Stress & Down-Regulation
Stress … it can feel like a bit of an overused word can’t it? Or perhaps it’s just a bit misunderstood.
Stress in the body is not always a bad thing, but as with most things too much of it can cause a problem.
The good news is that I have just the thing to help (spoiler - it’s yoga!) but before that let’s learn a bit more about stress and it’s effects on the body shall we?
What is Stress?
The term stress refers to the physiological response that our body triggers in order to prepare us for situations that require extra focus or awareness. Acute stress is a short-lived experience so once the danger has passed the stress response generally dissipates. Chronic stress is a longer lasting situation and is usually rooted in circumstances beyond our control. With chronic stress we’ll experience the same responses as acute stress but because of the extended nature we don’t get a chance to recover which leads to the negative side effects that we associate with ‘being stressed’ (anxiety, depression, burnout, weakened immune system). And finally, Eustress is the positive stressor. It sharpens the senses and allows us to perform at our best - think race day adrenaline or pressure of competition!
Stress and the Nervous System
Now, excuse me for a minute but we just need to take a quick diversion via the nervous system, and it can get a bit ‘wordy’ so I’ve tried to keep it as brief as possible … here goes:
Your nervous system is made up of 2 differs parts:
Central Nervous System (CNS) - comprising of your brain and spinal cord & controls all VOLUNTARY movement
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) - deals with all the automatic functions of the body, comprised of 2 sub systems:
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) - the 'rest and digest' state, and the
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) - the 'fight or flight' state.
These 2 systems are designed work in harmony to keep the body in balance, however we often find that we can get 'stuck' in the SNS as the body has no way of differentiating between a sabre tooth tiger attack and an inbox full of unanswered emails. When we get ‘stuck’ in the SNS the body releases adrenaline and cortisol causing the heart rate to spike, muscles to tense and sleep disruption.
The good news is we can trigger a shift into the PNS with some really simple tools - including deep breathing, gentle movement & meditation!
Regulating the Nervous System:
The concept of up and down regulation is very important when we’re taking about the ‘fight or flight’ response.
Down-Regulation is when we return ourselves to a state of calm and relaxation, and Up-Regulation is when we activate the nervous system because we ‘need’ a little stress to achieve our goals.
So how do we ‘regulate’ the nervous system? Here are some tips:
Up Regulation:
move your body - walk briskly, lift weights, run … anything that gets the endorphins flowing!
listen to upbeat music - dance around, sing along, whatever it takes to shift your mood!
Sunlight - natural lights helps regulate your body’s natural rhythm & boost energy levels
caffeine - a good cup of coffee can help alertness BUT be mindful of your intake. Too much can tip the scales the wrong way and leave you feeling jittery and anxious.
Down Regulation:
move your body - gentle, soothing stretching & mindful movement help to soothe the nervous system. If you can also manage to connect the breath and movement together you’ll get even more of a relaxation response.
breathe - regular deep breathing is one of the quickest ways you can signal to the nervous system that everything is ok and that it can step back from that fight or flight response. Start with 3 deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, and repeat as many times as necessary to create a feeling of calm. Then, if you enjoy breath work you can explore different techniques such as alternate nostril breathing, or 4:4:4:4 breath.
guided relaxation & meditation - using your imagination to visualise a peaceful place can be really helpful when working on down regulating the nervous system. Not only does allow your mind to invoke a feeling of calm it also takes your focus away from whatever has spiked your stress levels to begin with. Meditation is slightly different as it focuses on letting go of thoughts and focusing on the present moment (and nothing else!)
listen to calming music - just as upbeat music can lift your mood, calming music can help to soothe an anxious mind. It can also help with the production of delta waves in the brain which are associated with deep sleep. I also love to listen to binaural beats, which are audio tones played at slightly different frequencies in each ear and help to encourage a more relaxed state.
So what next?
Now you (hopefully) understand stress and how it affects the body a little better you can come and explore the concept of Down-Regulation and learn some effective tools to help maintain a sense of balance mental and physically with my online yoga membership!! Each week I'll provide you with 3 different practices, and you’ll also have access to the entire back catalogue of over 150 different classes. Find out more here and don’t forget that you’re first 7 days are free so you can check it all out before you’re fully committed.
Love Gem xx