Emotional Reslience Tools
Your Body
with Shireen Masani
Emotional Resilience: Part 4
Tools to Build Stress Resilience
Stress is part of life and if you have been following this blog series, you’ll know the body is geared up and even prioritises stress responses over growth, repair and fertility. I discussed some stress even being good for us, known as eustress. So why are we always hearing we need to reduce stress? This is because the type of stress we face now is very different to what our body’s were designed to deal with.
The more removed from our roots society has become, the more it is heavily investing in chronic and long term stress, from the number of hours we work, to cost of living, raising children in a society that lacks community, the growth in physical and chemical stressors and of course the way in which we talk to ourselves in our head whether that is hyper critical, judgemental, or just setting unrealistic expectations.
By actively taking stock of where our main stressors are from, building in techniques or activities that decompress some of the pressure they build up, we find ways to manage, adapt and become more resilient to stress. Now although this definitely applies to emotional stress, it might help reduce the stress load and in turn give more resilience to physical, chemical and environmental stressors, though it might be worth addressing those directly.
Below are a list of different techniques to improve your stress resilience:
Gratitude journaling - this can shift us from a negative bias mindset to a more positive one. When you find gratitude on those dark days, you begin to see life in a unique and special way, rather than focus on the multitude of challenges and difficulties, you find moments to connect with simple things that bring moments of joy. Regularly journalling is when the shifts become more powerful. My personal favourite is ‘The 5 Minute Journal’ which can be downloaded as an app on your phone or the book is available on amazon.
Be present - those of you with anxiety will be familiar with the concept that when we feel anxious and stressed we are either reflecting too much in the past (fear of repeating something, fear of having to live through it again etc.) or spending too much of our time thinking of the future (fear of not having the money needed for a bill, will I have a job next week, what is my behaviour doing to my child etc.) When we say a strong ‘NO’ to our minds drifting out of the present moment and bring our thoughts to the here and now, we channel our conscious mind. This state is where we have the most potential to make changes or choose how we wish to respond to these thoughts, worries or anxieties. I myself used to be a worrier, I learnt this from my mum and it was just part of my thought process. Just telling yourself not to worry is near impossible. What we can do though is ask ourselves, is there something I can be doing to resolve this worry? If there is, focus on that. If it is totally beyond what we can do, practice having faith when the path and process unravels, it will be in your best interest.
Other ways we can practice being present are:
Mindfulness - this is a buzzword which describes focussing so deeply on something in the here and now. It could be an item e.g flower in your garden, or whilst on a walk, studying a subject intensely using all our senses to engage on it. During this time it is important to purely focus only on this and not let your mind wonder. There are also meditations which you can follow that use this concept
Breath work - we breathe without any real thought, as we were designed to, however over the years our breathing has become more shallow, many people breathe through the mouth which is not the optimal way to breathe and signals stress to your body. I will cover this topic in further detail at a later date. Taking a minute to focus on breathing when stressed and your only focus being the rise and fall of your breath is a great way to begin conscious thinking.
Meditate - There are so many apps, podcasts, or videos online offering meditation. So many people try it and often they, love it, hate it or do not really feel any difference. So why is that? If people have complex health issues and even deep traumas, meditating can feel quite uncomfortable and even cause restlessness, anxiety or stress. If this is the case, I generally recommend working with a practitioner to resolve these reasons or try using a meditation whilst walking, gardening, washing up or cleaning as this can help reduce some of that frantic energy.
The benefits to meditating are endless, feeling calmer, more grounded, being more present, reduced anxiety, reduced physical symptoms like pain, inflammation and headaches. There are many reasons to this, however, one neurotransmitter responsible is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which is a chemical used by the nervous system which acts like a brake to calm the nervous system down. Some people have genetic predisposition to this chemical not working optimally and find their brains excessively racing between thoughts, things they need to do and struggle to stop, to think clearly. In meditation GABA levels increase allowing the mind to calm.
If you do not feel any benefits initially, try meditating regularly for at least 2 months, to see if you sense any change, or if those around you see a change in your stress levels. You can also try different types of meditation/relaxation; guided, metta, mindfulness, sound therapy, chanting, binaural beats or solfeggio frequencies. We are all different so play around with various options. You will find all these on YouTube, in phone apps, Spotify, Apple Music, or a quick search online.
