Understanding The Stress Response and How to Take Care of Ourselves
Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash.
Stress. Ahhh yes. This word gets tossed around again and again in our daily vocabularies because it is something we have all experienced at some stage in our lives.
But what is it exactly? And, why is it so important that we know how to handle ourselves during times of stress?
Firstly, stress affects our system as a result of stimulus, which can be anything from biological, physical, emotional, mental, environmental, internal, or external factors. In these unprecedented times of the global pandemic we are all currently facing right now, stress unfortunately is a by-product of these global events, in one way or another.
Stress affects us all so differently and has deep profound changes on the biochemistry of our body, our moods, and our normal everyday behaviors. It is important to understand what is actually going on inside our minds and bodies so we can learn how to deal with stress when we are exposed to it in our lives.
When we are under constant stress the body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for switching on our sympathetic nervous system, which results in what's known as the ‘flight or fight’ response. In its early stages this is a positive process that gives us a beneficial kick into drive and initiates motivation, action, and energy to do whatever it is we need to do. Initially a rise in cortisol can be super helpful. However, it becomes extremely detrimental when we stay constantly in ‘flight or fight’. This is where most people spend the majority of their time in modern day living, and it has detrimental effects on the mind, body, and soul. Symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, regular colds and flu, low vitality, poor energy levels, and skin reactions (just to name a few) may be experienced when we are running on ‘flight or fight’. Biochemically this means that our cortisol levels are too high for too long in the bloodstream. High cortisol leads to inflammation, hormone imbalances, poor digestion, headaches and tension, depleted immunity, muscle aches and pain, slow healing capacity, sleep disturbances and the inability to ‘switch off”. In other words, it leaves us in a state of depletion and robs us of our vitality and life force, taking us from thriving to merely surviving.
Learning to regulate stress levels in your body and manage yourself under stress is one of the key factors to living a full, vibrant, and healthy life.
Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash
Here are my 5 top tips for dealing with stress:
1. Rest – Resting when you need to is not a sign of weakness nor is it a selfish practice. It is a sign of self-respect and self-love. Resting when you need to allows your body to restore itself, leading to better performance, increased mental capacity and an invigorating boost in energy levels. When you do not rest you are depleting your body and activating the ‘flight or fight’ response into overdrive. Give yourself permission to rest when you need it; doing so becomes a wonderful healing gift that you can give yourself and you will benefit in so many ways.
2. Look after your Liver – When you are in ‘flight or fight’ and relying on stimulants such as sugar, alcohol, and caffeine to increase your energy levels your liver is working extra hard to metabolize all the excess toxins that are flowing throughout your system. You can look after your liver by eliminating these stimulants (such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and cigarettes), drinking plenty of clean water (minimum of 2L per day), stocking up on dark green leafy vegetables and having fresh vegetable juice every day to help support detoxification.
3. Get organized — The biggest key to being overwhelm is organization. When everything feels like it’s too much or too hard, that’s when you really need to re-prioritize and manage your time well. Look at where you are spending all of your time and how it could be managed better. Learn to delegate and learn to say “NO”. Learning to say “No“ to things that do not serve your best interests in that moment enables you to protect your own energy reserves and, therefore, to have more to give to yourself and all of those around you in the appropriate moment.
Photo by Jane Palash on Unsplash.
4. Exercise — Get moving in any which way you can. Exercise increases your endorphins, your feel-good hormones, which act as a catalyst to the decreasing the detrimental side effects of stress. Exercise increases oxygen in the body, blood to the heart, and overall circulation, which always leaves you feeling better and more balanced.
5. Load up on Magnesium and Zinc — These 2 minerals are the first minerals that get depleted in our body when we are under stress. Loading on magnesium and zinc rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and nuts and seeds will help to put these essential nutrients back into the body and to restore and maintain balance.
Photo by Jane Palash on Unsplash.
Remember to take the time to slow down, tune in and really nourish yourself through times of stress because that is when we really need our self-care practices the most. Your body, mind and soul will thank you for it!
Article by Kate Reardon
BHsc (Naturopathy) BHsc (Nutritional Medicine) Author, keynote speaker, podcast host,
Intuitive Healer, Yoga Teacher and Founding Director of Natural Instinct Healing Health Retreat in Bali.
Website: http://katereardon.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katereardonloves
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katereardonloves/
Podcast: https://naturalinstincthealing.com/lean-in/
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Kate Reardon
