What is Stress and How to Find Relief
Feeling relaxed, grounded, and energized makes us better enjoy our lives, from our career and kids to hobbies and social life. However, stressful situations seem to appear at every corner. Due to the negative impact of chronic stress, we must understand what stress is, our sources of stress, and how to reduce and manage stress.
You may have heard of the infamous “fight-or-flight” response. After a stressful or scary situation (like running from a robber), the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) activates and sets off a cascade of chemicals that change how your body functions.
Cortisol is known as the “Stress Hormone” because of the integral role it plays in this stress response. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys. It is what gets you up in the morning and how your body deals with stress. Your body needs to function correctly, but you only need small amounts of it.
Today, we are under too much stress, which taxes our adrenals, leading to chronic fatigue and inflammation. An article, “Life Event, Stress, and Illness,” from the National Institutes of Health, states, “chronic stress has a significant effect on the immune system that ultimately manifests an illness.” People often are so normalized to stress that they do not realize the trauma it is creating within the body.
So what does cortisol do exactly?
Cortisol increases glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream: With an increased amount of glucose in the bloodstream comes an increase in insulin. This hormone helps regulate glucose. It is also the key that opens the door to store glucose as fat in the body. Chronic stress may lead to weight gain and inability to lose weight, and an imbalance in blood sugar and hypoglycemia.
Cortisol sends blood to your extremities and decreases the digestive system’s function: If you need to “flight,” you would want all that blood going to your legs, but most of the time, we are not in emanate danger. Over 70% of your immune system is located in your gut, so a decrease in function will create digestive distress and have detrimental effects on your susceptibility to illness.
Cortisol keeps you awake: If you are in danger, being tired would not serve you. However, an overactive stress response may lead to sleep disturbances such as waking up in the middle of the night or not being able to fall asleep.
Cortisol affects blood pressure: Cortisol raises blood pressure.
Although one may not have understood the exact details of how cortisol interacts in the body, we certainly can feel it in our bodies and minds. An increase in stress may lead to anxiety, depression, indigestion, insomnia, and appetite loss. Simply put, stress makes us feel like crap.
At Advanced Wellness, we seek to help pull you out of the “fight-or-flight” state and move you forward to greater levels of health.
Often, people only consider dietary or exercise changes they need to make to achieve their health goals. However, it doesn’t matter how much kale you eat if you are constantly in “fight-or-flight.” With a focus on stress reduction, you will naturally make better choices for your health and wellbeing.
Establish what may be causing the most stress in your life and how you react to it by keeping a journal documenting your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. You can do this throughout the day or in the evening as a nightly recap.
So how do you change these stress patterns? You can train the nervous system not to get stuck in the stress pathways. Here are some tips.
Drink plenty of water!
I recommend drinking 8-12oz ounces of water in the morning (before your cup of coffee)
As a general rule, you should aim to drink between half an ounce and one ounce of water per pound you weigh every day.
Breathe
Before you respond or reply to something, take one or two deep belly breaths.
Meditation
If you are just starting a daily meditation practice, five minutes of focusing on your breath will reduce stress and increase overall well-being.
I am a big fan of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s meditations and his book, “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself.” He has his origins in Chiropractic. Attending one of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s meditation retreats has helped me stay motivated and focused on my work and personal life.
Whether you’re just getting started or an experienced meditator, I recommend attending the meditation on Twin Hearts every Tuesday at 7 PM via zoom. It is also known as the meditation for planetary peace and focuses on opening the heart and sending healing energy to the planet.
Supplements for stress relief
Field of Flowers, DSF formula, and Formula 303
Find each of these supplements in the Stress Relief Bundle
Find a healing therapy that works for you.
We have a range of synergistic therapies that can reduce your stress, most notably Cymatherapy. Using a specific six-week Cymatherapy™ protocol can help re-train the body and mind to better handle stress and its impact on total health.
Intentional movement
Sometimes, feeling like you have to work out can create stress. Focus on the good feeling you get from movement, whether it’s going for a walk in the neighborhood or some gentle yoga after work.
Throughout the day, it is ideal to move your body between 20-30 minutes. This could be in one 30 minute session or five minutes throughout the day!
Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractic works on all the structural, chemical, and emotional aspects of the person by resetting the nervous system. It can immediately take you out of fight-or-flight.
Keep in mind; you do not have to do everything all at once. Pick one or two things that resonate with you to get started. Let’s get you out of that “fight-or-flight” state and into “rest-and-digest,” where you can get work done while enjoying life to the fullest.