stress: an overview

an appetizer

the act of living is an acceptance of the inevitability of stress. be it fluctuations in internal temperature, reactions to workload, or heated conversation— we all deal with it, and we all should have tools to heal with it as well.

whether external or internal, disruptive forces are frequently at play and our bodies, ever the mediator, are persistently striving to re-calibrate to balance. stressors are literally stimuli that disturb our bodily homeostasis. homeostasis is the state of balance that our bodies are fine-tuned to regulate to. the first step on the path to healing is always awareness so… “if you don’t know, now you know”.

the main course

when we sense something disruptive to our equilibrium every system in the body does it’s part to support the response. some systems get lit up and others downshift to preserve energy. You can find the nittygritty elsewhere on the internet (and eventually I’ll write a blurb on the juicy bits)— but for now, suffice it to say this: when the body is out of balance, it’s a stressor. full stop. of course we differentiate the quality of the stress on intensity of response, and so we might lose sight of how small things contribute to the big things.

alas, the small things tend to be the most controllable things and so minor stressors like seasons changing, weather variability, disturbed sleep, “multitasking for efficiency” keep our bodies in a subdued (but persistent) state of alarm. our systems are always on guard so things like ongoing, slightly elevated inflammation levels or down-regulated hunger signals become the subtle antagonists. illness and disease don’t exist in a vaccum, there are weeks (if not years) of perpetuated imbalance compounded that leave the system vulnerable.

TL;DR— cave people didn’t just wake up one day to a full blown ice age, it took time for temperatures to drop, for the climate to be juuuust right for the continued accumulation that was the ages of ice.

just dessert (but more optimistic)

stress is a non-negotiable in our daily experience and lawddd do I know that there are factors that are well outside our control— but we can’t forget that which is in our control. keeping things simple seems too hard in our complex lives, but that’s just where we should be— the motto: work smarter, not harder. something as simple as having awareness of your stress response works wonders on mitigating aforementioned stress response. it’s incredible.

and, while it may be compelling to conflate simplicity with lack of action, there’s a sense of agency that comes with identifying and acting upon the controllables. on the path to healing, you start with awareness and you follow that with recognition (an act of identifying or labelling the state you’re in). at that point, the decisions to follow are up to you: are they acting in accordance with support, balance, homeostasis— or are they perpetuating the imbalance.

we have much more control than we think we do— start small (like even smaller than you may be thinking) and start minimal. find one thing that feels like it gives you balance and prioritize that. observe and reflect on your distractions— explore and take action on your passions. do something and let that first step empower you onwards and upwards to become an actor in your own life.

may in your body

now that april showers are behind us, may is a month of beauty and bloom. here in the middle of spring, we’ve begun to clear out the stagnation of winter and thaw the cold, hard blockages. it’s a fabulous time to set yourself up for success for the daylight and warmth of summer, so let’s get after it…

lifestyle & routine

the sun is rising earlier (and so are the birds)— here on the sunnier side of the year is a wonderful opportunity to get started with your day sooner and really seize that jawn. the first few moments after wake-up are prime time to set an intention and start on the right foot (even before you put your feet on the floor). before you grab for your phone, try asking yourself this: “how do I want to feel about myself when I get into bed tonight?”

because springtime is a time to thaw, clear, and cleanse from the dark, cold winter, little habits like oil puling or tongue scraping take very little commitment and aid in clearing the wastes that accumulate from your body’s nightly cleaning. if you’re really looking to dive in to a new habit, try neti pot (which helps with clearing allergens from the sinuses).

good routine in the season of sun, growth, and light sets the stage for ample success in your days. not every moment (nor every day) will be high, positive, and progress— but finding 5 minutes in your morning to set the stage will support with stress response and resilience in the immediate moment, and health and flow in the long run.

diet staples

temperatures are still volatile (especially in early may) and clearing and cleansing is still priority. but with summer right around the corner, some staple food stuffs for the month include those with dilating, cooling, and hydrating properties. what goes on inside of us reflects what’s going on around us. and while the body is adaptive, modifying your diet for the season supports your systems so your energy can be directed towards more prudent tasks.

light and bitter greens like asparagus, brussel sprouts, or arugula are chok full of vitamins and minerals and offer a bitter taste to body tonify your insides skins and stimulate the peristalsis that keeps your wastes moving through your channels of elimination.

as the weather gets warmer, cooling foods like lime, cucumber, avocado will provide the nutrients our bodies need while keeping the system from over heating. in a nutshell, your liver processes all of the byproducts of digestion, filtering out waste before sending the good stuff into the blood stream. because blood is “hot” (from an eastern perspective), late spring diet into summer should consist of cooler foods to keep your liver function more stable/less over-taxed.

finally, as the heat kicks up, your body begins sweating and flushing that heat through your skin organ (like how that sounds? skin organ). we need electrolytes quite literally to exist properly, so berries, melons, pineapples (tropical fruits) are robust sources for hydrating sweetness.

what’s next

the soon-to-arrive summer is the season for being social, being in the sun, and making plans. may is a fabulous month to not only plan vacations, but also to plan for rest and recovery. sleep/rest/recovery time is important always but falls to the wayside when the outside is nice and it’s fun to go play. chill, vibe, and live wholly my friends.