Raise your hand if you have stress??!!
I do! I do! I do!
Stress Response
The stress-response is a normal reply to the tough-stuff of life. Our bodies are made to react to stressful situations by releasing certain hormones like cortisol, and adrenaline, which get us ready to activate with an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. You've likely heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response, which is an activation of our sympathetic nervous system. In ‘normal’ or acute, emergency situations, like say, reacting to a runaway car, these hormones have us quickly diving out of the way! Once the threat has subsided, hormone levels reduce and we return to a state of equilibrium and move onward in our day.
Continuous Fight or Flight Mode
But what happens if we are always in low to medium grade 'fight-or-flight-mode'? I'm sure you've felt the stress of worry about paying bills, constant bombardment of cell phones, TV, noise, deadlines at work, travel, comparison, trying to keep up, negative self-talk, cleaning, paperwork, all day and all night? This is chronic stress- where stress-related hormones are at low-medium activation, all-the-time.
Negative Effects of Chronic Stress
Some of the negative effects of chronic stress are: increased inflammation of blood vessel, with increased work of the heart and lungs, high blood sugar levels, heartburn, stomach ulcers, diarrhea or constipation, and an overall taxing of the central nervous system, along with brain troubles like, depression, amyloid production and anxiety.
This chronic level of disruption leads to potential disease development from system-wide over-stimulation.
So, how do we reduce this over-stimulation and combat the constant burden on our bodies, minds and spirits, especially because we are all so unique?
We try different approaches to calm our chaotic system to help us regenerate and repair.
De-Stress Breathing
De-Stress breathing techniques are a simple way to begin your exposure to stress-reduction tools and they can be done anywhere, any time.
Discover Your Breath
To discover your breath, sit or lay comfortably.
Begin to breathe, notice the air as it goes in and out of your mouth and/or nose, trying not to control the rate, rhythm or depth- just notice it.
Can you feel any sensations? Is it cool on the insides of your nostrils? Does it tickle? Do you notice your chest or your tummy rising and falling? Do you tend to breathe from your nose, or your mouth, or a little of both?
Remember, no judgement at all, just developing an awareness of something that we tend not to notice, since we trust it to just happen.
Once your breathing becomes even, try counting in your mind. Count 1, as you breathe in, count 2 as you breathe out, continue until you reach 10.
4-7-8
Sit or lay comfortably.
Exhale completely then, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale for a count of 8.
Repeat the whole cycle 3 times, for a total of 4 complete cycles.
Explore with the speed of your counting, notice how the different pace of counting might change how you feel.
Abdominal Breathing
For abdominal breathing, sit or lay comfortably.
Place one hand on your belly above your navel.
Exhale completely, as you inhale try to gently puff out your abdomen, allowing your hand to rise about one inch.
Pause for two seconds.
Exhale and let your belly flatten.
Practice this for 3 more times for a total of 4 full cycles.
Try alternating the speed of your breath and the expansion and flattening of your abdomen, notice how your body and mind feel.
These are just a few ideas to get your going! If you'd like to learn more about meditation and awareness practices, take a look at a Meditation 101 from Blue Monarch Health.
Try One or Two!
Try one or two over the next week and leave us a comment explaining how it goes! Plus, feel free to share this blog with your friends and family who have trouble resting.
We'd love to partner with you to help you define your personal lifestyle strategies to prevent brain and body diseases. Click Let's Talk to leave us a message!
Nicole Vienneau (said like piano with a 'V') MSN, RN, NC-BC is a registered Nurse, board certified Nurse Coach, personal trainer & group fitness instructor, & founder of Blue Monarch Health who specializes in helping patients & clients discover their power & wisdom to enhance their health & wholeness & prevent disease. When she's not coaching clients, she loves being in nature, relaxing with her cats or traveling with her awesome husband.