Restorative activities - walking (especially in nature by water, in woodlands, nice scenery), yoga (restorative or Yin yoga), Tai Chi or Qi Gong. Though all forms of exercise these can be used to relax and also improve energy levels whilst reducing stress and inflammation in the body.
Movement - sitting down and vegetating is an easy habit to fall into as stress can be exhausting. Good ways to shift that feeling are by taking a walk, doing some stretches, exercise and gardening. Aim to move for at least a few minutes in every hour of your waking day, it is enough to keep inflammation levels down. Chronic inflammation is a common denominator of all chronic diseases.
Creativity - when we are learning a new skill or creating, we use a part of our brain that requires thinking in depth, taking our time, being present… In turn this stops the part of the brain firing off that stress response. We discussed it in an earlier post, how if we feel stressed and anxious we actually prioritise blood flow to the amygdala (quick thinking responses to stress that takes place for survival e.g. swerving to miss an accident) and blood flow is restricted to the prefrontal cortex (logical and rational decisions are made with more time to consider options). In time the amygdala becomes larger and the prefrontal cortex reduces in size. At this point it is more likely we become reactive thinkers, over reacting, feeling more stressed even when there is no threat and no matter how much we try, we struggle to think calmly in how to resolve issues and problem solve.
Sleep - Getting good quality and quantity of sleep is vital for good health and stable emotions. 7-8 hours is on average a good amount of sleep. The more regular your bedtime and wake up time is, the better your sleep quality will be too. Our sleep cycle relies on our circadian rhythm. The more habitual we are with routine like eating, work hours, rest, sleep, time outdoors, the better and more regulated our circadian rhythm is. The exception to this is during chronic ill health, this can have devastating effects for many reasons. Despite this, the more you aim to have set meal times, outdoor light, better sleep hygiene routines, dark and quiet rooms (even in the few hours up to sleeping) or wearing blue light blocking glasses, it gives the body the signals it needs.
Reconnect to nature - One of my favourite ways to destress is being in nature. Getting outdoors for a walk, camping, biking, water sports, cooking outdoors or even sitting outside so those who may struggle to be active, can reduce stress significantly.
I like to supercharge this by being barefoot outdoors as this allows us to properly ground and release ions that are adding to our oxidative stress load. Being in woodlands and doing this again rapidly increases the effect as the aromas the trees produce from their immune system actually activates ours and helps reduce inflammation, stress and increase natural killer cells which fight cancer and other pathogens.
Next week we will look at areas we might need to consider, that also effect our relationship with ourselves and others and how if we begin resolving some of these key areas, we begin to respect ourselves more, as do others. Often this shift breaks patterns of attracting the wrong types of partners and friends into our lives.
Shireen Masani D.M. Dip. M.sc mBANT CNHC N.T is a BANT and CNHC registered nutritional therapist. She has an extensive background in natural and holistic medicine. Her journey as a practitioner began in 1999 when she trained and gained her diploma in Remedial massage with the Association of Therapeutic Massage. Aware she could help her clients more by acquiring further knowledge and skills, she went on to gain diploma’s in Cranial Sacral Therapy, Manipulative Science, Applied Kinesiology, Emotional Freedom Technique, Wrist and Ankle Acupuncture, Energy Medicine (Reiki & Seichem) to a Master level.
After running a successful practice for several years, Shireen experienced her own debilitating health issues and spent many years on a journey to regain her health, after having been bed ridden for 7 years. This led to further training at the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Nutritional Therapy and later went on to study Live and Dry Blood Microscopy. Shireen has also completed training to an advanced level in Dr Klinghardt’s Autonomic Response Testing, Thought Field Therapy and Psych-Kinseology.
Alongside working with clients, Shireen is also a Clinical Supervisor for the College of Naturopathic Medicine and a mentor for Holistic Practitioners and Students.
Shireen believes everyone was born to reach their full potential supported by optimal health, emotional stability and a phenomenal mindset; determined in her practise to guide her clients to create the space to manifest a supportive lifestyle and environment. Through her clinic ‘Intrinsic Wellness,’ a business she created to help empower, educate, and reconnect her clients back to their deserved right to feel well - emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. By using a multi faceted approach Shireen has a unique insight and ability to be able to help clients with complex cases using her dynamic 360° outlook and helping to create harmony between the mind, body, spirit and environment.