There is no escaping stress. Global politics, office politics, health issues, family shenanigans and work uncertainties contribute to underlying stress levels.
Then occasionally, your body gets a top-up. Last week, my adrenaline and cortisol levels shot through the roof when one of my sons, living in Australia, was hospitalised after a surfing injury. He is recovering and will be out of the hospital this week - lucky to be walking.
I have felt bone-tired the last couple of days and it got me thinking about the effect of stress on the body.
Stress is magnificent for tuning the mind into focusing on survival - all else is put aside. However, when the gut-brain connection goes into overdrive, there are after-effects. Spikes in stress hormones cause symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain and heartburn. Sleep can also be affected. This can become a vicious circle, as you need sleep to repair and cope with the next day's challenges. Long-term stress can lead to depression and chronic health diseases.
We often look for pharmaceutical answers, but it’s possible to manage stress through techniques like belly breathing, relaxation therapy and meditation. Finding the time for these can be difficult, especially when everything is piling on top of you, but they do work from a physiological perspective.
Your body’s autonomic nervous system is made up of two parts:
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Your parasympathetic nervous system controls the body’s ability to relax, which is sometimes called the ‘rest and digest’ state. It helps maintain daily functions like resting heart rate, metabolism and resting bronchial constriction (which affects your breathing rate).
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Your sympathetic nervous system allows you to respond to danger by speeding up your heart rate, delivering more blood to areas of your body that need more oxygen and initiating other responses to help you survive.
The two states operate like a seesaw—yin and yang. When you have had a stressful time, slow, deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system and returns your body to a relaxed state. This will help to slow the heart rate, reduce anxiety and even lower blood pressure. Your body is being told that it is safe.
What I have found is that the more I practice breathing and calming techniques, the faster my body responds—it’s like I have had to teach myself to relearn the signals to relax.
Next week, I head to Australia for holiday. I can’t wait to give my son a big bear hug—although I won’t be squeezing him too hard! A significant stress event puts the minor stresses into perspective. The holidays will be a good chance to slow down and breathe deep.