Stress Management
What is Stress?
Stress can be one of the most debilitating things if we allow it to be. No one wants to be stressed. No one has total control of the stressful events that affect their life, but you CAN control your awareness of it AND how you carry it, deal with it and eliminate some of it. Stress in and of itself is not bad- yes, that’s right. Stress perception is actually a defense mechanism in the brain. It happens when we perceive something to be life threatening, i.e. if a wooly mammoth was chasing you; it is clear to see that in this situation the stress response- to run would potentially save your life. In modern day the stress response looks more like those seconds you have to avoid a car accident.
When the stress response is activated in the body as a result of perceived threat interpreted by the amygdala in the brain; quite a few things happen such as: an adrenaline rush which creates a heightened sense of awareness and focused thinking, pupils dilate to let in more light and improve vision, blood vessels constrict allowing blood to be shunted to vital organs, such as the heart, lungs and brain, the lungs Broncho dilate to allow easier air flow and oxygen to the body, and the adrenal glands produce cortisol (which is both a hormone and a short acting sugar) to be used immediately by the body to avoid the threat. All of this is the body’s automated defense mechanism to keep you alive.
Is stress bad?
Stress only becomes bad when our bodies lose the ability to turn on the parasympathetic nervous response, or the stress, “off switch.” There are many environmental stimuli that can provoke the stress response, such as bright digital screens, hectic ‘go-go-go, I must do it all’ attitudes of a busy schedule, certain emotional states and how we perceive different situations. When we are constantly on the go despite our bodies ability to keep up, the stress response takes hold in the body. Our bodies are sensing a need to keep going past our reserve. When this happens our “off switch” never turns off and runs idle in the background (like those apps on our phones)
This has become our every day for most people. Now more than ever, our stress response is being triggered by fear. Fear of any part of this Covid-19 pandemic. Fear of the loss of freedom: to do, to go, to be. Fear to gather. Fear of becoming ill or dying. Fear of the loss of loved ones, loss of finances, you name it. In fact, regardless of this pandemic we have lost our ability to recognize stress. Mentally we push away stress- because it is perceived as bad, but what we are really doing is ignoring it. By not acknowledging that we are stressed, we are pushing those stress to manifest in the physical body.
The following is a stress management guide on how to identify stress in the body when you aren’t “feeling stress” and you can do to carry or minimize your stress.
How do I recognize stress?
First, check in with how you are feeling:
· Are you feeling challenged by a person, situation, relationship?
· Are you feeling anxious or angry?
· Are you feeling unhappy?
Remember, your stress might be so normalized that you won’t recognize it this way.
Next, check in with our physical body (these are the other signs of stress):
· Muscle tension
o Especially in the jaw, shoulders, low back
· Breathing
o Shallow breathing, quick breathing
· Appetite
o Cravings
o Lack of appetite or over eating (stress eating)
· Sweaty palms
· Brain
o Racing thoughts/ Lack of focus
o Short Term Memory Loss
o Word finding difficulties
· Extraneous movements
o Leg tapping
o Fidgeting
o Finger tapping
o Inability to sit still
Tension is the result of built up energy that is not being released or distributed, i.e. excess adrenaline.
What Can I do about it?
Identify stress as an emotion, not a state of your being. Be very careful with your word choice (words are energy) ** for more on this read my blog on Intention, Energy and Manifestation- Living your truth.
“I am anxious” or “I am worried”
Vs.
“I am feeling anxious.” Or “I am feeling worried.”
One of these statements tells your brain that you ARE that. The other tells your brain that you are Feeling that; there by labeling it as exactly what it is a feeling. It is important to note here that feelings are temporary states that pass. This removes that anxious or worried energy from the body and allows you to become a witness to the emotion instead.
· Challenge your catastrophic thoughts
o Is this (fill in the blank) a life-threatening situation?
o Am I in immediate danger?
o Is it true for me that I will not overcome this challenge or situation?
Ground in to your body
o Bring awareness to a space in your body that feels comfortable to you.
o Close your eyes to bring awareness inward.
o Visualize your feet standing firmly on the ground.
Focus on the present
o What is happening right now for me?
o What is my next step in the immediate now?
o Remember you only need to take one step at a time.
Control
o Realize what you CAN and CANNOT control.
o I may NOT be able to control what is happening to me.
o I may NOT be able to control what is happening around me.
o But I CAN control how I respond, behave, release, cope.
Here is what I can control (especially during this pandemic)
o Hygiene
o Socializing
Via: Telephone, Video Chatting, E-mail, Regular mail (written letters)
Drive-by (STAYING IN YOUR CARS)
Birthday parades in decorated cars to celebrate and offer birthday wishes
Video games
o Nutrition
o Sleep cycle
Go to bed at your usual time
Wake up at your usual time
Keep usual bedtime routines
o Exercise
Yoga
Walk
Run
Hike
Bike
Treadmill
Calisthenics
Walk the dog
o Monitoring the flow of your energy through:
o Breath
Deep diaphragmatic breathing (Yogic 3-part breath)
Box breathing (works well for beginners and children)
Both help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system-
the “off-switch” to the stress response.
What is Diaphragmatic Breathing (Three-part breath)?
It is deep breathing, consisting of lengthened inhalations and exhalations.
The first part of the three-part breath:
Inhale deep as if you are drawing breath into the belly
Think Buddha belly
The second part of the three-part breath:
(inhaling to fill the belly and continuing your inhale…)
So that you feel your side ribs expand
Think of an Accordion instrument
The third part of the three-part breath:
(breathe in to fill the bell and side ribs and continue your inhale…)
So that you feel your upper chest or collar bones lift gently
Think of a lifting motion, but not of the shoulders~ only your chest
**If you are not a visualization person and would like to think of this breathing in terms of numbers, to can breathe into the belly for the count of 1,2 ~ the side ribs 3,4 ~ and chest 5,6. As you exhale the chest counts 1,2 ~ the side ribs remain 3,4 and the belly becomes 5,6.
It is important to note that you do not stop or pause inhalation between each step; it is one fluid inhalation and exhalation. This is a great breath to meditate with because by definition your concentration on breath and inward attention can be considered a meditative state. Focusing on the breath quiets the mind.
What is Box Breathing?
It is a series of inhalation, exhalations and holds. Its purpose is to help regulate the breathing.
Inhale to the count of four
Hold at the top of the inhale for the count of four
Exhale to the count of four
Hold at the bottom of the exhale for the count of four
Repeat
