Building Resiliency – 7 ways to handle stress during challenging times

I am almost 100% certain that you have been stressed (and possibly to the max) in the past month.  So what do we do about it?  We all know that bottling it up is not healthy.  We need to be dealing with our stress in a healthy manner, but what does that look like.  And what does that look like when our normal stress outlets are no longer available – maybe going to Target without the kids (!!) going to the gym, or going to dinner with friends.  We are currently faced with an extended period of stress and grief and uncertainty – of wanting things to return to normal yet wanting things to be different. 

Not all stress is bad though.  We need a certain amount of stress and strain for our muscles to grow, for us to learn new ideas and concepts, and this good stress or eustress is a part of how we flourish.  It’s when we live in that chronic stressed out adrenal fatigue where the negative effects of stress can destroy our bodies. 

So I’ve listed 7 ways you can build your adaptability to stress. (And a few bonus ideas at the end) To help you harness the resiliency that your body has for dealing with stressful situations.  To help keep these challenging times from turning into chronic stress.  And it’s not surprise here that chiropractic care is #1 on my list! 

Chiropractic care - Regular chiropractic adjustments can help balance the nervous system.  Yes, the nervous system is complex, but simply put, the brain controls all the functions of the body.  The brain and spinal cord make up your central nervous system.  The nerves exiting the spinal cord make up your peripheral nervous system which is then divided into 3 parts: the somatic (think motor control), enteric (think gut brain connection), and autonomic (think fight or flight vs. rest and digest).  The autonomic nervous system is crucial in regulating the stress response of our body.  If you perceive a situation to be stressful, then your pupils dilate, your heart rate increases, your breathing increases, and you begin to sweat.  This is all part of the sympathetic (fight or flight) response.  In contrast, when you are calm and relaxed, the parasympathetic part of your nervous system is in control and your breathing and heart rate are slower.   Did you know that the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the nervous system can not function at the same time…….and that vertebral subluxations in the form of misaligned vertebra putting pressure on nerves can affect the overall function of the autonomic nervous system?   In a review article, it was noted that chiropractic adjustments help to reduce and/or correct vertebral subluxations and can help balance the function of the parasympathetic and sympathetic parts of the nervous system. 

Exercise and sunshine – Exercise reduces stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol while also stimulating the production of endorphins which are the body’s natural pain killers and mood elevators.  As you may know, my exercise of choice is running, but the good thing about these mood lifting molecules…..they aren’t released only during running – you can walk, play, tennis, hike, lift weights, etc and get the same benefit.  If you want to really increase the stress reducing hormones (and facilitate your immune function at the same time) exercise outside!  A study in Environmental Science and Technology found that just 5 minutes outdoors can do wonders for mental well-being, and that exercising outdoors helps produce a better mood than exercising indoors.   

Breathing – You have the innate ability to calm yourself down in times of stress, and it’s all tied to your breath.  Now, as we’ve gotten older, we adopt a more shallow breathing pattern that stays high up in the chest and more in the shoulders.  But taking deep breaths is actually more efficient when it comes to supplying your body with oxygen.  Deep breathing can also slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress.  There are lots of ways to practice proper deep breathing, but I have 3 that I use on a regular basis – in times of stress. 

I personally like breathing in for a count of 4 and out for 6. 

I also do what is called box breathing – breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, and hold for 4: repeat.

Crocodile breathing: Lie on your stomach, with your forehead on your hands.  Breathe into your stomach, and feel it push against the ground.  You might even feel your low back raise slightly and your obliques expand outward. 

Just 5 minutes a day of focused breathing can help you find that inner calm. 

Meditation – The art of mediation can help you harness the power of sitting in silence, the power of being present, and help bring you to a more calm and relaxed state of mind.   If the thought of sitting in silence and trying to clear your mind brings you stress – I get it.  Just like with breathing, 5 minutes a day of pausing can lead to change and lasting results.  In a mindfulness meditation study, “Research has shown that those who practice meditation regularly begin to experience changes in their response to stress that allow them to recover from stressful situations more easily and experience less stress from the challenges they face in their everyday lives.” You can focus on your breathing, repeat a mantra, or focus on clearing out the thoughts that come in your head.  You can sit or lay down.  There’s no right or wrong.  And there are apps and websites like Headspace that offer great ways to get started. 

Yoga – Yoga is a way to help relieve stress and it can incorporate exercise, meditation, and breath work!  Our bodies can store trauma, and there is muscle memory when it comes to previous traumas that we have suffered.  When dealing with stressful situations, those traumas can resurface in the form of muscle tension, aches, and pains.  For an indepth look into how traumas are stored in the body, I highly recommend the book The Body Keeps the Score.  For ways to have some stress relief, I highly recommend some local yoga classes.  Lots of them are offering online classes now which is a great way to see if it’s something you’d like to try in person.  There’s hot yoga, pilates, vinyasa, and more!  Some worth checking out is the local Backbends and Brews, Yoga with Adriene, and there’s even yoga classes for kids.

Essential oils - Our sense of smell is so powerful and is directly translated to a primitive part of our brain called the limbic system.  This part of the brain can influence emotions and memories.  It would make sense then, that using aromatherapy and essential oils can affect our emotions and help induce a more relaxed state of being.  A study out of Iran found that women who were experiencing anxiety during labor had a reduced level of anxiety, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate when exposed to an essential oil of orange peel!  The Serenity and Balance and yoga collection from doTERRA are some of my favorites. 

Journaling – Starting a gratitude journal can be an impactful way to change your perception and help you embrace stress.  It also doesn’t take much to start one.  One simple way is to jot down 5 things in the morning and 5 things in the evening for which you are grateful for.  It can be as simple as you’re grateful for hot coffee in the morning, or more emotive such as being thankful for specific people in your life.  I even wrote an entire blog dedicated to having an attitude of gratitude 😊

BONUS thoughts to consider……because a lot of the stress we are dealing with now can stem from our feelings of a lack of control……here’s just a few extra things you have control over!!

·         How much water you drink…….are you getting ½ your body weight in ounces everyday??

·         Doing the next right thing……yes having a plan is wonderful, but sometimes, just focusing on what you can do in the here and now and staying present is all that matters.

·         How much information you are absorbing…….check in with yourself…….does what you read and watch and interact with bring you anxiety (social media, news, even friends and family)……then take a pause from it……you have every right to set boundaries……because you my friend, are in charge of your own happiness.

My hope for you is that you are able to incorporate some of these strategies and that you adapt to your stressors and build resiliency.  So let’s chat about what works for you next time you’re in for your adjustment 😊

~Dr. Shannon