UNRELENTING STRESS RESULTS IN THE SHUTDOWN OF YOUR BODY

When in the thick of stress we often forget about the long term damage it’s having on the function of our body. Whether this is stress from work, relationships, financial worries or health, when it continues for weeks on end, the reality is with each passing day the impact consolidates.

From a functional perspective, when we are under stress our body focusses on Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) actions. This is our ‘fight flight’ response to an emergency or danger, this can include control of your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, urination and sweating, among other functions.

In these situations, your sympathetic nervous system activates to speed up your heart rate, deliver more blood to areas of your body that need more oxygen or other responses to help your get out of danger.

Conversely, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), also known as ‘Rest & Digest’, is activated after a meal or in response to pleasure, and its physical effects are generally opposite those of the SNS reaction:

• Heart rate and respiration slow
• Blood pressure drops
• Intestinal activity increases
• Blood flow increases to the digestive tract
• Neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, which regulates muscle contractions, including cardiac muscle, are released
• Stress hormones decrease

We are all familiar with these two nervous systems and how they behave, however what we often forget is pre-longed activation of SNS, has considerable impact to our hormone balance. 

Read more about Adrenal Hormones here. Not only do our Adrenals come into pay, but so does out Thyroid function and our Female hormones. Read more about how stress impacts these hormone pathways by clicking the links above.

SYMPTOMS OF PROLONGED STRESS

Pretty much 100% of patients who walk through my door are in classic chronic SNS situations. Regardless if it’s a case of someone having IBS or someone struggling to lose weight, they all have chronic stress symptoms.

If you’re suffering from chronic stress, you might experience the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Decreased immunity : High cortisol from continuous SNS stimulation can suppress immune function, and an overactive SNS may shift the body’s immune balance to be susceptible to autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
• Sleep problems : stress can lead to poor sleep, which leads to more stress and more disruption of natural melatonin rhythms. Sleep problems are implicated in obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, impaired cognitive function, and more.
• Mood swings: Because of parasympathetic nerve action on the vagus nerve, an underactive PNS may contribute to mood imbalances. Also, the autonomic nervous system mediates inflammation and the immune response, both of which are implicated in depression, anxiety, and more.
• Food cravings
• Dizziness
• Digestive issues: An imbalance between the SNS and PNS has also been implicated in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gut issues.
• Weight gain: People who are obese have increased sympathetic nervous activity and elevated norepinephrine compared to those of healthy weight.

Chronic stress upsets the balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. Obviously if we could avoid the stress this would solve all our health issues, but most of us are stuck in a chronic stressful situation (perceived or not sometimes), and any opportunity we can to mitigate some of the imbalance the better.

MY 5 TIPS FOR STRESS

If you can do these every day, then you will certainly put a dint in the efforts to rectify some of the health issues caused by chronic stress. Often you do not realise the benefits they are having as they’re not necessarily flipping a switch so to speak. However, repeated use of these tips will build up to having a big impact on balancing your nervous system and hormones.

a. Yoga: No surprises here, Yoga saved me 10 yrs ago and it continues to save me daily.Yoga increases vagal activity by combining facets of exercise, meditation, and deep breathing.

b. Meditation: has been shown to increase PNS activity, decrease SNS activity, and improve heart rate variability. Often we skip meditation as it takes up time or we think we’re not good at it. 5mins is all you need to have a positive change. If you can make it 20mins, even better. Just close your eyes and listen to the air around you.

c. Aromatherapy: Again, no surprises here. It’s why I studied Yoga and developed my Chakra balancing range. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional centre of the brain.

d. Herbal Medicine: in Western Herbalism, we traditionally use two categories of herbs to support the nervous system: nervines and adaptogens. Nervines include herbs like valerian, chamomile, and passionflower. These herbs provide acute relief to nervous tension. Adaptogens are helpful when taken over time to build stamina and bring your body back into balance, so you can better protect your body from the negative effects of stress. Adaptogens were named after the Latin word adaptare—which means to adjust or modify.

e. Chiropractic: can increase vagal tone and reduce heart rate and inflammation. Having a father and a sister as Chiropractors, whilst handy, has shown me the benefits this has had on our family’s health since birth.

Yes there are much more than 5 things you can do daily in your life to address stress, such as relaxing exercise (walking), being in nature, listening to classical music, reading a book. Bring as many of these extra things into your life as possible to assist in balancing.

INNER ALCHEMY STRESS REMEDIES

I have you covered when it comes to aromatherapy and herbal remedies for stress. I use these daily during acute and chronic stress. You can use the handy Chakra Quiz to assist you in finding your ideal aromatherapy and herbal remedies or the following ones below are great for balancing stress responses.

• Mula Oil + Lotion: Meaning “root,” “base” or “foundation” in Sanskrit. This aromatherapy blend intends to help ground one-self, be back in touch with mother earth, disconnect from the day to day stress that takes away all our energy.
• Mula_T: this tea is packed full of adaptogenic, nervine, anxiolytic, circulatory stimulant herbs to assist in calming nervous system, stimulate digestion, support adrenals + ground you.
• Calm + Clear : this tea is packed full of nervine tonic, demulcent, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy herbs to assist in correcting nervous system (stress) + helping to protect and heal mucous membranes and skin. Will assist in blood sugar + blood pressure conditions + assist with appetite.
• Stresso: this herbal remedy is for Stress and anxiety related symptoms. Organically grown /wildcrafted tincture with Withania 2:1, California Poppy 1:2, Skullcap 1:2, Valerian 1:2.

Of course, I’m always here to provide more comprehensive stress support. Please reach out if you need my help.

Love and Wellness,

Carly