Each of your stress responses have a purpose – at least your body thinks so – and are beneficial to your overall wellbeing. However, if your body constantly moves back into a stress response, such as when you re-experience a childhood trauma, this pattern can keep you stuck and have a significant impact on your life in the present.
The best way to ‘outsmart’ yourself is to become aware. It’s not an easy task at all, but it’s one of the most effective ways to change the circumstances and direction of your life.
The key to reducing long-term stress-related impacts on your health and wellbeing is to practise the Relaxation Response, which can be found when you are in your green zone. The term Relaxation Response was popularised by Dr Herbert Benson in 1975. In his book The Relaxation Response he describes the opposite of the Fight or Flight response and the way the body returns to baseline after a stressful event. Dr Benson describes the Relaxation Response as a physical state of deep relaxation, which engages the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).
It is important to find what works for you and then to do it consistently. Consistency may be more important than intensity. For example, going for a walk on a frequent and regular basis for reasonable amounts of time will almost certainly be better than jogging as fast as you can once every few weeks. Genuine support from friends and family, and having someone you can truly talk to, can also be an effective chronic stress buster.
Also, be mindful of your external environment and begin to make choices that support your wellbeing. Who are the people you spend time with? What are the conversations you engage in? How do you choose to fill your time? How does your work and the environment you work in make you feel?
The Stress Management Planner can help you keep track of the stress factors in your life and how you tend to respond. It can also help you to choose tools and resources so you can manage your stress levels day-to-day more effectively. Good luck!
If you would like to learn more, join me for my next Body Soul Workshop | Release & Reset on Saturday, 11 May 2019 from 2:30-5:00pm. We will look at and release some of the patterns that stress can manifest in body and mind and reset both. This session will be of great benefit to anyone interested in learning more about how our mindset and patterns can keep us stuck and small.
For more details head here: http://www.qiyoga.net/events/body-soul-workshop-release-reset/.