Share the Health - Stress

Second Post to the Share the Health Series!
Share the Health - Introduction

Stress - It’s safe to say everyone rolls their eyes at this category. At some point in our adult life we have shrugged our shoulders in accepting stress as a ‘way of life’. Life will always happen, planned or not, but just like Epictetus tell us "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."  To transform into a health topic, I tell you “It’s not life’s happenings that is causing you illness, but how you react that will save you.”

During this post I will make blanket statements about the situation of stress and it goes without saying that stress can be anything from an unplanned leak in the sink to a foreseen death in the family. Since we know that stress can be any shape and size we must find it in ourselves to categorize our stressor in priority boxes based off the needed follow-up action and/or the heart of the matter. Stress is an interesting thing – we don’t think about it until it’s happening, our joys (disconnected from the stressor) are affected, and we have robotically told our selves we can’t be proactive about stress. We use stress as an excuse as if we believe that if we spend time on ourselves and ‘get away’ we are guilty of not acknowledging the stress at hand.

To understand why managing your stress is important we must first realize what is happening to our bodies in the ‘stress’ mode. Since not all of us passed biology in high school I will remind us in what I call ‘Stress for Dummies’ (my apologies for Allen Elkin for stealing your title).

1.    The brain controls the balance between stimulating the body and tranquilizing the body.

2.    SNS (sympathetic nervous system) launches the fight-or-flight response. Which also causes:

a.       Increase heart rate

b.      Constricts blood vessels

c.       Decrease digestive activity

d.      Increases blood pressure

3.    PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) ushers the relaxation response that calms the body back into a normal state.

4.    Problem is when SNS stubbornly dominates the body therefore making it difficult for PNS to activate on its own.

a.       Results into the cortisol hormone invasion and an ongoing cycle of the above (a-d).

5.     If this continues for a period of time the following is affected in a negative matter (partial list):

a.       Immune system

b.      Fat build up

c.       Body aches

d.      Memory

e.      Concentration

f.        Digestion

g.       Fatigue

Yeah! You passed the Human Stress Class – blog style!

The above should answer the following questions:

Q. Why do I lose weight during stress?  A. SNS decreases digestive activity

Q. Why do I gain weight during stress?  A. You might be eating too much (AKA comfort food) while the body is not getting the right nutrients and is having decrease digestive activity during this time.

Q. I can’t seem to relax!    A. Your SNS has dominated and your PNS can not kick in without help. (Help - AKA Stress Reduction Techniques)

Q. Why do I get panic attacks?    A. The body is in an ongoing habit of conscious or subconscious stress in which the physical body has a negative reaction to.

Q. I’m tired but I haven’t done anything?   A. Every stressful action, thought, or emotion (good or bad) uses energy.

Q. Why am I always sick?   A. This could be several answers but stress might be a large factor – the cortisol hormone is linked to a weak immune system.  

Q. Is this symptom a medical symptom or mental stress disguised?    A. Only you can answer that. Once you start managing your stress, it is likely the ‘medical’ problem you experienced was really what your mom told you….’it’s all in your head!.

Q. Is my brain talking to the rest of my body correctly?   A. If your body is naturally unable to relax it is probable that your PNS (relaxation response) needs a little help.

Q. Can I take enough Rx and party my way out of stress?   A. Don’t be fooled that a bottle of vodka is cheaper than a yoga class and a therapy session (trust me). I think it’s safe to say it’s merely a cover–up or a temporary fix.

Now What?!   As Astrid Alauda said “Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of it’s worries”. Get on the same page with your PNS and take control!

 

Three natural ways to relieve stress are none other than exercise, sleep, and nutrition! If you remember the introduction to this series, those are 3 out of 4 other focuses for healthy living. Go figure! Stay posted on this blog for specific post of each of the topics.

Natural remedies for stress could be specific supplements where diet alone may lack (research adaptogen herbs). Also, aromatherapy minimizes tension and elevates the mood.

Natural stress activities can vary per person. None of the following will be news for you but maybe it will provoke you to live a more balanced life by implementing them into your every day life: Music, inspiration, nature, humor, good social relationships, writing, art, singing, pets, and never underestimate the power of a good support group or therapist!

 

Natural relaxants can be yoga, massage, meditation, natural muscle relaxers (Epsom salt), or deep breathing techniques. Under each one of these relaxants are a slew of sub categories that I encourage you to research. For instance, meditation is not a ‘one size fits all’ activity, you can participate in Awareness Mediation, Loving Kindness Meditation, Japa Mediation, Passage Mediation, or my personal favorite meditation for beginners also known as ‘meditative breathing’.

Don’t confuse your false obligation to worry and put the world on your shoulders with your real obligation to make sure you are healthy enough to do so!