Less Stress, Better Metabolism: Small Pivots that Change Your Day (Your Week, Your Month, or even your Year!)
- Lea Grace R. Famularcano, MD
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
Did you just try to sing along there? If you did, then you’re my people! If you’ve ever watched the Friends Thanksgiving episodes, you know the holidays can be joyful… and also a little chaotic, unpredictable, and maybe even panic-inducing.
I don’t have many personal Thanksgiving stories. We’re thankful for our family and friends who’ve invited us throughout the years and graciously carried the stress of preparation for this holiday. I can only recall one attempt by me to cook a turkey and a few Thanksgiving staples. And although I am not as clueless in the kitchen as Rachel Green with her Thanksgiving trifle (I think that I would know that beef and onions did not belong with jam, custard, berries and ladyfingers), I failed my first and only attempt at cooking a Thanksgiving dinner.
Anyway, back to my thanksgiving story: I wanted to copy a slow roast that Mike’s uncle — Uncle Mike — made one year. I still remember how perfectly it turned out: juicy, tender, all the goodness a turkey should be.
So naturally, I wanted to replicate it.
It was supposed to be cooked overnight on low heat… long story short, it did not turn out like I hoped. Apologies to our poor friends who came that year. Since then, I’ve never attempted it again. According to my son, Bob Evans turkey is the best anyway — so that’s what we buy every year. (Why argue with a winning formula?)
We don’t have Thanksgiving per se in the Philippines. The closest thing might be our town fiestas, where the community comes together to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Every town has a different day, so in the Philippines, at any given time, there’s a fiesta somewhere. So really, my introduction to this American tradition was through movies and the show Friends. So I will borrow stories from Friends that I think are universal and relatable to everyone.
Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday of coming together and celebrating family — but it can also be a time when stress quietly sneaks in through tradition, expectation, and the pressure to make things perfect or “just right.”
So as everyone in the U.S. prepares to place the same dishes on their table this week, let’s talk about stress — and why less stress truly does mean better metabolism.
There are several stressors and emotional triggers that come up during the holidays. Around this time of year, I always make it a point to ask my patients and clients what comes up for them when the holidays roll in — because for many, this season brings up a complex mix of joy, pressure, family stories, and old wounds or emotional trauma.
Going back to my Friends theme:
Monica Geller, who is intense all year, becomes peak Monica during Thanksgiving — when her competitiveness and perfectionistic tendencies reach an all-time high. And especially when her parents are around, she’s hyper-performing to prove herself worthy next to her smarter, overachieving brother, Ross.
No wonder she’s exhausted every Thanksgiving. Many of us can relate: trying to do everything “right,” create the perfect holiday, and live up to invisible standards we didn’t set.
And speaking of Ross — no Thanksgiving stress recap is complete without the infamous “MY SANDWICH?!” moment. After getting evicted, navigating an impending second divorce, and basically experiencing a cascade of bad luck… someone at work eats the Thanksgiving leftover turkey sandwich that Monica made him — complete with the “Moist Maker.”
And that was it. Ross completely unravels.
Screaming.
Wide-eyed.
Unhinged.
“YOU ATE MY SANDWICH?!! MY SANDWICH?!!
It’s funny, but it’s also painfully relatable: when stress is already high, the smallest thing can feel catastrophic. That’s cortisol at work, an overloaded nervous system. That’s the holiday pressure cooker in action. And most of us have had our own version of “my sandwich” moments — especially around the holidays.
Chandler Bing, on the other hand, hates Thanksgiving. Self-proclaimed the king of bad thanksgivings. When he was nine years old, his parents announced their divorce on Thanksgiving Day, and from that moment on, the holiday meant reliving a painful childhood memory. This is true for many people — holidays can stir old grief, trauma, relationship wounds, or the pressure to pretend everything’s fine.
