De-stress

What is stress really?

Stress is some kind of pressure. It's a change in your natural state.

There are three forms of stress: mental, physical, and chemical. All three forms can be positive when we need them. The problem is when they become chronic.

The next few paragraphs may seem to be more than you need to know, but they will give a foundation to understanding the process of stress and the dangers of not reducing it if you if you have a lot of it.

We all have an autonomic nervous system. Its purpose is to regulate involuntary processes of the body such as heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, digestive system, breathing, and more. We don't have to think about these things, they are automatic with the autonomic nervous system.

There are three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, but here, we'll talk about two of them: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The third one is the enteric nervous system.

When a situation stresses you, your brain perceives this and tells your body to release several hormones. This is your sympathetic nervous system in action. Some of these hormones are adrenaline, cortisol, glucocorticoids, and prolactin.

These hormones work together to activate or suppress specific physical functions in your body that will help you resolve a problem or get out of a situation by giving you extra energy, strength, and focus.

Extra strength - You've probably heard the story, whether it's true or not, of the mother lifting a car off her baby.
Extra focus - Maybe you have a deadline to meet, and you feel stressed about getting a project done on time.
Extra energy - Maybe you're walking in the woods and notice a bear coming at you. Do you shoot it or do you run? Fight or flight?

These are situations for which your body was designed to have stress. There are times you need that extra burst of energy, strength, and focus, which is the purpose of your sympathetic nervous system.

The SNS sets off your fight or flight response. It can literally save your life.

You can see why stress is much needed in emergency situations. The way it works is that it suppresses some functions that are not as needed in the given situation so that your body can use more of its resources for energy, strength, and focusing.

When your SNS is activated you will have a higher heart rate and blood pressure, but a less active digestive system. You need more blood and oxygen in your muscles for strength, but your body isn't concerned with digesting your lunch when you're running from a bear.

We want to be in the parasympathetic state most of the time. This is the calm and peaceful state, a.k.a. rest and digest state. It's the state of healing and regeneration. Digestion resumes. It brings your heart rate back to normal after a stressful situation and normalizes your blood pressure. The PNS undoes what the work of the SNS.

So, what happens if we have ongoing stress, if we are stuck in the sympathetic state? We could have long term stressors such as an abusive relationship, a high-pressure job, the death of a loved one, financial problems. For some, life in general is stressful. Others seem to never really be stressed.

We all handle stress differently. For those of us who have chronic stress, we can do things to reduce it. And we must.

Being chronically stressed keeps us in the sympathetic state, the state that raises blood pressure and decreases other important functions.

Stress hormones consistently running through your system will eventually take a toll on your body.

Chronic stress can cause:

* High blood pressure
* Hair loss, shedding
* Poor digestion
* Sore muscles
* Poor sleep
*Exhaustion
* Weight gain
* Bowel problems
* Immune suppression
* Muscle tension, soreness
* Activation of dormant viruses

You may have chronic stress if you experience one or more of these, but there are things you can do to reduce stress in your body.

While we may be able to eliminate a few things that cause stress, it's good to know how to reduce the stress we experience. Most of us will always have some kind of stress that's hard to shake off.

First, I'll mention some easy ways to bring down your stress a level or two, maybe more, but be sure to read further down because there I will talk about stimulating your vagus nerve. The vagus nerve controls your parasympathetic nervous system, so the more you can stimulate the vagus nerve, the more you can put your body in the calm, peaceful, rest and digest mode. Over time, stimulating the vagus nerve may strengthen it to work more efficiently on its own.

Salt Bath - salt baths are known to relieve muscle soreness and tension. Epsom salt, sea salt, and Himalayan pink salt, along with others can be nourishing for the skin, detoxifying, as well as relaxing. Using candles for the lighting for an even more relaxed experience.

Presence - be present in the moment. Connect emotionally with those around you, including pets. Don't dwell in the past or worry about the future. Live in the here and now. Be anxious for nothing.

Forgive - Let go of guilt and shame. If you're guilty, ask God for forgiveness and forgive yourself. A psychologist said eighty percent of his patients would be emotionally well if they would forgive themselves. Think of who has caused you the most emotional pain. Forgive them. Living with eternal regret and unforgiveness will take a toll on your body.

Laugh - you've probably heard "laughter is the best medicine." Laughter is truly good for the soul. Watch a comedy show, find funny videos, or best of all, spend time with friends who make you laugh.

Exercise - regular exercise, even just walking, not only lowers stress hormones, it also helps release serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine. These natural chemicals produce positive feelings of happiness, pleasure, and well-being.

Scents - use soothing essential oils or candles to stimulate the nervous system. You can use a diffuser for the oils or simply put a few drops in a bowl of hot water, put a towel over your head and breathe in the steam. You can even just smell the scent when you take off the lid or put a few drops on a cotton ball. Some of the best scents for calming are lavender, frankincense, and chamomile.

Massage - a good massage can greatly reduce stress. Using relaxing oils such as lavender, chamomile, or ginger make the experience even better. Not only is the scent relaxing, but using oil helps the hands to glide smoothly over the skin and reach deeper into the muscles.

Sound - calming music and nature sounds can be quite effective in reducing stress. Your mind has a powerful effect on your body. Researchers at Stanford University say that it seems that music can be as powerful as medication in changing brain function. Very relaxing music can be found in Celtic, Native American, and Classical music. Relaxing nature sounds such as rain, thunder, waterfall, and jungle sounds can be so relaxing they put you to sleep. You can download an app with nature sounds.

