7 Tips & Tools for Reducing Stress
Stress is not something we can avoid, but we can use techniques to manage it and not let it overwhelm our lives. It is important to know how your body translates stress, our body’s physiological response, and long term effects in order for you to begin the conscious effort of minimizing stress. Read more for some tangible ways to start reducing stress in your body today.
The stress response of our body is commonly known as the “fight, flight, or freeze” effect that happens through our sympathetic nervous system . Evolutionarily, our bodies developed a stress response as a survival instinct, protecting ourselves from any physical harm. In these scenarios, the brain sends hormonal signals to the rest of our body to focus solely on making glucose readily available to be poured out into our bloodstream.
In a stressful scenario:
Our brain sends hormonal signals to our adrenal glands
Adrenal glands will send out hormonal signals to the rest of our body:
Signal lungs to dilate
Signal liver to release glucose
Signal for increase heart rate
Increase blood pressure
Decrease digestive system activity
After, our brain eventually signals for glucose production to stop and decrease blood-glucose to normal levels.
Unfortunately, in our present society, most people live in a continuous stressed state, subsequently not allowing for these levels to decrease and stay continuously elevated. These continuous elevated blood glucose levels, aka hyperglycemia, can be the root cause of chronic illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease to name a few.
Since this is how most people live in today's world, there has been an increase in mental distress and chronic diseases stemming from our body’s physiological reaction to stress. The goal is to consciously reduce and manage our stress levels.
Here are 7 stress-reduction tools you can start implementing today:
Ditch dieting
Calorie restriction is perceived as a threat to our body. Starving the cells of energy to resume their daily routine will increase your body’s stress hormonal response.
Make peace with food and work with a non-diet dietitian!
Nourish your body
Include carbs as they help with serotonin release
Use convenience foods when you need them
Cook from home when you have the bandwidth
Turn off “fight or flight” mode by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to cultivate “rest & digest” state
Yawning
Singing / Humming
Use mindfulness techniques throughout the day
Create a wind-down routine when you get home from school or work. Give your nervous system a break and get out of your own head!
Do something you love – play video games, watch a favorite show, snuggle with your pet, read, call a friend/loved one
Get creative – cook/bake, play a musical instrument, sing, stretch, sketch/color, go for a drive, go to your favorite view spot
Get a good night's sleep
Check out our blog on sleep hygiene tips
Engage in joyful movement or gentle exercise that you really enjoy
Dancing, walking, gardening, sports, etc.
Today, our body interprets overwhelming, high-pressure, and/or trauma-induced life situations as stress. These can be meeting a deadline at work or school, moving in with your significant other, getting into a fight with a friend, not sleeping well, experiencing abuse or discrimination, and many more instances. Stress can also be self-induced when decisions are made to restrict, binge, purge, and/or use drugs. No matter what kind of stress, our body interprets these stimuli and reacts as if we were running or fighting for our lives.
We know everyone is under stress, but these damaging consequences will be more likely with the addition of dieting and a negative relationship with food. It is important to make sure that nutrition is not another aspect causing stress and to nourish your body, as well as using self-care tools (i.e. meditation, grounding, breathing). Stress can be hard to identify and talk about, but we encourage and find it could be helpful to bring this up during your one-on-one sessions with your dietitian.