Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea. ~Frederick Saunders

I often hear others say:

“Man this stress is killing me!”

“If I just didn’t have all this stress in my life, I’d be fine”

“I’m so stressed out, I can’t get anything done”

“Everyone else is stressing me out!”

Why we stress…

Stress is a natural reaction our body has to a threat or challenge in our life. Our body, particularly the sympathetic nervous system, begins to produce hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline to activate our senses telling us we need to “fight” or “flight.” You know when it happens, your heart starts to beat faster, your muscles begin to tense us, you feel sweaty, and more alert.

The stress response gives us strength and endurance (that is why athletes produce adrenalin) to escape a potentially dangerous event. Evolutionarily this automatic response has saved our lives. If a bear was about to attack us and our body didn’t give us any signals to get outta there we’d be eaten alive.

Of course, we aren’t being attacked by bears much in today’s society, but we do have challenging events and difficult experiences so here we are with all this cortisol and adrenaline running throughout bodies as soon as a stressful event occurs.

With that being said it does not stress that’s killing us, it’s what we do with that stress that is killing us.

Common unhealthy ways we use to avoid stress…

Overeat

Oversleep

Act out in anger

Neglect loved ones

Become reckless with money

Smoke/drink

Ignore it

Take pills

Procrastinate

These are common because society sends us the message that these will “make us feel better,” and ya I agree, they sure can make us feel great, for the moment that is. Stress will catch up with us. Let’s talk about some ways to face stress head on, get to the root of it, and prevent it from living the life we love.

Healthy ways to face stress head on…

1. Breathe

Simple as it sounds, oxygen actually dissipates the excess cortisol running through our system.

2. Listen to music

Music triggers an emotional state in us depending on what memory or sensation we attach to it. Try listening to music that is soothing and peaceful for you.

3. Laugher

Spend time with people who bring joy and humor into your life. Laughter is contagious!

4. Roll it out

Stress gets lodged deep into our fascia which turns into rough scar tissue welcoming pain and disease to the body. Pick up a foam roller at your local sports store, your body will thank you.

5. Seek touch

Snuggle up with a loved one, practice gentle massage, or just hold hands. Allow yourself to feel good.

6. Aromatherapy

Calm your nerves by adding a few drops of lavender or lemon balm to your bath water or pillow case. Essential oils have proven healing qualities to them.

7. Be Natural

Get in touch with nature; feel the grass between your toes, pick flowers, or breathe fresh air. Nature is very soothing and can defuse tension.

The reason these techniques are effective is in part because they keep us in the present moment. They allow us to focus on what happening now rather keep us ruminating on recent, stressful events. If we can practice these regularly, even when we aren’t feeling stressed, we begin to activate our parasympathetic nervous system which counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system (remember that’s the flight or flight response) because its job is to create homeostasis in the body. So we’ll be better equipped to face stress when it comes up rather than trying to avoid it.

What techniques do you use to reduce, prevent and cope with stress? Share your insights by joining the conversation in the comment section below.

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