Resolving Stress: A Guide to Healthier Living
Stress has become an accepted part of life as many of us constantly push our limits despite signs of illness, emotional struggles, mental strain, or even accidents. Yet stress need not be so prevalent. It’s a state that compromises our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing and can dramatically alter our life path and purpose.
A certain level of stress can be healthy, acting as a motivator when we rise to life’s challenges. However, when stress becomes chronic, it brings numerous health problems, affecting digestion, libido, fertility, mood, productivity, and overall physical wellbeing.
Impact of Stress on the Body and Mind
Stress weakens digestion by depleting the stomach’s digestive power, leading to issues such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea. Rushed, impulsive eating habits, along with cravings for sugar and fat, further harm digestion and contribute to malnourishment. Eating on the go or just before bed can also interfere with digestion, creating long-term digestive distress.
Stress disrupts libido and fertility by interfering with hormones essential for reproductive health. In women, chronic stress affects egg movement and vaginal lubrication, making sexual arousal and fertility more challenging. In men, stress can lead to issues like premature ejaculation and impotence.
The autonomic nervous system controls our body’s response to stress. When the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mode) is constantly activated, the body releases cortisol, a hormone that prepares us for extended stress. Prolonged cortisol production blocks hormones like serotonin and dopamine, impacting mental health and often leading to anxiety and depression. Excess cortisol disrupts bodily balance, causing issues such as weight gain, muscle weakness, mood swings, and high blood pressure.
The autonomic nervous system has three branches: the parasympathetic (rest and digest), sympathetic (fight, flight or freeze), and enteric (regulating digestion). The parasympathetic mode enables the body to relax and restore, while the enteric system relies on parasympathetic signals to function optimally. Chronic stress interrupts both, impacting digestion and overall bodily harmony.
How to Manage and Resolve Stress
Mindfulness and Somatic Awareness: Cultivate calm and inner peace through mindfulness practices. Tune into your body’s signals and reduce automatic stress reactions.
Seek Professional Support: Reach out to professionals like psychologists, massage therapists, or acupuncturists to help relax and release built-up tension.
Practice Intentional Eating: Take mealtime as a pause, focusing on your food and chewing slowly. Minimise multitasking during meals for better digestion.
Cultivate Slow, Restorative Sexual Expression: Slow down, connect with your partner, and focus on sensual, nurturing intimacy. Explore your own energy of desire before outwardly expressing it.
Include Restorative Exercise: Balance high-intensity workouts with activities like stretching, yoga, and grounding. Practices like Yin and restorative yoga rejuvenate the body and restore its energy reserves.
Breathwork: Techniques like abdominal breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and breath retention exercises can help manage stress levels. These practices stimulate the vagus nerve, which is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system and aids in relaxation.
Understanding how stress affects us helps us manage it effectively for a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. Taking time to release stress benefits our body, mind, and soul, helping us appreciate life’s moments with greater clarity and enjoyment.
