I had originally titled this “Let’s talk about stress, Baby! Lets talk about you and me!” Mostly because I think I’m pretty funny (but not like “haha” funny, more like “oh geez” funny). But since COVID chaos is still going strong, I felt that both myself and my loved ones reading this could use a slightly different message – Staying Positive.
But let’s do talk about stress for a minute. Recap taken from “Let’s talk about stress, BABY!”:
“…[H]ow does the brain respond to stress? Maybe you have heard of the “fight of flight” response. At the neurological level, the main function of this response to create a cascade of physiological responses to either fight for our lives or flee from danger. The amygdala is the “panic button” of the brain. It sends signals to the adrenal glad of the brain – the part responsible for sending adrenaline to the muscles and prepare the body for a physical reaction. But also,… signals are forwarded to the hippocampus [responsible for memory] and the pre-frontal cortex [responsible for learning]!! It would be pretty important to remember where that lion’s den was”
It’s been a year in the current work-from-home-everyone-quarantine-but-also-go-to-work crazy world we are living in. Chronic stress results from the brain getting locked into the same pattern – usually marked by pessimism, stress, and fear. And also significantly diminishes our ability to learn effectively.
At this point, I would venture to say that many of my readers are experiencing some type of chronic stress. Maybe due to the current state of the world amidst the pandemic or other reasons going on through work or home life. Physiologically, we know this chronic state of stress does a lot of damage to our bodies and our ability to continue to emotionally and cognitively function at our best. When the body and brain is constantly flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, science has shown this leads to weight gain, depression, fatigue, and even chronic pain.
So what can we do?
Get moving!! (Cue Madagascar King Julian’s “I LIKE TO MOVE IT MOVE IT!”)
If the body registers all stress the same (happy stress, scary stress, emotional stress, physical stress) and this triggers a “fight/flight/freeze” response, then naturally we should get moving!
Our bodies are hard wired to react physically, so when we get moving and using the energy our bodies are providing, we combat the stress build up and support the brain’s natural ability to process the information efficiently and effectively.
When going for a brisk walk, you raise your blood pressure and heart rate, start breathing heavier, sweat, and even have a difficult time comprehending complex cognitive tasks. Have you ever attempted calculus problems while exercising? Probably not… But does this physical state sound familiar? Sounds a lot like a stressful event at work or listening to the evening news.
But! During the cool down phase after this walk, the body naturally and gradually brings the heart rate and blood pressure back to neutral, improves the body’s temperature, and even floods the brain with positive feel-good endorphins. And, in this moment, you have taught your brain that you can conquer the state of stress without feeling out of control or panicked.
And, the aforementioned sciency statements are why people combine medical advice with exercise. It is our way of controlling our environment and our mindset to support positive outcomes against chemical imbalances such as anxiety and depression.
Active coping
Have your little ones been sitting behind a screen for almost a year seeing their teachers and friends through Brady Bunch squares? Maybe they have not been able to get back into the dance class they have loved for years or baseball is much different than they are used to. Have you noticed more difficulty with attention and potentially frustrating emotional outbursts? Definitely expected behaviors after the year of constant change we have been through.
Understanding more about how their brains and bodies are processing the emotional stress from all this change, it is safe to hypothesize that getting our little ones out enjoying the sun (or rain or snow) facilitates a sense of active coping.
Active coping involves letting your little ones (or yourself!) naturally raise the heart rates in a joyful way enjoying play and movement and then allowing the body to gradually bring itself back to baseline. In this way, teaching our bodies and brains that stress does not have to be stressful and we are more than capable of maintaining a neutral and positive state of being.
Stay positive
So how will you take this and allow your heart, mind, and soul to stay positive?
Get emotionally wrapped up in a good book, enjoy the sun if you’re down here in Florida with me, plant some flowers (potted ones if you are up in the cooler northeast). Anything to get your blood moving and teach your brain that you ARE capable of managing this chaos and coming out healthy and on top.
Cheers, Heather