How Each Dosha Responds to Stress and How to Find Balance
Take a deep breath. You already have what you need.
Understand your unique stress pattern - and find your way back to balance.
We all feel stress, but have you ever noticed how differently people respond to it?
Some race around doing five things at once.
Others power through with gritted teeth.
And some just shut down completely.
Ayurveda gives us a powerful way to understand these patterns—and offers simple, effective tools to shift from survival mode back into steadiness.
This week’s post includes a short audio session and the full written version, so you can listen on the go or read at your own pace.
🎧 Listen now: “Understanding Stress and the Doshas”
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What Is Stress, Really?
The Oxford Dictionary defines stress as:
“The mental or emotional strain placed on or experienced by a person as a result of adverse or demanding circumstances… a state of feeling tense, anxious, or mentally and emotionally exhausted.”
Simply put, stress happens when something pushes us beyond what feels manageable.
But the way we experience stress is deeply personal.
A tight deadline might send me into panic mode while you thrive.
You might find public speaking terrifying, but for me, it’s exhilarating.
A full calendar might overwhelm one person and energise someone else.
You get the idea.
So… if stress is so individual, how can we learn to work with it?
Ayurveda’s Take on Stress
In Ayurveda, your dominant dosha—Vata, Pitta, or Kapha—affects not just your body and digestion but also your mindset and stress response.
🌀 Vata-dominant stress
Racing thoughts, restlessness, anxiety
Starts lots of things but struggles to finish
Forgets to eat or can’t sleep when overwhelmed
🔥 Pitta-dominant stress
Irritability, frustration, even anger
Pushes through tiredness, ignores hunger
Becomes highly critical of self or others
🌱 Kapha-dominant stress
Withdrawn, sluggish, emotionally heavy
May turn to comfort eating or procrastination
Appears calm but feels stuck or low
🖊️ Reflection prompt:
Reading the above, look at your standard reaction to stress. Which dosha pattern do you recognise most? Write it down - it’s the first step to changing it.
Not sure which dosha you are? Take the quiz here
Modern Life: The Pressure to Keep Up
Here’s my hobby horse: so much of our stress is homemade.
We live in a world that’s fast, noisy, and always on. But often, it’s our internal pressure that causes the most strain.
From the endless comparisons.
From the need to do it all.
From the belief, we have to do it perfectly.
Be a perfect parent and partner
Keep a spotless house
Excel at work
Stay healthy
Meditate, journal, hydrate...
It’s exhausting even writing that list!
But here’s the truth: you don’t have to do everything. And you definitely don’t have to do it all perfectly.
Ayurveda and Yoga remind us that rest is just as important as action. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing what serves you. No multitasking - because the brain can’t do that anyway. Just focusing on one task at a time.
How Ayurveda and Yoga Build Stress Resilience
Resilience is your ability to adapt, bounce back, and stay steady in facing challenges.
It’s not about eliminating stress altogether, which isn’t possible anyway, but about supporting yourself through it and changing your approach to it.
And here’s the best part—it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple, consistent practices make the biggest difference.
Here are some ideas for you:
🌀 For Vata stress:
For when you feel all worried and anxious with racing thoughts. That’s what will help you calm down.
Eat warm, nourishing food and drinks.
Practise standing, grounding yoga poses and slow flow sequences.
Eat regular meals and create daily routines.
Lie on the floor with your feet up for 10 minutes.
Focus on your breath - notice the pauses after the in-breath and out-breath
Try Brahmari (bee breathing): Inhale deeply and hum softly on the exhale. Notice a difference? Just three breaths make me feel calmer. Try it.
🔥 For Pitta stress:
To pacify the feelings of irritability and being fed up.
Prioritise cooling down and slowing the pace.
Take breaks throughout the day.
Lower your expectations just a little - soften the inner critic.
Walk in nature or lie down with your feet up.
Practise Shitali or Brahmari breathing; both work wonders for Pitta.
Let yourself pause, even if it’s just for a moment.
Give yourself permission not to finish everything before you stop for the day.
🌱 For Kapha stress:
Vata and Pitta need to calm down in their own ways, but Kapha needs to speed up. Sounds strange, right?
Get moving with invigorating, faster-paced Surya Namaskar or a brisk morning walk.
Spend time in fresh air and sunlight.
Do one small thing you’ve been avoiding.
Seek uplifting company and listen to energising music.
Let the momentum carry you forward.
Finish your tasks before the end of the day.
Final Thoughts
You Have More Control Than You Think
Right now, take a deeper breath.
Exhale.
Instead of focusing on what’s left to do, ask yourself:
What have I already done?
What do I already have?
What’s already working for me?
You don’t need to meet every expectation.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just need to take care of yourself in a way that feels good to you.
When we learn to soften, let go, and move with the rhythms of life...
Stress loses its grip.
And life opens up.
Resources
Here are further reads to help you manage stress:
Seasonal Living naturally reduces stress. You wonder why? Read this article.
Why is the breath our best stress buster? Here are two articles to explain why:
Now, I’d love to hear from you: Have you noticed that your eating habits change when you feel stressed? How you noticed how? Is there a pattern? Let’s chat in the comments!
Let’s start a conversation. Leave a message on Instagram, Facebook, or even a good old email OR comment below :)
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. Did you know healthy eating habits are naturally essential during cleanses?
