Stress and balancing the body to Feel Amazing
There’s certainly enough going on in the world to at least cause a sense of unease. While many of us are also dealing with day-to-day situations that can impact our health and wellbeing.
It can be easy to recognise signs of stress in the body, like tight muscles, the occasional headache, pain in the jaw from grinding teeth, or when we realise, we’ve been reaching for the snack foods that provide a bit of comfort in the short term.
While stress is relatively normal, ongoing stress and not looking after ourselves physically and mentally can lead to health issues that are harder to treat. No one wants to have to manage a sensitised nervous system, live with chronic pain, or have health problems that require regular doctor’s visits and treatments.
Today’s blog post will talk about stress, our nervous system and why balance is so important for our physical health and mental well-being.
Our previous blog posts are still available to read on what the stress response is, the role of cortisol, and how to naturally lower levels in your body.
We thought it was timely to remind you that we are here to help you to not only feel better but help prevent some of those more serious issues taking hold.
What is stress?
Stress in a natural part of life. The simplest things can trigger it too. Yet it’s not always a negative. Small amounts of stress can keep us alert and responsive, even keeping us on track to achieve goals and to meet the demands of daily life. However, when stress becomes constant and more ingrained, then something within us shifts.
What systems are involved in the body?
The autonomic nervous system is what regulates our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and digestion. Dysregulation can contribute to anxiety, digestive issues, high blood pressure, and research is suggesting even autoimmune conditions.
The nervous system acts as the control centre of your body. There are two main parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Both systems utilise hormones to help prepare us for what our brain perceives as our needs.
When you encounter a stressful situation, your sympathetic nervous system responds appropriately by helping you act. When it’s time to recover your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, helping your body to calm down and recover.
So, when the brain perceives a threat, it turns on the sympathetic nervous system which is also known as our “flight or fight” response. When this happens, you might feel your heart beating faster, you might start to sweat, you could have an upset stomach, your skin might go paler, and your breathing quickens.
This is why it’s important to have balance between these systems and do what we can to reset any dysregulation. Having this balance means your body is better able to respond appropriately to different situations, leading to better physical and mental health.
How do our bodies respond when we feel stressed?
Sometimes our bodies respond in an imbalanced way. A dysregulated nervous system means the body is stuck in an imbalanced state—either constantly in high alert (sympathetic dominance) or sluggish and disconnected (parasympathetic overdrive). Prolonged dysregulation may possibly contribute to chronic stress-related illnesses.
In stressful situations it’s easy to use a lot of energy and a natural feeling of reward can calm you down – this is when a boost of energy through healthy food is useful. But during chronic stress, research shows that the signals in the brain that derive pleasure from eating are reduced, instead the brain is continuously rewarded to eat. This is where many of us reach for comfort or sugary foods from the need to keep eating.
When stressed, our sleep can be also impacted. We’ve often mentioned the importance of sleep, and it continues to be a factor for good physical and mental health. One study showed that circadian rhythms even impact muscle recovery. So, it looks like we might need to write a future blog post just on sleep – let us know if that would be helpful!
How can you manage stress?
If you pay attention to your body, you can often recognise when this imbalance occurs and then respond with techniques that help guide you back to a more balanced state.
Some people find their body responds (helping regulate the nervous system) by feeling their feet on the earth (grounding), using a weighted blanket (activating the parasympathetic nervous system can help to naturally relax your body and calm your mind), connecting with nature, and getting adequate sleep to allow your nervous system to reset.
What can also help with stress?
Having a massage – touch can be a powerful tool for relaxation. A healing massage on the areas where stress is often stored, such as the neck, arms, shoulders, legs and feet, can provide release and a deep sense of relaxation.
Simple practices like deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and movement, can help restore balance and improve the impact of stress.
Even wrapping your arms around yourself for a hug can provide comfort and a sense of security.
These measures are more than just about reducing stress, it’s also a way to gain back a sense of control, allowing you to be more aware of your needs and thus meeting these imbalances with resiliency and a grounded sense of calm.
How can the team at Feel Amazing Chatswood help you with your stress?
We have a range of treatment options which can help you to feel less stressed and more amazing, these include:
- Remedial Massage – the easiest way to prioritise YOU, by setting aside an hour to slow down the pace of life, to have 1:1 undivided attention to release tight muscles, restore movement and calm your nervous system. The body’s feel-good hormones get released. Sleep can be improved. Healing can then take place. The benefits of massage are many.
- Chiropractic – when we hold stress in our bodies it can impact our posture, tighten up muscles which can restrict joints and lead to headaches, jaw problems and even gastrointestinal discomfort. Having a better functioning body can improve how our body moves, how you feel within yourself, and help reset these imbalances.
- Acupuncture – this ancient practice of TCM can help with stress and associated symptoms like brain fog, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. The treatment does this by increasing blood flow, improving neural connectivity, helping you to feel calm and relaxed, reducing tension and promoting relaxation throughout the body.
In conclusion, Feel Amazing Chatswood is here to support you to reduce the impact of stress and help that essential restoration in balance for health and wellness.
Bookings are available 7 days a week.