By Vera Powles - founder of health and well-being platform Mana Living.
A stressful situation whether in the form of a work deadline, a toxic relationship, or a persistent worry about finances, can trigger a cascade of stress hormones that produce changes in our physiology.
When you feel stressed, you might feel your heart beating faster or you notice your breathing increasing and your muscles tensing up. When we enter this ‘fight or flight” state there is a cascade of hormonal changes and physiological responses that are designed to help us fight the threat off or flee to safety. Stress is a perfectly normal reaction to external events and a very intelligent survival technique. Healthy stress is meant to protect us!
Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as heavy traffic, work demands, and a busy family life. This can be anything from a reduced ability to fight and recover from illness, due to lowered immunity (ever noticed that after a very stressful week at work or at home you end up with a cold?), increased blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and risk of heart attack and accelerated ageing.
The good news is that, once we understand how stress affects our bodies as well as our minds, we can learn techniques to counter the stress response and complete the stress cycle. This can be done through:
1. Movement
Exercise is ‘your first line of attack in the battle against burnout. Taking a brisk walk shortly, not only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension. Movement therapies such as yoga, tai chi, and qi gong combine fluid movements with deep breathing and mental focus, all of which can induce calm. Ideally, we would move for 20 to 60 minutes each day and not only when we feel stressed.
2. Breathing
Breathing is a very effective way of activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Deep, slow breaths down regulate the stress responseespecially when the exhalation is long and slow.
3. Social support
It’s suggested that people who enjoy close relationships with family and friends receive emotional support that indirectly helps to sustain them at times of chronic stress and crisis. even if you don’t have anyone close you can rely on at the moment, casual but friendly social interaction is the first external sign that the world is a safe place. So wish your barista a nice day after getting your coffee, offer a smile or a compliment to someone and this will send similar signs of safety to your brain.
4. Laughter
Laughing or crying are very effective ways of closing the stress cycle. Genuine laughter with friends is good for the souls and also helps strengthen relationships. Crying can be a very cathartic and relieving experience and not something we should apologize for or avoid (unless you feel you’re not in a safe space to express yourself).
5. Get creative
Do something creative, that gives you joy or you find meaning in it. Engaging in creative activities today leads to more energy, excitement, and enthusiasm tomorrow.
Remember, try to practice these steps routinely, not just when you are feeling stressed, to help you navigate those feelings more proactively in the future.
About Mana Living
Vera Powles is a biomedical scientist and founder of Mana Living, an online platform designed to help women take back control of their health, develop positive habits, and create a maintainable, healthy lifestyle.
Membership to Mana Living costs just £14 a month and more information is available at manaliving.co.uk/live-beautifully
Northern Insight readers can receive the first month of membership completely free by using code WELCOME100.