It’s around this time that even people who have been doing incredibly well with their healthy habits suddenly feel derailed. One family trigger, one emotional moment, one stressful interaction… and they slip into stress-eating. Then comes the guilt. And the shame. And the “I messed up, what’s the point?” spiral.And before they know it, months have passed and they’re struggling to regain the momentum they’d already built.
And of course, there’s Joey Tribbiani, the epitome of holiday overeating — the guy who loves food with his whole heart. His iconic moments: “Joey doesn’t share food!!” and “I’m not even sorry!!” (as he finishes his date’s chocolate cake). One year he even wore his Thanksgiving pants to make room for the turkey he was determined to finish.We all have a little Joey in us during the holidays...
And then there’s one of my all-time favorites: the Brad Pitt episode. Brad plays Will, who recently lost 150 pounds. Phoebe, of course, immediately notices his good looks and physique, looks up toward the heavens and gives a thumbs-up, whispering, “Well done!” Will proudly hands a pie to Monica that has “no fat, no sugar, no dairy… it’s probably not good, you should throw it out.”
Even Friends had its moment of highlighting diet culture, body image, and the complicated emotions around weight changes during the holidays.
Watching the Friends gang spiral through their Thanksgiving chaos is funny — but in real life, these kinds of emotional triggers and stress responses create real, measurable shifts in our bodies. When stress hits, our nervous system responds first, and our metabolism follows.
Stress is a physiological cascade that affects your hormones, your hunger, your cravings, your sleep, and ultimately, your ability to stay consistent with your habits.
Why Stress Matters to Your Metabolic Health
When your brain perceives stress, your adrenal glands respond within seconds by releasing cortisol, the hormone designed to help you “survive” a threat.
This physiologic reaction however is the same, whether you’re being chased by a tiger…or sitting across from your aunt who comments that the turkey is dry, and might induce a visceral reaction in you.
Cortisol does a few predictable things:
It raises blood sugar so you have quick energy
It increases insulin, your storage hormone
It stimulates appetite, particularly for carbs and sugar
It lowers satiety, so you don’t feel full as easily
It interferes with sleep, which then worsens cravings the next day
This is why the holidays can feel like a metabolic minefield. It becomes a loop that really has little to nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with biology.
And it’s not just cortisol.
Recent research from Columbia University found that stress also triggers changes in FGF21, a hormone involved in glucose regulation and metabolic health. The study showed that psychological stress acutely alters FGF21 levels, meaning that emotional or social stress creates immediate hormonal ripples that affect how your body processes energy, stores fat, and regulates appetite.(Source: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.)
Which brings us back to Ross screaming, “YOU ATE MY SANDWICH?!!” After a cascade of stressful events, he was overwhelmed. And when your nervous system is in overdrive, everything feels harder: your habits, your hunger, your routines, your patience, your metabolism.
This is why managing stress is one of the most powerful metabolic interventions you can practice — especially during the holidays.
Gentle Stress Pivots for the Holiday Week (Friends Edition!)
The goal this week isn’t to eliminate stress (we’re human!) — it’s to gently lower the volume on your stress response so your body, your metabolism, and your mind can breathe.So in the spirit of Friends, here are your “Holiday Helper” pivots…
1. The Monica Pivot: Lower the Bar (On Purpose)
Monica’s perfectionism is Thanksgiving time-bomb — and exhausting. Trying to recreate her level of hosting is an exercise in futility. Remember that when you say yes to something that you might be saying no to something more important to you, like rest and calm, and spending quality time with people you love.
Gentle Pivot:Ask yourself: “How can things be simpler?” Simplify one thing — the menu, the cleaning, the expectations, or the timeline. Your nervous system will thank you.
2. The Chandler Pivot: Could You BE Any More Stressed?
Chandler copes with humor and avoidance because actually feeling things is… a lot.And many of us holiday-stress exactly like Chandler.
Gentle Pivot:When you feel tense, overwhelmed, or emotionally checked out, try asking: “Could I BE any more stressed right now?” It’s funny, but it’s also grounding. Naming your stress interrupts the cortisol cascade.
