Welcome back, dear friends, to the second installment of our stress reduction blog series! I hope you found the first post insightful and empowering as you embarked on your journey towards stress-free living. In this blog post, I’ll dive even deeper, uncovering the transformative path that leads to lasting freedom from the grips of stress. Get ready to experience a profound shift in your spirit, soul, and body as we explore some of the strategies and principles that will revolutionize your well-being.
Let’s take account of some of the ways stress may have impacted our every day lives. Stress has a way of leaving deep imprints on our spirit, soul, and body, affecting our thoughts, emotions, and physical health. It’s important to take a closer look at the impact, because it will give us the needed motivation to embrace the work it will take to bring about lasting change.
By intentionally building awareness about your personal internal and external stressors you have already started bringing some relief to your stress. It may seem so simple, but just recognizing and naming that stress and the clarity this brings, helps with your overall stress reduction. Now I would like to draw your attention to some of the ways your stress affects your physical body, your soul and your spirit.
Look at this graphic of the impact stress has on each part of you and take a moment to jot down the things you notice in your own life. Are you surprised at any of the things you see?
Depending on which area you are most aware of, you can use these signs as a flag to alert you that you need to bring some attention to your system. I help clients become aware of these and lead them into regulation exercises which will bring instant relief even if the source will take a little bit longer to work on.
The reason I want to draw your attention to the impact stress is having on you is because when you realize how much it is costing you, investing time to reduce the stress will become more appealing.
What is your stress costing you?
- Missed work?
- Expensive and frequent Doctor’s visits?
- Accidents?
- Premature aging?
- Substance abuse?
- Long list of drugs?
- Deteriorating relationships?
- What else would you add to this list?
The infographic below shows how many physical issues are related to stress, but according to this infographic, the solutions that are given are not helping address the root of the problem. Instead you might be prescribed sleeping aids, acid blockers, blood pressure medication, antidepressants, immunosuppressants, etc. as well as drugs to counteract any negative side effects of the first drug. I would love to have a pill for all that ails me as much as the next person. It would be so convenient. This is not a post to debate the right or wrong of taking prescription drugs. I am merely trying to raise awareness to the fact that these things don’t solve the problem, they help manage the symptoms. I am assuming, since you are reading this blog, that you are interested in something a bit deeper.
If you have not gone to a doctor for help with symptoms brought on by stress, you might be familiar with self-medicating: Coffee, sugar, convenience food, alcohol, excessive screen time, shopping, working non-stop, drugs, etc.
While all these things may bring temporary relief, the tragic reality is that these further increase cortisol production in the body.
The good news is that we have more control over stress than we think. Science has studied and validated simple solutions to take back control. One effective way to do that is to become aware of the stress in real time, while it is happening and handle it in the moment. You can do this with a simple 1-minute exercise. I like to describe it as a stress neutralizing, or hole-plugging exercise. It won’t fix the deeper root cause, but it will stop the draining in the moment and is helpful to stop the prolonged time spent getting depleted. We will go deeper into solutions, but think of this like your first-aid tool.
I created a guided video for you so you can play it when you notice you need to get back to neutral. This exercise, if done regularly can increase your heart rate variability, a marker that is low in people with any range of diseases and disorders. This quick exercise reduces the wear and tear on your nervous system and facilitates your body’s regenerative processes.
Much has been written about the vagus nerve and what exercises to do to bring the body into a regulated state. It is fascinating work. I am very passionate about using the science to help us understand why we should do things that the Bible has told us all along to do. This neutralizing exercise is modified from a technique that has been used to measure heart rate variability and harmonizing the various systems of the body. I encourage you to do it any time you notice symptoms of stress in your day and pay attention to how it helps balance you.
Checking in with God as soon as you realize you’re activated, as many times a day as you notice, is a wonderful and quick way to start taking back some control and tapping into that safety we have with God that settles our nervous system.
I congratulate you for taking these steps towards lasting stress transformation! Simply by taking the time to learn a new tool, you are making progress! As you implement this tool, you’ll begin to reclaim energy and resilience. I encourage you to stay connected and share your experiences on this transformative path. I am here to support you, answer your questions, and provide guidance every step of the way.
Remember, stress does have to rule you. You have the power to take charge of your story and live a life of peace, purpose, and joy. Together, let’s continue this journey towards wholeness and healing.
Stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts where we’ll explore more in-depth topics related to stress reduction and overall well-being. I’m excited to continue this incredible journey with you!
