Its time to tackle Pillar 4 in our 5 Pillars of health series!
Pillar 1: Sleep - Sleep is your superhero.
Pillar 2: Nutrition - Fuel your body with what make you feel your best
Pillar 3: Movement - Movement is medicine.
Pillar 4: Stress Management - Stress is the silent killer
Pillar 5: Community - Spoiler alert...this is my favorite pillar
Stress is the silent killer. Constant low level stress causes more deadly disease than anything else we have talked about. The reality is, you can't change what happens to you in the world sometimes but you can change how you react to it.
I hope reading this newsletter doesn't stress you out!
Working on the mind is just as important as the body. There's also a huge amount of overlap between stress and the other 4 pillars of health. The more you move, the less stress you have. The better you eat, the better you can handle stressful events. The better your sleep is, the less likely you will be to scream obscenities at someone who cuts you off in traffic!
Stress, although sometimes helpful in short bursts, can wreak havoc on our bodies when it becomes chronic. It's like a false alarm constantly blaring, triggering a cascade of changes across various systems, leading to both physical and mental consequences.
Here's how stress affects our bodies:
Fight-or-Flight Response:
When facing a stressful situation, our hypothalamus activates the fight-or-flight response. This ancient survival mechanism pumps out hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, preparing us for immediate action:
- Heart rate and blood pressure increase, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to muscles.
- Breathing quickens, bringing in more oxygen to meet increased demand.
- Blood sugar rises, providing readily available energy.
- Digestion slows down, non-essential functions are put on hold for immediate survival.
Long-Term Effects:
Constant exposure to these stress hormones, as in chronic stress, takes a toll:
- Cardiovascular strain: High blood pressure and heart rate increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
- Weakened immune system: Stress hormones hinder the immune system's ability to fight off infections and diseases.
- Digestive issues: Chronic stress can lead to ulcers, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Muscle tension and headaches: Stress hormones can cause muscle tension and headaches, leading to chronic pain.
- Sleep disturbances: Stress can disrupt sleep patterns, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Mental health issues: Chronic stress can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
Here's how you can start improving your stress.
- MINDFUL MEDITATION. I am not good at meditating. The only form I've been able to stick with is mindfulness meditation. In this form, the focus is typically on breathing. Focusing on breathing allows us to work toward clearing our mind of much of the clutter that lives there on a daily basis. The research on mediation is also irrefutable. It has been shown to be one of the most protective things you can do for your brain and nervous system. It's basically like weight training for the brain. If you want to be sharp as a tack when you're 90, start meditating today. Our favorite apps to get started with this is called Abide, Head Space and Calm.
- WORK ON BREATHING. This really can go hand in hand with mediation. Breathing is a big component of mediation but can be worked on independently. The first place we start with many of our clients is a simple box breathing drill. It's 5 minutes of a 5 second inhale through the nose, 5 second pause, 5 second exhale through the mouth and a 5 second pause. Just this simple drill once a day can provide massive help with our ability to manage stress in our lives. Breathing taps into the nervous system in a very unique way. Just think about when your kids get upset. Get them to take a couple deep breaths and all of a sudden they're much more calm.
- MOVE. This brings it full circle. We honestly believe that movement is medicine. Movement is so healthy for your mind. Just step out into nature for a hike or trail run. Your body just feels better and your mind does as well. Engineer movement like walking, sports or workouts into your week purposefully. That movement stimulates the brain in a very healthy way that we all need more of.
Lastly, if you are feeling overwhelmed and struggling to get your stress levels under control, seek professional help. We know some amazing counselors and therapists in our community that can help you through a difficult season. Just reach out and we will point you in the right direction.
As we will talk about next week, we are aren't meant to live life alone. So reach out for help and encouragement!
Take a deep breath....
Doc Shawn