If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or even a little chaotic and cannot focus, then this article is for you. If you are experiencing these symptoms and maybe others as well in response to an unsettling event (stressor), know that you can soften your stress response and foster a state of calm. When you’re stressed, here is what could happen:
It increases blood flow to the brain
You get emotional
Your eyes may dart around and you lose focus
You become forgetful (find it hard to access memories)
You experience a depressed immune response and poor digestive system.
On the flipside, when you’re calm:
You rise up to more challenges
You are more creative
You make better decisions
You approach life with optimism
Your physical wellbeing is enhanced from many facets.
Here are the steps to get to that calm: Understand your stress response Firstly let’s understand what ‘stress’ is so you can understand what’s going on in your body when you feel it: What is stress? There are many different things in life that can cause stress. Some of the main sources of stress include work, finances, relationships, parenting, and even small day-to-day events which don’t go your way. Stress can trigger the body’s response to a perceived threat or danger, known as the “fight-or-flight response”. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released. What this does is that it speeds up the heart rate, slows digestion, pushes blood flow to major muscle groups, and changes various other nervous functions, giving the body a burst of energy and strength. In a nutshell, when the perceived threat is gone, your systems are designed to return to normal function via the relaxation response. However, in cases of chronic stress, the relaxation response doesn't occur often enough, and being in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight can cause damage to the body. What fosters a state of calm
Rest & Sleep Rest plays a huge role in promoting an enduring sense of calm and wellbeing, yet it’s an area of resistance! Getting insufficient sleep impacts stress regulation, cognitive function, emotional regulation and physical health. Ideally, you should be getting around 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. If this is not possible, perhaps you could add in short daytime naps. Naps work best when taken early afternoon and capped at 30 minutes. This timing minimises the chances that your rest will impact your ability to fall asleep at night and keeps your sleep shallow so you can wake up feeling refreshed rather than groggy. Another option for daytime rest is to take up yoga nidra, a type of yogic sleep in which you retain mental awareness. Move Movement helps regulate your stress response as it connects you to your physical body. There is no rule with what you choose except to pick something you enjoy. You could do a high intensity movement activity such as HIIT (high intensity interval training) for a short burst of movement or slow, steady movements accompanied by slow, steady breaths to calm the nervous system. Breathing Exercises Breathing exercises can help you energise your whole being, helping you release negative energy, and even helping you increase levels of concentration. If you suffer from stress or anxiety, learning some simple breathing techniques can go a long way to helping you manage that stress and anxiety in a healthier manner. When you are stressed or anxious or nervous, you tend to hold your breath or breathe in a shallow way (breathing from the throat only) when the opposite would, in fact, give you an enormous amount of relief. Breathing influences both your physiology and your thought processes, including your moods. By simply taking the time to focus your attention on your breathing, you can move into a space of peace and relaxation. Deep breathing for stress and anxiety can help you in many ways, and the techniques are simple to use. When you can get into the habit of shifting your awareness to your breathing whenever you find yourself feeling anxious, you can eliminate stress and anxiety before it becomes something much worse. I will be sharing a FREE DOWNLOAD of some breathing techniques and tips you can try so keep an eye out for that this month. Prolong your state of calm I hope the facts and strategies in this article will help you to combat stress and cultivate a greater sense of calm. Although stress is inevitable, it can be manageable. When you understand the toll it takes on you and the steps to combat stress, you can take charge of your health and reduce the impact stress has on your life. One way to cope is to learn to recognise the signs of burnout. High levels of stress may place you at a high risk of burnout and burnout can leave you feeling exhausted and apathetic about your job. In my upcoming masterclasses in the Design Your Life With Self Mastery (DYLWSM) series, I will take you through overcoming self-sabotage as well as moving through burnout. We will of course do some breathing exercises to foster a sense of calm that is prolonged. If you would like to explore how we can work together to help you manage your stress response, rise to challenges and achieve goals with a greater sense of calm, you can book a private consultation. With love & calm, Natalie xo
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