The following is a guest post by Lisa at Well Grounded Life.
In modern society we hardly take notice of all the ways external stresses of life become internalized.
If we live like a country with vulnerable borders, we are unprotected against what flows into our inner lives from the outer world. Guarding our inner house is essential to experiencing calm and true health.
But how can we do that when we live in a chronic stress state?
Here are 4 covert ways that chronic stress permeates our lives and ways we can seal the border to prevent it from seeping in.
1. What we eat
Our physiology, biochemistry and psychology are deeply interconnected. Food not only gives us calories, but it also carries messages.
A stress metabolism requires fast and simple energy, which we give it in refined, sugary, quickly digested foods.
In this way, when we eat highly refined, sugary foods– the message is sent to our body that we are in a stress state and to remain in a stress metabolism.
And when we nourish ourselves with nutrient dense foods, proper healthy fats and quality proteins, our cells recognize that as calm state foods and encourage our body and mind to shift accordingly.
2. How we eat
Digestion actually begins in the brain. Before it hits our tongue a whole cascade of chemicals is produced to begin the digestion engine and prepare for proper breakdown and assimilation.
When you eat mindlessly, while multitasking and in a frazzled state of mind, your digestive process is sluggish and results in poor uptake, indigestion and improper elimination.
By taking a moment to pay attention to the food you eat in a calm, aware manner, you are calming your digestion and stoking your metabolism, which allows your body to properly use the nutrients to nourish your body.
3. How we breathe
In our lungs there are sensors both in the higher and lower lobes.
Most of us spend our whole day breathing short and shallow breaths, and our breath hits the stress sensors that are located at the upper parts of our lungs. It means experience chronic stress all day long.
Conversely when we breathe deeply, we trigger the lower sensors which are connected to our calm response.
Practicing a few minutes of deep breathing a couple times a day is a very effective strategy for remaining in a calm state all day long.
4. The way we think
Negative thoughts, complaining, and stressful core beliefs are insidious. They grow like weeds and run wild in our mind through our days.
The most dangerous element is that we do not fully realize their power. Our thoughts and words are like the rudders of our ship … they determine the direction our lives are heading.
Have you ever noticed the whole energy shift of a person who is truly reaching a higher level of health and well being in their lives?
Whether it is sustained weight loss, renewed energy, happier moods, less overwhelm, or increased vibrancy…women who have broken through to a new level radiate a different quality.
They speak differently, act differently, hold themselves differently, think differently. Their whole aura has shifted.
When we allow ourselves to be stuck in a negative thought pattern, we internalize life as chronically stressful, and it emanates to how we experience health on every level.
The truth is that all the part of ourselves are deeply connected.
- What drains you of energy is connected to the stress you feel.
- The extra weight you can’t seem to lose is connected to the sugar cravings you battle.
- Your feelings of overwhelm are related to the mood swings you endure.
The only way to elevate one area of your life is to care for all the areas of your well being … and by doing it in a way that fits you personally and within the life you lead.
If you are ready to move into a new level of health and well being, I would love to share with you an online program that is beginning soon, called Designed for Wellness.
Week by week you’ll learn tools and strategies that fit you personally so you can bring about real change in your life.
You get the fundamentals of excellent health down by understanding what your body needs and how to best feed it and care for it, and you do this in a rich community of like-minded women who are there to grow, learn, and get healthier along with you.
If you’d like more information please check out the course page here. I’d love for you to join us this September for a life-changing 12 weeks together.
Great article! I had never thought about these four elements in this way.
I would add a fifth way covert stress sneaks into our lives — the way we consume media. We are over-exposed to media, meaning we’re constantly stimulated with video games, TV, audio, etc… Can I just say here how much I hate the constant barrage of TV noise everywhere from the airports to the doctor’s waiting rooms to restaurants to elevators — I even saw a TV screen showing ads at the gas pump!! All this outside stimuli puts us in a stress mode. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of a little peace and quiet — great for kids AND adults. :)
Thanks again.
Yes, Lain– I totally agree!! Silence is so essential for our soul care– and for our stress resiliency. We were just not made to fend off constant stimulation all the time. Great point!
Lisa, I love the way you’ve brought all this together. These parts are all truly interconnected.
As a creative person, I’m so often aware of how all the different physical and emotional elements of my life come together in a kind of positive or negative synergy when I’m working on a creative project.
If I’m not eating well or taking care of myself, I have more stress and less energy and time to do the work I really care about. It’s hard to care for just one thing if the others are not in alignment.
Great instruction. I want to be more mindful of all four. I never thought about food introducing stress in that way.
Amazing how stress in our environment is often an expression of the stress within us. Stress in our children is often a reflection of the stress within us.
I like this approach of tackling stress at the core.
“Have you ever noticed the whole energy shift of a person who is truly reaching a higher level of health and well being in their lives? ” This is an amazing transformation to witness or to feel within you. I love how beautifully you expressed it!
Alex– Yes, I absolutely agree– becoming immersed in a creative process really brings forward how all the parts of ourselves are connected…and how important taking care of our body and mind is to expressing who we are creatively and spiritually is!
Vince- It was pretty mind opening for me as well when the deep connection to food and stress became clear– understand the biochemical WHY our mental health and nutrition is interconnected really helps to see the patterns we set for ourselves in the choices we make everyday.
Joseph– Couldn’t agree more. I can really tell when my reaction to my children is simply creating in them a stress response. It’s sobering to say the least.
Wendy– Thank you. It is an amazing thing to experience, isn’t it!
Hi Lisa,
Wonderfully put and so true. Like Lain, I feel that the noise that surrounds us can be extremely stressful and I particuarly believe in taking small ‘silent’ breaks to reflect. That alone helps to reduce stress and makes me more aware.
Also, I like how you’ve described negative thoughts, complaining and stressful core beliefs. Often, one doesn’t realize that these actually send out more negativity and increase the feelings of sadness and mental exhaustion.
Great post, Lisa. Thank you for sharing it.
I can attest that these things can make a huge impact on your stress level!
I recently had a major mental meltdown and have had to learn to control the outside and inside factors contributing to it.
This sounds like a great program!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/is-your-brain-on-overload/
Hi,
I am Grace Brooke’s Administration Manager and I am so very welcome for your website. You have the most wonderful advice and I really make it easy to use your articles in our newsletter/ blog posts/ hootsuite updates. I always link it back to you with pride.
Thank you so much for your advice and great wisdom!
Cheri Ramage
Administion Manager
Grace Brooke