Brene Brown says, and I paraphrase, naming your emotion does not take away it's power but it gives you power to navigate through them, and then make new choices that aligns with your values. Acknowledge and take a deep breath. Know that this is a normal human reaction. From this place of knowing, you can choose to act accordingly.
3. The Ross Pivot: Don’t Let a ‘Sandwich Moment’ Spiral You
Ross didn’t break down because of the sandwich.He broke down because he was already at capacity and someone eating his sandwich was the last straw.
His wild-eyed scream —“YOU ATE MY SANDWICH?!!” —is every one of us when holiday stress piles up.
Gentle Pivot:When you feel that “my sandwich” energy rising:
Pause.
Breathe.
Step away for one minute.
Your metabolism responds better to quiet and calm than to spirals. After this incident, Ross actually was forced to take a sabbatical. Which was probably for the best!
4. The Rachel Pivot: When the Recipe Goes Wrong
Rachel genuinely tried her best — she just read two recipe pages stuck together, which resulted in a trifle with jam, custard, ladyfingers… and beef sautéed with peas and onions.
Even that moment ended up iconic.
Gentle Pivot:When something goes sideways — the menu, the schedule, the vibe — don’t scrap the whole day. Leave room to pivot and adjust.Not every imperfect moment is a failure. Nothing has gone wrong. Besides, there's always next year.
5. Joey Pivot: Enjoy Food Without the Guilt
Joey loves food with his whole soul. And honestly? There’s nothing wrong with pleasure.
Iconic holiday wisdom from Joey:“Custard? GOOD! Jam? GOOD! Beef? GOOOOD!”
Gentle Pivot: Plan ahead of time. Appreciate the moment. . Enjoy the meal. Savor the flavors. Eat with presence, and full enjoyment!
6. The Phoebe Pivot: Choose Unbothered Peace
Phoebe is the queen of authentic, joyful, whimsical, grounded energy. Chaos happens around her, but rarely to her.
Gentle Pivot: Set one soft boundary. "I wish I could but I don't want to."
And here are other phrases to help you set boundaries.
"No is a complete answer."
"A healthy no leads to a more authentic yes". (Simon Sinek)
"Saying no isn't the end of kindness. It's the beginning of self-respect." I really like this. (I have not found the source to credit to though)
When holiday stress builds — expectations, pressure, people-pleasing, perfectionism — the nervous system moves into survival mode. One of the fastest ways to soften that stress response is to come back to gratitude + enough-ness.
Here’s a simple grounding practice you can try anytime this week:
Pause. Place one hand on your chest. Take one slow exhale. Then say quietly:
“I am enough. What I do is enough. How I'm showing up is enough.”
It may be a little cheesy, and a little woo. But it works.
From this grounded place of enough-ness, your decisions shift. You move:
From pressure → to presence.
From obligation → to intention.
From people-pleasing → to generosity.
From scarcity → to gratitude.
A recent study published in the journal Risk Management and Healthcare Policy found that individuals who engaged in regular gratitude practices experienced:
improved heart rate variability (a marker of stress resilience),
lower blood pressure,
reduced inflammation, and
better sleep quality and mood regulation.
These findings matter because these parameters are all tied closely to metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and long-term disease risk.
When we shift into gratitude and enough-ness, the nervous system moves from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest — the physiological state where metabolism stabilizes, digestion improves, and cortisol naturally decreases.
That internal shift is not small — it is profound. And what do you know, it is also metabolic! Your body relaxes and you become more aligned with the person you want to be this holiday season.
I am grateful for you, and I appreciate you reading! May you all have a Thanksgiving filled with calm moments, joyful pauses, and the reminder that you are already enough — today, this week, this month… and even this year and into the next ones!
DISCLAIMER: Lea Famularcano, MD is a medical doctor, but she is not your doctor. Topics discussed are purely informational only. She is not offering medical advice on this website. If you are in need of professional advice or medical care, you must seek out the services of your doctor or health care professional.
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