Releasing the Stress Response

The fact that stress is a leading contributor to many illnesses is well known and documented. Even if you do not understand the process in terms of hormones, cortisol and inflammation outlined by theories of homeostasis, you know that stress and poor health go hand in hand. The pathways is the stress response- which refers to a series of physical reactions in our bodies-designed to keep us safe,which in modern society seem to have turned on us. There is an evolutionary reason for the stress reaction process- the first humans came into contact with serious danger in the form of predators and other life-threatening situations that required quick responses, commonly referred to as “fight or flight.” This means our bodies would respond to danger through physiological changes intended to prepare for physical defense or to run like heck to get away! Within seconds of the danger the brain sends the signal to start the stress response. This process includes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure due to a surge of adrenaline and cortisol to prepare the muscles for action; hyper vigilance increases which fine-tune’s alertness, hearing and vision,the hairs on the arms and body rise, to help heighten the senses in case that predator gets sneaky. The cells start the inflammatory process and release blood clotting agents;this helps ensure quicker healing and recovery from any injuries that may be sustained during an attack.

Some bodily functions also come to a halt, like digestion, higher order thinking and immune system functions because the energy used by these systems needs to be used for other much needed defenses.  Our bodies are great at prioritizing! The body says: “forget higher order thinking, breaking down and categorizing nutrients in the belly and activating the immune system- there’s a huge mountain lion after you! The body quickly absorbs the sugar (needed for your muscles), stores the fat and throws away the rest, including all the vitamins and minerals that take time to absorb. It knows that digestion will have to wait or else you’re soon to be digested! Besides, the fat will sustain you if you end up running away so far that you lose your food supply for a while.

Part of the beauty of the human body is how it’s designed to protect and repair with the goal of keeping us alive and well. But what about today, where most of us are not chased by mountain lions, bears or spears on a daily basis,has our stress response changed? Nope, it’s still the same, reacting to our daily stressors as if they were lions, which isfine when you need to either fight or flight, but what about when you are stressed about work, school, money? The kind of stress that is not short-lived. This stress is referred to as chronic, and there’s even a name for it, “chronic stress syndrome,” characterized by inflammation, high blood pressure and a long list of other disorders it accompanies. Chronic stress is like a hungry lion chasing you for days, months, years; he keeps you on your toes, hyper-vigilantand ready to run or be attacked…. inevitably. In the meantime, your diligent body is trying to protect you by suppressing your immune system, limiting your thought processes, interrupting proper food digestion and raisingyour blood pressure-for months or years, until it feels the danger is gone. It doesn’t know that your life is not in danger when you are stressed about your money, work or relationships; it’s faithfully protecting you until you get to, “safety.” In the meantime your body remains out of balance, functioning with limitations, leading to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, asthma, eczema, arthritis, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and all the many diseases linked to inflammation. This is why it is so important to identify and find ways to release stress. For some meditation, visualization and deep breathing are effective. For others, exercise, therapy or a combination of tools can work. Whatever stress relieving path you choose is better than attempting none at all.

Is all stress bad? No, it a vital tool used to protect us and our young. We all remember the story of the mother lifting a car to save her child, right? In that case the shift in body functions was appropriate and effective. Even at work, in physical activities or in life- there are temporary crisis modes, where you are called into action and you need your focus and hyper-vigilance to get you through. In some ways stress can be productive; athletes stress their bodies to achieve more strength and endurance. Stress may motivate us to think or act quickly when we must. The key toremember is that stress can be healthy and beneficial whenit’s short in duration and therefore, doesn’t interrupt or alter other essential bodily functions for long periods of time.Remember the perfection of your body, and how hard it’s been and is still working on your behalf, it needs to know when it is ok to relax and release.

Here’s some more information on stress and your health:

http://www.womentowomen.com/inflammation/causes.aspx

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/04/01/lifetime-traumatic-stress-linked-to-heightened-inflammation/36790.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120329171601.htm

And here are some resources for relaxation and the anti- inflammatory diet:

http://www.mindtools.com/stress/RelaxationTechniques/IntroPage.htm

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml

Things We Hold on to.....

The importance of forgiveness is discussed in just about every religious doctrine, every spiritual leader, tells us that this is necessary to achieve closeness with God or our own spiritual wholeness. “Forgive us our trespasses- as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Yes, I went to Catholic school for 12 years of my life, and I remember this part of the Lord’s Prayer so vividly since I’ve mouthed these words hundreds of thousands of times. However, I never really paid them much attention, since their true meaning likely went way over my head. When I was angry at a friend, or my own mother, when planning my retaliation against whomever I felt wronged by, I never thought about forgiving their trespasses. In fact the only trespasses I wanted forgiven were mine. Not that I was a vengeful child, I just held on to things, tidbits, and tokens, and unknowingly anger, hurt and resentment. I wasn’t even aware that some of the “things,” I was hoarding were eating away at me, stunting my growth and potential and allowing me to stay emotionally in the past-emotionally stuck at the age I was when I felt wronged. You see, you can’t hold on to negative feelings like anger, hurt and resentment without staying in and wallowing in that hurt. You have to actively conjure up the memory of the negative acts or situations in order to keep that hurt alive.

Agent of Change

We cannot change the world! This is the mindset and mantra of so many people. Most of them do not see that we can and we do every day; with every act we create a chain of events for the betterment or detriment of the world. How do we measure change? Is it in weight gain or loss in test scores or finances? Is it the eradication of poverty and hunger? What would happen if we lifted the limitations of our scales we chose to measure change? Could it free us to see real change happening all around us?

 

My personal and professional goals are one in the same. I have come to realize as I have left my twenties behind that I want a career that I can make my life’s work. I would love to be able to contribute to or create positive change in the lives of others, because it makes a positive change in mypersonal development. I have come to understand and totally accept my role as a fellow human, and instrument of social change. I used to believe that I made a series of mistakes in my life, by not deciding on a career path by the time I graduated college. Now I see that I had to experience life and take it all in, in order for me to understand what I truly want to do, and accept that I am still not done. I vow to never be done transforming and learning until I take my last breath. My life experiences have caused me to realize my social change potential including the realization that I can have a positive effect on a person, a community and therefore change the world!