Stress is an unavoidable part of everyday life, resulting from any change or situation you must cope with, both positive and negative. In fact, the body may react to the physical threat of danger in the same way it responds to the exhilaration of upcoming wedding or dream vacation. Sound strange? Well, not all stress is bad, but problems can arise when the amount of stress you experience over time exceeds your resources to cope. What’s important is to learning to recognize the signs of stress to respond in a healthy way so it doesn’t interfere with your life.
Your body notices stress long before your mind does. Think about the last time you felt stressed out. Did you notice any of these common feelings?
Your body notices stress long before your mind does. Think about the last time you felt stressed out. Did you notice any of these common feelings?
| Fatigue Muscle Tension Racing Heart Shakiness | Sweating Nail biting Dry Mouth Sleep problems | Heartburn Jitters Irritability Overeating or Loss of appetite |
Physiological changes during stress are truly remarkable. In fact, scientists call these reactions the “fight or flight response;” a series of biochemical changes in the body that prepare an individual to deal with threats or danger. Any problem we face, imagined or real, can cause the mind to signal an alarm that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to make changes in the body. Imagine a zebra standing in the sun, who suddenly notices a lion approaching. The zebra needs to react immediately to survive. His body must be in optimal shape for the burst of energy required to flee to safety. It is adaptive for the stress response to kick into gear so the zebra can survive.
Just like the zebra, our bodies react in the same way to threats and stressors: muscles tense, pupils become larger, hearing becomes more acute, blood surges to the brain and trunk and away from extremities. The body quickly gears up to peak efficiency to cope with the current threat and then, when the perceived crisis is over, the body returns to its normal state of functioning. Unfortunately, many of us live with so many repeated stressors that the body doesn’t always automatically calm down on its own. This is when chronic stress and burn out become a problem; the body wasn’t designed to linger too long in“fight or flight” mode.
Fortunately, the same signal that turns on fight or flight can also turn it off. Instead of maintaining the stress response, the relaxation response is naturally restorative. Metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure all return to their normal levels. Consider the fact that it is physically impossible to breath quickly and slowly at the same time. Stress and relaxation are simply not compatible. One response cannot exist simultaneously with the other. Training the mind and body to enter a state of relaxation, to invite the relaxation response, leads to a reduction in physiological symptoms and is the key to managing and reducing negative outcomes of stress.
Learning relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenics, meditation, imagery, and so on, provides the body with the steps to achieve the relaxation response. As with most skills, the more practice and experience you have, the easier it will become for you to tap into physiological and emotional. Stay tuned for upcoming posts with more information and examples of each of these techniques!
Fortunately, the same signal that turns on fight or flight can also turn it off. Instead of maintaining the stress response, the relaxation response is naturally restorative. Metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure all return to their normal levels. Consider the fact that it is physically impossible to breath quickly and slowly at the same time. Stress and relaxation are simply not compatible. One response cannot exist simultaneously with the other. Training the mind and body to enter a state of relaxation, to invite the relaxation response, leads to a reduction in physiological symptoms and is the key to managing and reducing negative outcomes of stress.
Learning relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenics, meditation, imagery, and so on, provides the body with the steps to achieve the relaxation response. As with most skills, the more practice and experience you have, the easier it will become for you to tap into physiological and emotional. Stay tuned for upcoming posts with more information and examples of each of these techniques!
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