Stress and Your Body
Stress can influence our health in both subtle and profound ways. Most commonly, people associate stress with high blood pressure or headaches, but did you know it can also impact sleep, energy, cognitive function, anxiety, digestion, menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and more?
I ask each of my patients about their current stressors, as well as past stressors they may have been dealing with at the time of onset of their symptoms (even with chronic health issues) as I have found we can often find this to be playing a role in how they are feeling on a daily basis.
Stress does not only stem from financial and family worries - it can come from mental, emotional, physical, or environmental sources. Losing a job is a stressor, but so is being under-slept, under-hydrated, or living in a house containing mould.
While there may be stressors that are outside your control, if you begin to focus on the ones that are within your control your body will be better able to handle the former. Examples of stressors within your control include:
Prioritizing restful sleep
Eating nourishing foods each day (ideally on a schedule)
Making time to move your body; even if only 10 minutes daily
Being well hydrated with water and herbal teas
Limiting caffeine intake
Limiting your time on social media
Making habit of deep breathing and active relaxation are easy to incorporate and calming to your nervous system:
Deep breathing - right down into your abdomen. Inhale through your nose, drawing air deep into your belly, then exhale slowly. Repeat 2 more times. A great time to think of this is when you are in a state of waiting - waiting for the kettle to boil, the traffic light to change, or in a store line-up. Be sure to draw air deep into your belly; breathing only into your chest / ribs keeps your body in 'fight or flight' mode, whereas drawing air deeper has a more calming effect on your body.
Active relaxation - such as meditation or yoga. While sitting and watching TV may feel like you are ‘unplugging’ at the end of the day it is not the same as actively disengaging from external stimuli. The breathing exercise mentioned above is a form of relaxation, especially if you continue it for several minutes.
While there are many supplements out there that can support the body’s stress response, seldom are they adequate to make a long term difference. To truly prevent burnout during times of stress, and to recover sufficiently, you need to explore all aspects of your health, your habits, and create a plan for your whole body. Taking supplements without making lifestyle changes is tantamount to fixing a leaky pipe with a mop - you temporarily clean up the mess but don’t actually address the problem. To fully support your body, consider working with a naturopathic doctor (ND) - this is what we do every day!
