Stress. We all have it, but some manage it better than others. Stress management is key to laying a foundation of healing from chronic illness. I have found that high levels of chronic stress suppressed my immune function and shut down my digestion. Along with some gut infections that I needed to address along the way! Unfortunately, I was in the rat race working in marketing for many years and going back to school to get my Masters, which took a toll on my health! It left me wired and tired living on caffeine to keep plugging away leaving little time for rest and relaxation! It almost felt like an addiction to always feel stimulated with my phone, coffee, or my racing thoughts to control everything. I know I am not alone in this feeling!
It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom and got very sick with Lyme Disease and Mold Toxicity that I was forced to slow down and get realllll honest with myself on how I was coping with stress. Joining the Primal Trust Program helped me regulate my nervous system and learn how to manage my stress. This has been a game changer for me! Now I am not perfect and moving to Level 2 this year to get deeper into becoming my True Authentic Self. I am excited for the future and will keep you all posted on how everything shakes out!
I learned that stress can range from emotional stressors to physical stressors on our body. This includes emotional stressors, such as Big T & little T trauma or stressful events (hello medical gaslighting!) that resulted in my body holding on to these frustrations and presenting in tight muscles and painful joints. And/or physical stressors such as food intolerances, chronic infections, dysregulated nervous system, fasting too long, or over-exercising.
It is never just one thing that causes nervous system dysregulation, but compounding of many factors.
Lets get nerdy on the science….
Effects of Chronic Stress on Your Body:
Stress can create a cascade of problems in your body that ultimately leads to metabolic dysfunction and gut issues. Stress can deplete nutrients, such as Vitamin B6. And because vitamin B6 helps convert the amino acid, tryptophan into serotonin, low vitamin B6 can further exacerbate mood fluctuations tied to stress. Supplementing with a B complex formula, which includes B6 vitamins, may help improve your stress response. Another common nutrients depleted with stress are vitamin C and magnesium.
Chronic Stress can also impair digestion because during fight or flight response, the digestive process slows down or even stops! The body will divert its energy to the brain and other organs that are handling the threat – digesting your food is not top priority when your body is in perceived danger! If this becomes chronic can lead to a number of gut -related chronic conditions, like dysbiois or leaky gut.
Lastly, chronic stress can reduce the immune systems ability to fight off pathogen (bacteria, protozoa, viruses) infections. Almost 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, called the Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT). When compromised, so is your immune system. You need a strong immune system to fight all the infections happening with chronic illness, so stress is indeed is a root issue.
Practical Stress Management Tips
1. Get a furry friend (pet)
I get it. The last thing on your mind is taking care of something other than yourself, especially when in fight or flight or (freeze) mode fighting for air.
Hear me out. Pets increase positive feelings and associate with less pain overall! Coming home to a smiley dog is the best feeling in the world. They just want to be loved and for you to be happy as well.Truly my happy place is with Lola and she makes anywhere home for us! It has done wonders for my emotional health.
Not only does pet therapy aid in chronic pain management, but also your immune system. This study, proves the positive effect of petting a dog on ones immune system function. On the contrary, owning a pet CAN be stressful at times! I don’t want to paint a picture of unicorns and rainbows all the time. But in my opinion, the good out ways the challenging times in the long-term for your healing and personal growth.
2. Commit to Quality Sleep
When you sleep, this is when true healing happens. Your organs are naturally detoxing to get rid of cellular waste accumulated throughout the day. Poor sleep leads to a cascade of non so helpful things the next day, such as increased cortisol levels and blood sugar imbalances throughout the day typically leading to increased caffeine and unhealthy food choices to “get through the day”. This is why its so important to stop eating at least 2 hours before bed, so your body has time to complete digestion.
One easy intervention to explore is incorporating a wind-down routine, like turning off your TV, computer, and phone at least an hour before you go to sleep to avoid blue light exposure. If you have trouble falling asleep, try taking a warm bath, listening to sound bowls, practicing breathework or reading a book for 15 minutes before bed.
