“From Frazzled to Focused: How to Conquer Stress”

It’s been a week hasn’t it? So many potential stressors: The crazy weather, summer travel delays, politics and the concern for our future and the future of our next generation.

So with that in mind I thought I would share an article I wrote for a big corporate presentation. It is good to revisit and remind ourselves that we do have agency on how we respond to situations. Even when it is hard. We need to take care of ourselves and in turn each other more than ever before!

I am proud myself today… The clerk at the post office was incredibly rude and unkind to me. Apparently I had put the TO: address in the wrong place on my package…. I started to notice those uncomfortable feelings rise in my GUT.. and instead of taking it quietly, which is my usual way or reacting back… I took a deep breath and quietly said “Why are you being so unkind to me?”

That stopped the clerk in her tracks and she immediately changed the way she spoke to me and proceeded to take care of the package. Stress averted for both of us! Yeah!!

“From Frazzled to Focused: How to Conquer Stress”

Life is full of things we call stressors. It is very unlikely that we are going to be able to run and hide from these and many other stressors. There is one key thing to remember about most if not all of life’s stressors; they will more than likely keep coming at us however:

The Key is to find the Harmony within… Tough to do in this fast pace life however so necessary.

YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER HOW YOU RESPOND!

First a few words about what is happening to our body when we are in a stressful situation.
The stress response is designed to keep us alive in dangerous situations. It is called fight or flight. When the body detects a stimulus there is a direct visceral response via the nervous system. You know it when your heart begins to race, your blood pressure rises, you have cotton mouth, sweaty palms, a flushed face, tight muscles etc… The stress response also shuts down the systems it does not need to run or fight, or worse freeze… like digestion, immunity, sex drive etc. The stress response is an excellent strategy by the body to protect itself from harm and necessary for survival however the system was never designed to be under chronic stress.

Life is full of things we call stressors. They can range from challenges of our jobs, our relationships, our family circumstances, school, commutes, our health, the environment needs of others for which we feel responsible and on and on. There is one key thing to remember about most if not all of life’s stressors; they will more than likely keep coming at us however:

THE BODY AND THE BRAIN REMEBERS STRESS AND TRAUMA

 The stress response has a strong emotional and behavioral component too.  The brain remembers stress and you become hyper vigilant to the environment that has caused you stress in the past.  Just thinking about an event or past trauma can cause a stress response. Stress also shuts down logical behavior because it does not need logic to fight or run, instead we need the survival instinct. Stress also sharpens signal detection at the cost of concentration.  A stressed person is often easily distracted.

Many of today’s health problems stem from chronic stress.  Our body simply can’t keep up with the overload thus leading to weight gain especially around the hips, tummy and thighs, irritability, anger, sleep problems, digestive issues, headaches, depression decreased sex drive and increased aging and down the road autoimmune issues and more.

Sound familiar? Now that you know what is happening in your body here are some things you can do about it.

The first step you can take in managing stress is to be aware of it when it’s happening by understanding your own body and paying attention to the information it is providing you. If you can become attuned to your bodily signals of stress you may be able to break the cycle before it starts to take control.

Top 10 Preventative Measures to go from Frazzled to Focused

Before you read the list and start feeling overwhelmed, I am going to suggest that you build slowly on what “Good for you things” you are already doing, celebrate them and then slowly make steps towards adding in more measures.

1. Eat healthy nutritious whole food. Provide your body with good fuel. Keep Blood Sugar Stable!
2. Get regular exercise, it will help you avoid stress, or at least handle it and it may make you feel stronger and better about yourself.
3. Cultivate warm positive friendships. Community is so important and must be nourished.
4. Have a spiritual component to your life whether it is organized religion or just the way you connect yourself to something beyond yourself. Meditate if you know how or learn how.
5. Enjoy your career of find a way to change it.
6. Take BREAKS as often as you can. Recharging frequently is important even if it is a weekend getaway. The body and the brain need balance.
7. Be positive, after all if you think you can or think you can’t you are probably right. I think you can choose good inner dialogue with yourself.
8. Prioritize… don’t try to be everything to everybody. What is important to the long term.
9. Forgive yourself often, nobody’s perfect.
10. Thank others often it feels good.

There are a few more things you can do on a regular basis but start with the list above and you will be surprised at the positive results. Now what to do in the moment!

Top 10 Stress Busters

1. Listen to your body and notice the signs.
2. Ask yourself why you are feeling this way and see the situation beyond just you. Also focus on the moment and try not to worry and try to control the future.
3. Start with the old fashioned remedy of taking a deep breath called the Physiological Sigh and count to 10, then reevaluate the situation.
4. Walk away. Change state, take a walk and get some air. Ask what is True!
5. Write about the event in your journal. Many times when we write about something it brings clarity.
6. Keep a squeeze ball or something similar around so you can focus your energy outside of your body while you regroup.
7. Take a quick few moments to close your eyes .. let it go or meditate.
8. Get some exercise if you can. A short burst can be helpful.
9. Designate a word that you can use any time you feel stress to trigger that you need to do some of the things above. ” I am OK and I am Strong “
10. Put the current event in perspective. How big a deal will it be 5 years from now?

If you can, remember a few of these things you have a much better chance of managing the stressful environment we all live in today.

Remember it’s how you respond to the events, action, words, life that comes at you, not the events words and life itself. Last but not least not all stress is bad a little stress is good. It is call Hormesis and if you would like to learn more here is a link to that post.

I hope you enjoyed this article.  We need to take care of ourselves and in turn each other more than ever before!

Have a Heathy Week

Dr Pia