STRESSED AF! Now what?
Stress is the feeling of being under too much emotional and mental pressure which can, in turn, result in unpleasant physical symptoms.
You might already be familiar with a nagging tension in your shoulders, a rapid heartbeat and maybe even the feeling of having something heavy on your chest that’s stopping you from being able to breathe properly. These are only a few of the many consequences stress can have on our bodies. The alarming thing is, many people learn to live with it and accept it as something normal, not giving it the credit it’s due until it turns into something worse.
Stress doesn’t always have to be negative, and that’s why it’s important to learn the differences and what you can do to be able to cope and alleviate it.
FIGHT + FLIGHT
Stress is actually a natural response from our bodies to what our brains perceive as danger. Going back in our ancestral history, when men and women lived in caves and our primary goal in life was to survive, this simpler life required simple responses: to fight or to flee. And so, a set of hormones would rush through our bodies and prepare us physically and psychologically to react to these situations giving us the energy, the strength and the drive to either fight the threat or run away from it as fast as we could.
Nowadays, we’re not fighting predators and don’t necessarily need to hunt down our food. Instead, we spend 8h of our lives, on average, sitting in an office chair, looking at a computer screen. And even though, we live a lot safer lives overall, our responses to ‘danger’ are still very much the same, it’s our interpretation of it, or what we perceive as ‘danger’ that changes. The fight or flight response can happen at the sight of an imminent threat like seeing a big furry spider creeping up next to you, or a psychological one like giving a presentation at work. This perception of threat activates the sympathetic nervous system which triggers a release of hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands in our brain, creating an acute stress response. Some of the most common signs would be:
Rapid heartbeat – blood flow is directed to the heart to increase oxygen and energy
Trembling muscles – the muscles tense up to prepare for action, which can then result in shakiness and nervousness
Dilated pupils – allowing in more light so that we can better see our surroundings
Pale or flushed skin – the blood circulation changes as blood tends to flow to muscles and away from non-essential parts of the body
Acute stress responses can actually help you be better prepared to respond to high-pressure situations if you can recognise the signs and know how to prepare your body to be able to cope. Because when you notice your body becoming tense, you can look for ways to help you relax and stay calm.
Chronic stress, however, is the result of repeated exposure – whether in a short or long period of time – to high-pressure situations that are mentally and emotionally challenging. This can have a huge negative impact on our lives as, not only can it contribute to high blood pressure and physical changes that cause the risk of strokes and heart attacks, chronic stress can also change our brain in a way that results in anxiety, depression or even addiction.
5 things you can do that will instantly help you relax
Focus on your breathing
A stress response will result in shallow, rapid breathing, so take a moment here to focus on your breathing and take long, deep breaths. Make sure the exhale is longer than the inhale.Move your body
Whether that means spending an hour at the gym, or simply going up and down the stairs in your building for 2 minutes whilst you’re waiting to hop on to your next meeting. You might even want to take a small break and go for a little walk around the block – the important thing is that you move your body, to spend all that extra energy that has been building up to prepare you for your “fight or flight” moment.Ditch the coffee
You don’t need any more stimulants that will make your heart race even more, instead choose something that will help you stay calm like camomile tea or caffeine-free tea alternatives. If you really love the taste of coffee and you can’t go without it, opt for decaf instead.Reduce screen time
Especially just before you’re going to sleep. The gram can wait and you can catch up on everyone that’s #LivingTheirBestLife some other time, perhaps even IRL. Instead, try sitting or laying down for a moment to be still, mindfully – notice one thing you can hear, one thing you can feel and one thing you can see.Take time to focus on 1 thing you enjoy
No strings attached, just pure fun and enjoyment. We spend a great deal of our day working towards accomplishing something and forget to take time to do something that we love, often leaving us feeling tired and frustrated. Take some time for yourself, even if just 15 minutes a day, to do something without the need to excel at it. The goal is not to have a goal. Just fun.Hypnotherapy / Self-hypnosis
Melt your worries away in a wonderful, deep relaxation. This is a simple and extremely useful tool you can use at any time to help you release the stress you’ve been holding on to as well as limiting beliefs that are holding you back, restoring your energy and wellbeing.
Your FREE 15 min of relaxation
Take a moment to yourself and wind down with this hypnosis recording especially designed to help you release the stress and worries you’ve been holding on to and reprogram your mind to feel safe and calm.
“It takes great courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it”