Stress solutions

April is Stress Awareness month, and when barely a day goes by without a sense of worry, stress, pressure or anxiety at the moment, I felt this was a timely topic to write about.

We have evolved to exist primarily in the ‘thrive, rest and digest’ state, but we are being exposed to constant stressors. Our bodies cannot cope with long-term, chronic, micro-doses of stress, constantly putting us in the ‘fight or flight’ state. 

The barrage of information we receive, the environmental, physical, emotional and dietary loads on our body, and the pace of life we now lead is not conducive to a long, healthy and content life.

There are 8 main effects of chronic stress on the body:

1. Increases whole-body inflammation

2. Biggest hormone disruptor (cortisol ‘steals’ all other hormones)

   • Infertility, irregular periods, early menopause, PMS

3. Wipes out gut microbiome, causes IBS, constipation and diarrhoea

4. Lowers immunity and increases risk of auto-immune conditions

5. Increases risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes

6. Increases insulin resistance leading to obesity

7. Insomnia

8. Mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression

I would also add a 9th effect:

1. The more stress you experience, the more sensitive to new stressors you become

As you can see, stress is not simply tense shoulders, headaches or a grumbly tummy, it is a whole-body, physical and mental, experience.

We must therefore learn how to actively manage stress, build time into the day, and prioritise stress busting solutions.

The body cannot coexist in its thrive state and in its fight/flight state, they are on opposite ends of a see-saw. When the fight/flight is activated, the thrive (rest/digest) is suppressed.

There are many ways to stimulate the thrive state and suppress the fight/flight, but for most people it takes a conscious decision and diarised action.

I have created a table for my Womo women’s health courses, and I will share it with you here.  It covers many ways to support your body into relaxation mode and enable it to fully rest, digest and thrive.

I suggest picking one activity from each column and committing to doing it daily.

Some suggested ways to manage stress.

If you’d like any more clarification on these activities or help managing your stress, please do get in touch.

The next Womo course runs in June in the evenings, and we cover many ways to improve your pelvic health, including, nutrition, hormones, stress and of course exercise. Please go to the website for all the details!

Emma Wightman
www.the-sop.com