The Three Best Things You Can Do To Zap Stress
Nova Health Club • March 26, 2019
Stress is not bad when it is short term. For example, we get stronger from stress on our muscles during exercise. The reality, however, is that many of us are so busy we expose ourselves to continual stressors. The usual suspects are work demands, lack of sleep and poor nutrition. Combine this with our ‘Go & Do’ mentality and our bodies are not able to rest, recover and digest. Prolonged exposure to various stressors has a negative impact on our health, performance, and longevity.
It is important for us to have quick tools at our disposal to zap stress when we feel ourselves becoming overwhelmed or stressed. But first it is important to understand that our Autonomic Nervous System, which is responsible for many of our bodily functions such as breathing and heart rate, is broken into two pathways:
1) Parasympathetic Nervous System:
Correlates with rest, recovery and digestion. Cleans up the work from the sympathetic nervous system. Restores processes of the body and promotes blood flow. Used over the long term to keep our bodies in a balanced state.
2) Sympathetic Nervous System:
Correlates with increased stressors and is the ‘Fight or Flight’ system which keeps us alive at all costs. It turns on during exercise or when running around completing to-do lists creating alertness, increased cortisol and slows/stops digestion. This system is more active during chronic stress or during illness but should only be activated during the short term.
When we feel ourselves becoming overwhelmed or stressed we are in a sympathetic state of nervous function. While this is ok for the short term, the longer we stay in it more problems will occur.
Three of the best things to zap stress and restore recovery to bring your body back to a balanced state are:
1) Stop to take 5-10 Breaths
Focused breathing turns on the parasympathetic nervous system to get you out of ‘Fight or Flight’ mode. Stop whatever you are doing and inhale slowly through your nose as much as you can without forcing it. Then exhale through your mouth slowly as much as you can without forcing it.
Total time investment: 1 to 2 minutes
2)Take A Walk Around The Block
Movement and upright posture will also engage the parasympathetic nervous system allowing you to restore balance and get back to what you were doing with renewed vigor. It is so easy especially when you think about the walk only being one block.
Total time investment: 5 to 10 minutes
3)Stretch
Again this promotes better posture and breathing both allowing you to turn off the sympathetic nervous system. Any stretching works as long as you remember to breathe. If seated, try standing up and reaching your arms to the ceiling and then to your toes. Do this 5 times. Alternatively, lie on your back on the floor and reach your arms by your ears.
Total time investment: 1 to 5 minutes
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