Managing Chronic Stress: 30 x 5 Minute Nurturing Practices

This blog will give a brief explanation of:

• Acute Stress
• Chronic Stress
• Nurturing practices that I use in my own life which may help you.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life! Acute Stress is not the enemy – it is there to protect us. Stress becomes a problem when it’s there all the time, resulting in Chronic Stress.

You have the power to manage your stress rather than letting it rule the roost! There are things that you can do to stop acute stress from escalating into chronic stress.

We spend a lot of our time in doing and striving modes. Working on our never-ending ‘To do’ lists; life and work ‘Admin’; plowing through emails; answering messages; checking our social media; housework; taking care of others; holding down busy jobs; trying to fit in our exercise – the list goes on and on and it sometimes feels that we are that ‘Duracell’ bunny that never stops!!

So I say – ‘Take 5’ – 5 minutes every 55 minutes just to nurture and be with yourself. Sneak away if you have to – go sit in the toilet to escape if you can’t find any other place!

Arianna Huffington suggests that:

“…we can course-correct from stress in just 60-90 seconds”

Wow…. think of that – so if you haven’t got 5 minutes, start from where you’re at. Try 60 seconds and build it up (if you can). But, be kind to yourself. Don’t create another ‘task’ that needs to be done or a stick to beat yourself up with!

The good thing about Acute Stress

• Acute stress is not the enemy – we need it to survive
• Activation of the sympathetic nervous system enables us to act quickly – our ‘fight-or-flight’ response. So if we need to get out of the way of a fast-approaching car we want a quick response that switches on those areas needed for survival
• It can improve alertness, focus, performance, and cognition during physical and mental activity
• It can stimulate a chemical called interleukin 6 and give the immune system a quick boost – so could help you avoid a cold

When Acute Stress turns into Chronic Stress

• Micro stresses: It can start with little ‘micro’ stresses that gradually build up in the course of the morning/day. For example – someone has posted negative comments on your Instagram; you turn on the news and feel saddened and helpless at the dramas unfolding. Notice what the triggers are for you.
• Unrelenting demands: Demands can just keep coming – you deal with one thing and then there’s another thing – leaving you with no recovery time in between – things/demands just keep coming at you. It escalates your stress.
• Time management at work may mean every minute has to be scheduled leaving you no time to breathe, talk to another human being, or even go for a pee!!
• The fast-changing world and super efficient technology leave you drowning in information and unable to keep up with the demands on your time.

The body’s response to stress

Physiological changes:

• Activation of the autonomic nervous system results in the release of stress hormones (adrenalin and cortisol).
• Activation of our primitive fight-flight response.

Bodily sensations:

• This involves turning our attention inwards to what is happening inside the body
• There may be tightness in the throat, neck and shoulders, chest, and stomach
• You may have clamminess, palpitations, and other symptoms
• You may feel ‘wired’; unable to switch off

Emotions and mental health:

• You may experience panic, anger, overwhelm, hopelessness
• You may become more 'reactive' rather than 'responsive' - this is because your primitive brain (the amygdala) has kicked in before your 'thinking brain' (prefrontal lobe) has had time to think about an appropriate response.

Effects of chronic stress

• Reduced sleep
• Negative effect on the immune system
• Increased inflammation in the body
• Change in mood/depression
• Dietary problems: overeating, undereating, poor food choices
• Digestive system problems - poor digestion; negative effect on the gut microbiome
• Turning to unhealthy soothing habits: drugs, drink, food, other
• Poor focus and concentration
• Impacts on hair, skin, relationships
• Other

Stop the escalation!

• Notice it and take action
• Introduce soothing activities to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the system that slows things down)
• Dampen down the stress before it reaches its maximum threshold
• Notice the triggers eg. News first thing on waking; work emails; a bad comment on social media; no likes on your post
• Bring yourself back to the present moment and implement activities that you find nurturing. You can start at 1 min and take as much time as you feel is appropriate for your needs.
• Use my 5-minute nurturing ideas as a starting point for activities you could do. Later on, tweak and add your own.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live” -Jim Rohn

My 5-minute nurturing list:

All you need is a timer set to 5 minutes. If you use your phone you may want to put it on ‘Do not disturb’ to reduce distraction.

Be kind to yourself. Don’t treat this as another task! Tell yourself that you are taking this time to nurture yourself without the distraction of the outside world. Your ‘emotional wellbeing’ will thank you for it and you will return to your activities/tasks with a greater degree of focus

Conclusion

Know that you are not alone with feelings of stress and overwhelm. There are things that you can do to stop it from escalating – first by recognising it is present (turning inwards to the sensations in the body) and by spending 1-5 minutes carrying out ‘nurturing’ practices.

See what works for you. Download my free PDF, above, and add your nurturing practices. The key is to take time to “unplug”.

“Almost everything will work again if we unplug if for a few minutes, including you.” -Anne Lamott

Resources:

Arianna Huffington: https://coda.io/@arianna-huffington/the-power-of-reset

Dr. Chatterjee: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/c6c85fdb-ee32-43cb-92db-589c2ae7c88b/built-to-thrive

Other related posts:

My Reasons for Doing the 8-Week Online Mindfulness for Health Course

10 Things I learned from my Mindfulness for Health Course