resource. Spend it wisely. Action: Rate your energy 1-10 and cut one thing that drains you TODAY. If it's not a hell yes; it's a hell no.
5. From Reactive to Proactive Reframe: Your calendar isn’t a democracy. Action: Block out 90 minutes tomorrow for you time to refill your cup. As the old Zen saying goes: "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour."
6. From No Boundaries to Bold Boundaries Reframe: Boundaries don’t push people away—they protect your energy. Action: Write out your NO in advance. Practice saying it. Honor it.
7. From Multitasking to Mastery Reframe: One focused hour beats five scattered ones. Action: Pick ONE high-impact task and give it full attention.
8. From Overwork to Recovery Reframe: Stress signals are data, not failure. Action: Set a timer for a real break. Prevention beats burnout.
9. From Hustle to Alignment Reframe: Success isn’t just about working hard—it’s about working aligned. Action: Create one new metric that measures growth, not just output.
10. From Isolation to Connection Reframe: Connection creates opportunity. Action: Instead of another email, call someone. Energy shifts in conversations.

And, of course, if you're anything like me: you like to immortalize some of these concepts into songs. What can I say? They help me remember them better.

Like reminding myself to have boundaries, take ownership of my stress, and recognizing that - at the end of the day - I'm the only one who can save me.

And that's a pretty cool situation to be in. Because autonomy > dependence.

10 REFAMES TO TAKE CONTROL OF STRESS

1. From Obligation to Ownership Reframe: “I should” → “I choose to.” Action: Swap out “I have to” for “I GET to.” Suddenly, your responsibilities feel less like chains and more like choices.
2. From Urgent to Important Reframe: Just because something is loud doesn’t mean it matters. Action: Delete three non-essential tasks from your list right now. Trust me, it’s liberating.
3. From Tension to Feedback Reframe: Stress isn’t an enemy—it’s information. Action: Name where you feel tension in your body. Awareness weakens its power.
4. From Time Management to Energy Management Reframe: Your energy is a finite resource. Spend it wisely. Action: Rate your energy 1-10 and cut one thing that drains you TODAY. If it's not a hell yes; it's a hell no.
5. From Reactive to Proactive Reframe: Your calendar isn’t a democracy. Action: Block out 90 minutes tomorrow for you time to refill your cup. As the old Zen saying goes: "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour."
6. From No Boundaries to Bold Boundaries Reframe: Boundaries don’t push people away—they protect your energy. Action: Write out your NO in advance. Practice saying it. Honor it.
7. From Multitasking to Mastery Reframe: One focused hour beats five scattered ones. Action: Pick ONE high-impact task and give it full attention.
8. From Overwork to Recovery Reframe: Stress signals are data, not failure. Action: Set a timer for a real break. Prevention beats burnout.
9. From Hustle to Alignment Reframe: Success isn’t just about working hard—it’s about working aligned. Action: Create one new metric that measures growth, not just output.
10. From Isolation to Connection Reframe: Connection creates opportunity. Action: Instead of another email, call someone. Energy shifts in conversations.

Why This Matters for YOU, friends:

Whether you’re a musician, creative, entrepreneur, or someone just trying to navigate this wild thing called 2025, I want you to remember:

• Stress doesn’t own you. Your response to it does.
• Creativity thrives in clarity. The more you manage stress, the more room you have to create.
• Your story isn’t just happening to you—you’re the one writing it. So pick up the pen (or the mic) and make sure it’s a good one.

For me? Reframing stress is exactly why I write music. It’s why I teach others to turn their struggles into songs. Because when you rewrite your perspective, you change your story. And when you change your story, you change your life.

That's exactly what my second ever client [then 17year old] Sydney Witt did when she wrote Intrusive:

And it's exactly what I strove to do with my upcoming single "Grieve" which is dropping on March 15!!

Pre-save Grieve [and the remixes] on Spotify here

What’s Next?

• New single drops MARCH 15!
• Shoutout again to my newest Patreon supporters — Catherine, Carol, Mandi, and Arthur! Watch your inbox later today, for this week's demo is dropping this afternoon: a song I wrote when I was 11 or 12years old called "Fall". I remember playing it for the first time to my mother and my godmother Deborah, who promptly burst into tears... so maybe grab the tissues before you listen. #youvebeenwarned I made a quick acoustic teaser video over on Instagram yesterday too, which you can check out here. OR simply: join me for a free week on Patreon here
• Live show this Saturday, February 8th, at Chicken + Whiskey in Nats Park! Let’s make some noise.
• New blog post: 15 Life Lessons I’ve Learned as a Musician and Musicpreneur.

Over to You…

Which of these 10 power reframes spoke to you the most? What’s one small shift you can make today to take back control?

Let me know. And as always — don’t let the world write your song.

Rock on, stay inspired, and have an amazing day on purpose.

~ Emma G

P.S. Need a reset? Let’s jump on a call and talk about turning your stress into something powerful. Whether it’s a song, a keynote, or a conversation, let’s get you back in control.