Supplements - many supplements can do as good of a job or better than medications without the risk of addiction and other side effects. Keep in mind that some supplements don't give immediate relief because they are not chemicals that stop natural functions to suppress symptoms, rather, they work to restore natural functions to make the body right. They should be taken on a consistent basis and give them at least 2 to 4 weeks to work. Some of the best stress reducing supplements are Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Motherwort, Lion's Mane Mushroom, and a B Vitamin Complex. One highly stressful situation can deplete you of your B vitamins. So, if you live with lots of stress you most likely need to be supplementing with B vitamins, anyway.

Nature - connecting with nature, walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach while breathing in fresh air and being in the sun will bring down stress. If you can't be outdoors much bring the outdoors inside. Consider getting plants for your home or office. Plants that do well indoors are Monstera deliciosa, Spider plants, Hoya, ZZ plant, Ficus Alii tree, Aralia Fabian tree, and the super easy to take care of Air plant. It literally lives off the moister in the air; no need for soil or watering. You can get creative with Air plant holders. Many other plants do well indoors.

The Vagus Nerve

As I said earlier, the vagus nerve controls the parasympathetic nervous system. The PNS is responsible for the rest and digest response. The PNS undoes the work of the sympathetic nervous system after a stressful situation by bringing the heart rate, respiration, and other functions back to normal.

The vagus nerve is the tenth and largest cranial nerve. It runs from the brain stem, down the neck, through the organs, and down to the intestines and branches off in many directions. It sends messages from the brain to the organs, and from the organs to the brain.

If the vagus nerve is weak it may not activate the PNS properly when a stressful situation is over, leaving the body in the sympathetic state. This means your body will function as though it's still under stress, and actually the vagus nerve itself is stressed. It's a physical stress, but stress, never the less.

There are many ways to reduce stress, but one of the most effective ways I've heard of is stimulating the vagus nerve since it's the vagus nerve that controls the PNS.

Stimulating the Vagus Nerve to Reduce Stress

Stimulating the vagus nerve sends the message to the PNS that it's time to relax. I will share a few ways you can do this.

Diaphragmatic breathing is very effective. Do this by taking slow, deep breaths in a way that your belly will rise with each breath instead of your chest. Try inhaling through your nose for four or five seconds, hold it for two or three seconds, then purse your lips as you exhale for eight to ten seconds. You may start feeling relaxed after just one minute, but try doing it for at least 5 minutes. Ten is even better. It may seem difficult at first, but you will get better with practice.

The vagus nerve runs alongside the larynx, or voice box. So, another way to stimulate the vagus nerve is to hum or gargle while using your voice. The vibration will stimulate the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve also branches out to the skin of the outer ear. Because of this you can stimulate your vagus nerve by massaging certain areas of your ears. One spot is the concha, which is the cuplike area just before going into the inner ear. Put your finger there and move it in circular motions. The idea is to move the skin around. Also, slide your finger up to the smaller area called the cymba concha and do the same. Another good area is the skin directly behind your ears. Put two fingers there and move them in circular motions, then up, down, and toward the back of your head. Again, the idea is to move the skin around. This is so effective that you can buy small vibrating devices made just for this, but you can do it yourself with your own fingers. You also can hold your ears and pull them in different directions to stimulate the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve runs down both sides of the neck, but on the left side it is deeper in the neck. On the right side it runs along the carotid artery. While this is an easy way to get to the vagus nerve you must be careful to not put much pressure there because the carotid artery delivers blood to your brain. Definitely do not put constant pressure on it. Having said that, you can stimulate the vagus nerve by rolling a ball back and forth across your neck from ear to ear.

You can also use a small hand-held vibrating massager and glide it across your neck. Putting a little oil on it will make this easier so you don't pull the skin.

Prevent and Correct Vagal Nerve Damage

A common cause of damage to the vagus nerve is poor posture. Slouching with the shoulders drawn inward and forward head carriage stretches the vagus nerve. It also causes it to have a bend where it shouldn't have one. This causes the nerve to weaken and not be as effective at delivering information. The further forward the head is, the more weight and pressure, and the more stress there is on the vagus nerve.

The average weight of a head is 10 to 12 pounds. Depending on the extent of the forward head carriage there could be enough pressure that equals 30 or 40 pounds. This puts tremendous pressure on the upper spine and the vagus nerve. This can create many health problems.

If you usually slouch it's important to try to stop. Looking down at a phone for hours a day or have a desk job where you must look down causes a strain on the neck. Maybe you can somehow raise the computer so you're not always looking down.

You may be older and feel that this is a fixed posture for you. If this is the case for you I would suggest seeing a good chiropractor that takes X-rays and understands the vagus nerve. That is where you can get the most help.

There are also things you may be able to do yourself to improve forward head carriage and the position of the vagus nerve. Lying on your belly with your elbows propped up and resting your head on your hands like you may have done as a kid watching TV while lying on the floor can help to reverse some of the damage. Doing this for 10 minutes a day will help.

Something else you can do from a standing or sitting position, stand or sit as straight up as you can, then hold your arms out from you sides then sort of bounce them to the back.

Also, try pulling your head back to the normal position as close as you can without causing pain. If you need to you can put two fingers on your chin and push your head back.

Getting as much pressure off of your neck and upper spine as you can will help the vagus nerve and reduce physical stress, which is as harmful as mental stress.

Getting Well

Stress is toxic to the body and can lead to all sorts of illnesses if it is out of hand because it upsets so many processes in the body. The good news is you can tame it, but you must take action. You will feel better, sleep better, possibly ward off diseases, and be happier in general.