Stress Relief Techniques: How to Release Stress from Your Body.
How is unprocessed stress like a balloon?
Picture a large balloon. Whenever you come across a stressful situation or emotion, it's like air going into your balloon. However, just like balloons have limits, our emotional balloons can only take so much air. We have a choice: release some air or let it fill up until it bursts.
I'm sure you'd agree, nobody enjoys popped balloons!
Now, think of our bodies as these balloons. It's crucial to grasp how stress affects us and how essential it is to calm our nervous system after stress. It's like letting the air out of the balloon and bringing it back to its natural state – a restful one.
Stress can get "trapped" in our bodies because of how our body reacts to tough situations and emotions. Here's how it works:
Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response (FFFR): When you face stress your sympathetic nervous system readies you to confront the threat or escape it. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released, causing changes like faster heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension.
Incomplete Stress Response: Sometimes, the "FFFR" response doesn't finish. This can occur when you can't physically fight or escape. The energy, tension, and stress hormones remain circulating in your body.
Chronic Stress: This continuous stress exposure piles up hormones, making your nervous system more sensitive and easily triggered into an FFFR state.
Stress relief techniques: can help bring your nervous system back to a restful state.
When there is too much air in the balloon.
When our FFFR is continually activated without release it can lead to a variety of physical and emotional reactions. Here's what happens:
Muscle Tension: Elevated stress hormones can make muscles feel tense. This can lead to discomfort, soreness, and headaches.
Digestive Issues: Stress can affect your digestive system. Some people might experience stomachaches, indigestion, or even diarrhea when they're stressed.
Sleep Problems: Stress can interfere with your sleep. You might have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful sleep.
Weakened Immune System: Prolonged stress can weaken your immune system.
Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure: Stress can cause your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to rise.
How to let the air out of your balloon.
Here are a few stress relief techniques you can use to physically release stress from your body:
Deep Breathing: Take slow and deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your chest and belly rise, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. This helps relax your body and slows down your heart rate.
Physical Activity: Engage in some form of physical activity that you enjoy. Going for a walk, riding your bike, dancing, or playing a sport can help release built-up tension in your muscles and promote the release of endorphins.
Stretching and Relaxation Exercises: Gentle stretches and relaxation exercises, like yoga or meditation, can help ease muscle tension and promote a sense of calm.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and then relax different muscle groups in your body one by one. This can help you become more aware of tension and learn to release it.
Laughter: Watching a funny movie, reading a funny book, or spending time with friends who make you laugh can trigger the release of stress-reducing hormones.
Hobbies and Creative Activities: Engaging in creative activities like drawing, painting, writing, or crafting can take your mind off stress and help you feel more at ease.
RMT Massage: A treatment from a skilled registered massage therapist, can relieve muscle tension and help you relax.
Spending Time in Nature: Being outdoors and connecting with nature can have a calming effect on your body and mind.
Remember, different stress relief techniques work for different people, so it's important to find what helps you personally. The key is to give your body a chance to unwind and return to a state of calm after dealing with stress.
To learn more about stress relief techniques and how RMT massage, Acupuncture, or Reiki can help you break the stress cycle click the link below and we would love to chat.