When people talk about ‘bad’ stress what they’re referring to is chronic stress – a prolonged experience of stress. Chronic stress is caused by the build-up of stress hormones in the body, particularly cortisol. Unfortunately for too many people, chronic stress has become their normal state of being, and they’ve forgotten what a calm, peaceful state feels like.
A large body of research tells us that chronic stress poses a serious risk to our health. Long term exposure to cortisol wreaks havoc on our cardiovascular system and suppresses our immune system. A degraded immune system exposes us to increased likelihood of physical and mental illness and disease including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It's not totally clear how chronic stress and IBS are related -- or which one comes first -- but studies show they can happen together.
Are you experiencing chronic stress?
Chronic stress can creep up on you, going unnoticed, as you become used to the constant feeling of stress. Some people have learned to ignore the warning signs so don’t know they’re experiencing stress. They walk around with tension, muscle pain, or other physical symptoms. The first sign they’re experiencing chronic stress is often a high blood pressure reading, illness, or the onset of physical ailments.
Our goal must be to avoid chronic stress but how do we do that?
The first step is to discover just how stressed you are. The stress test I encourage my clients to take is the scientifically developed HeartMath Personal Well-Being Survey. It’s free and gives you a comprehensive snap shot of your current level of well-being across four dimensions (stress management, adaptability, resilience and emotional vitality).
Next you need to get a clear understanding of how you experience stress, (we all experience stress differently). Being more mindful of the stress signals your body sends (muscle tension, feeling jumpy or edgy, and so on) can help you intervene more rapidly and effectively. You can learn about the common symptoms of stress here.
Then you should check how well you’re meeting your physical and emotional needs. One way to do this is by completing a simple Emotional Needs self-assessment. Our mind/body interprets any unmet physical and emotional need as a threat. Once you know which needs aren’t being met you can take steps to meet them.
Don’t forget about your physical needs – particularly the three pillars of well-being – nutrition, sleep and movement. Eat well, sleep well and get moving to help burn off accumulated stress hormones.
And it’s really important to schedule rest and recovery time. A great way to do this is to get out into nature.
Recovering from chronic stress can be difficult and it helps to have a good support network. Some people find that it’s beneficial to work with a stress management coach who can provide support and help them develop strategies and learn skills to manage their stress more effectively.
If you want to know more about how I can help you manage your Irritable Bowel Syndrome using hypnosis and other psychological techniques, please do get in touch today!