3. Improve your Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Most fitness trackers are now tracking HRV, which represents the fluctuations of time (ms) in between each heartbeat. This is such a valuable tool to stay in tune with how much stress your body is under day to day. When you are relaxed, a slower HRV is more likely than when in a stressed state. The HRV reflects how adaptable your body is to stress. A low HRV is associated with many chronic illnesses, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and mental health.
A diet rich in Omega -3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, polyphenols and probotics will support a healthy HRV. This means adding in foods such as grass fed beef, olive oil, yogurt, fruits and vegetables can be very supportive! Low HRV is a result of consuming to much alcohol, saturated/trans fat and high glycemic/processed carbohydrates.They all lead to a higher heart rate and stress inthe body. Other factors include, eating to close to bedtime, illness, over-exercising and dehydration.
Improving your HRV involves exercising regularly, priortizing mental health with breathing exercises and toning your vagus nerve.
4. Regularly Stimulate the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve that connects your brain to the rest of your body and is often called the body’s “super highway”.It is an essential part of your parasympthetic nervous system responsible for relaxing your body after a stressful period. It also controls digestion, heart rate, mood and your immune system. Overall, stress inhibits the vagus nerve. Lowering stress through effective management techniques is crucial to support this important nerve connection. By regularly activating your vagus nerve, you can train your body to relax more quickly and efficiently after a stressful event. Very much like exercising a muscle, if you don’t use it – you lose it!
Calming techniques to activate the vagus nerve include:
- Breathework (4-7-8 technique, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing)
- Meditation and Mindfullness (goal is to pay attention and be present – not “turn off your brain”)
- Yoga or Qi-gong or Orienting – Somatic movements (slow and intentional movements with breathework activates the vagus nerve)
- Dancing to Music, Listening to Soundbowls with earbuds, humming and singing (the vibration on your chest helps tone the vagus nerve)
5. Move your Body
There is an abundance of research demonstrating the protective effects of exercise on stress. It has been known to reduce levels of stress and lower cortisol levels, but finding balance is key. Be mindful of avoiding intense exercise daily and alternate with low impact movement, such as pilates, walking with ankle weights or a flow yoga. Avoid pushing your body past it’s limits – harder is not always better. It can be so challenging to get out of bed, when not feeling well. I get it. But getting outside for at least a 15 in walk after you eat or right away in the morning can do wonders! Also, I love this quick burst exercise thats only 4 mins – HIIT workout by Dr. Zach Bush!
6. Fuel Your Body with Whole Foods - Not Caffeine!
Avoiding added sugars and refined carbohydrates from ultra processed foods and replacing with whole food options rich in fiber and protein is a great place to start when supporting your stress management goals and healing chronic illness. Remember the nutrients depleted with chronic stress?! Well these can be replenished with fruits and vegetables!
Additionally caffeine is a stimulant and a stressor on the body. An increase can lead to more adrenaline and cortisol production, adding fuel to the fire! Can’t give it up? Try to limit, swap for matcha or drink your morning joe with your breakfast to support your blood sugar from spiking leading to a crash!
Final Thoughts
Stress management is key to laying a foundation to healing from chonic illness. If stress and trauma are not addressed on your healing journey, you can find yourself on a path of many years feeling sick and not getting better. Speaking from experience here! Some practical tips to help manage stress are whole food nutrition choices vs fueling with caffeine, get quality sleep, improve HRV and vagal toning, and move our body.
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Happy Healing!
Lola and Amy
This blog is for informational purposes only to share our healing story and offer hope for a better tomorrow and not give up on yourself. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. Please work with your healthcare professional before starting any treatment plan for your safety.
Hiya! My name is Amy. I am a Lyme Warrior navigating my healing journey with my emotional support dog, Lola by my side! I rescued Lola girl in 2022 when I needed her the most, she is an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie Mix with lots of love to give. Buzz along with us as I share all things pet therapy, dog training and my personal healing journey from Lyme and all the things that accompany it!