How Do You Survive Extreme Stress?

As you read this title you might be thinking "this doesn't apply to me" but you may be surprised.  Many of us are living in a state of permanent stress that we aren't even aware of.  As most people would agree, daily life in 2023 is fraught with a much higher level of stress than it was 15 or 20 years ago.  We are in the third year of a pandemic and many people have had their lives turned upside down.  Let's look at how you can maintain a sense of calm in a chaotic world and the warning signs to look out for that your stress levels are becoming too high.  Reducing stress will make you more resilient physically and mentally and less susceptible to chronic diseases in the future.

Are You Living With Extreme Stress?

Several years ago a lovely client of mine was under extreme stress and she was completely unaware of her situation.  She worked fulltime in a demanding teaching role a high school that required lots of before and after school commitments . She was a Mum to  8 and 10 year old boys and sadly was going through the beginnings of a marriage breakup. To cap it all off she had 2 lumbar disc bulges and had debilitating back pain.  She woukd arrive at Pilates late and sometimes had to leave early.  She often kept her mobile phone close to her as she was waiting on an urgent call.  She was frantically running all day but was always behind schedule . When I tried to to tell her she was under extreme stress and needed to make changes in her life ro calm her nervous system down, she laughed.  She told me this was normal.  She was no different to anyone else and she couldn't see didn't believe that stress had any connection to her back pain. Not surprisingly her pain only improved slightly with Pilates and she didn't achieve the results she was looking.   As her marriage deteriorated she was unable to sleep and her general health was severely compromised. She now had anxiety, constant colds and migraines to deal with as well as back pain. Still, she didn't believe extreme stress was affecting her health but her body and mind was telling a different story.

What Happens To Our Bodies During Extreme Stress?

Our sympathetic nervous system or flight or flight response is activated when our brain perceives we are in danger.  Hormones are released to help us stay and "fight" the enemy such as a being attacked by a dog or "flight" such as running from a burning building.  These hormones flood our bodies and give us superhuman strength to do things we normally couldn't do. This is an inbuilt survival mechanism to keep us alive as a species.  It's designed to get us through short term stressful situations and when the danger passes the hormones stop circulating through our bodies and we eventally return to the rest and digest phase or back into the parasympathetic state.  What happens when the danger doesn't pass and you are stuck in the fight or flight response long term?

What Are The Effects of Long-Term Stress?

Like my lovely client, living in the flight or flight response for months or years on end leads to chronic health conditions both in the short and long term. Short term effects include sleep disturbances, digestive disorders and depression and anxiety..  It also speeds up the aging process and causes weight gain. Long term chronic stress that is unmanaged can lead to heart conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease with increased riisk of heart attack and stroke . Prolonged mental health issues like anxiety and depression bring an increased risk of developing dementia.  Stress also makes any chronic pain you were already dealing with much worse such as back pain for example.  So as you can see living under extreme stress is something you want to avoid but sometimes it's just not possible so learning how to manage your stress is vital.

What Are The Warning Signs Your Stress Levels Are Too High?

It's important to monitor your stress levels as sometimes a chain of events can trigger extreme stress. Before long we cope and adapt to this state and accept it as normal, when it isn't.  Signs to look out for are loss of apetite, becoming more short-tempered, difficulty sleeping and extreme tiredness.  You can become teary and feel that everything is hopeless as you can't see a way out of your current situation. Check your breathing. If it's high in your chest or you catch yourself holding your breath, you need to consciously breathe deeply and slowly.  This will calm your nervous system by signalling to it that the danger has passed.  Try breathing in for 4 counts and our for 4 counts for about a minute 3 or 4 times a day or more if needed. This will help calm your nervous system.

How Can You Reduce & Manage Stress?

While it may feel out of our control  to be able to counteract extreme stress when we are in the middle of a crisis, there are steps you can take to manage it.  The more tools you are equipped with while life is calm, the easier it will  be to manage extreme stress when  it strikes.  Learning and establishing new practices take time and it's possible to do this when you are extremely stressed but much easier when you are aren't.  Taking time out to walk, swim, have acupuncture treatments or massage therapy are all highly beneficial.  Sometimes during extreme stress, lack of time is an issue.  You can practice Pilates in the comfort of your own home making it very time efficient with my online Pilates program.  It's designed to help you recover from pain or injury.and calm your nervous system and is ideal for establishing a regular Pilates practice.  Every exercise in Pilates has a conscious breathing pattern. This type of breathing is one the few ways we have to calm a stressed nervous system naturally and bring it back to the rest and digest state.  Pilates is a mind body connection so it encourages mindfulness which also brings you back to the present moment.  Many clients describe their virtual sessions with me as "moving meditation" which reduces anxiety leaving them feeling relaxed but slightly energised at the same time.

If you are ready to start your Pilates journey to help manage your stress levels email me at [email protected] to get started.  Alternatively, you can book an Initial Assessment with me here or  take the free 10 day trial of JS Mind Body Pilates, my online studio and start straight away.  It would be my pleasure to assist you on your Pilates journey to calm, pain-free living!