June 28th, 2020
Overcome Overload and Boost Your Stress Resilience
Body fatigue, brain fog and belly fat! Three of the most common complaints I’m hearing from clients. With a shared source–chronic stress! How can you overcome overload and boost your stress resilience?
Living through a pandemic takes a toll on our mind, body, and spirit. In stressful situations, our bodies go into fight, flight or freeze mode. Women, however, may prefer to tend and befriend. Difficult while practicing physical-distancing!
Wear and Tear
If the stressors persist (as they have), our adaptive mechanisms stay turned on. We enter a state of allostatic overload, wear and tear on our brains and bodies.
The response to fear begins in our amygdala, which triggers our autonomic nervous system (ANS). Fight or flight is our active defence response. Freeze is fight or flight on hold, a reactive/attentive immobility as we prepare to make our move. Our ANS signals the adrenal glands to release two hormones: epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol.
Your first-responder, epinephrine, provides alertness and a surge of energy to deal with the perceived threat. It increases blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the brain and major muscles. Our senses heighten, but pain perception decreases.
Cortisol is the back-up, kicking in when the threat persists, maintaining high alert. One of its roles is to replenish our energy stores. In a perfect world, danger dissipates, and both epinephrine and cortisol levels fall.
Fatigue, Brain Fog and Belly Fat
When we live with a persistent threat, these lif-saving hormones have adverse effects. Elevated epinephrine damages blood vessels and increases blood pressure and risk of heart attack or stroke. Excess cortisol increases our appetite and fat storage, especially in the abdominal region. Memory is impaired and fear is enhanced. Immune function is suppressed and bone density suffeers.
Brain fog and belly fat are evidence of allostatic overload. Although you may feel like you’re doing less than usual in your day, you’re more irritable, tired and hungry. That’s because your brain is working hard to deal with the stress. Even if you’re not eating more, fat may shift to your middle and accumulate around your organs. This deep ‘visceral’ fat increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and more.
Overcome Overload
The good news? Things are getting better. There’s so much you can do to help overcome overload and boost your stress resilience. Here are my top ten tips to bounce back from fatigue, brain fog and belly fat. And feel better than ever!
1. Balance with breathing
Start with your breath–it’s our most fundamental and accessible movement. Count to Calm is a one-minute exercise to elicit the relaxation response. Sit in a comfortable position, eyes softened, breathing naturally and comfortably. Count your breaths in one minute – an inhale and exhale counts as one. No need to change anything, simply count.
2. Adjust your attitude
Pay attention to your mindset. If you slip into a negative headspace, shift into the positive by thinking of something you’re grateful for. Then take a few moments to savour it. Savouring helps the positives ‘stick’. For more on gratitude click here.
3. Grant yourself grace
Kristin Neff has a lovely ‘Self-Compassion Break’. Perfect if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. It’s a three-step mantra, corresponding to the three aspects of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity and self-kindness.
- This is is a moment of suffering
- Suffering is a part of life
- May I be kind to myself
You can see her full version here.
4. Showcase your strengths
What positive coping strategies have you already used? Knowing your character strengths can increase your confidence when facing challenges. One of mine is ‘love of learning’. Helpful as long as I don’t overuse it and end up falling down internet rabbit holes…
5. Wake up with a walk
Besides the benefits of walking, you’ll give your brain and metabolism a boost. Early morning sunlight supports your body’s circadian rhythms. These regulate your appetite, energy levels, hormone production and more. You’ll get a natural dose of bone-building, immune-boosting Vitamin D too!
6. Build in breaks
Get up and move. Bounce, shake, stretch and bend. Contrary to what your parent’s told you, go ahead and fidget! These small moves contribute to non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Expending calories with minimal effort.
7. Fill up on fibre
Add an extra serving or two of fruit and veg to your daily menu. ‘Eat a rainbow,’ and you’ll likely get enough fibre to support gut health (think immunity). And keep things moving! Two critical caveats: Increase your fibre intake gradually and drink plenty of water.
8. Favour healthy fats
Stress damages cells and depletes omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA (the most prominent fatty acid in the brain). A lack of DHA affects our mood and brain function. Replenish your omega-3s by eating fatty fish, nuts and seeds, and avocados.
9. Cultivate social connection
The ‘tend and befriend’ response to stress is the opposite of ‘fight or flight.’ Spending time with people you love increases oxytocin and reduces cortisol. Strong social connections make us both happier and healthier! As much as we could all use an in-person hug, even virtual hangouts help.
10. Stick to a schedule
Setting a sleep-wake schedule (read how here) helps you get more restorative sleep. Sets you up for a better day too. Daytime routines create (much-needed) predictability, free your mind and help you get stuff done. Plus, they’re a powerful tool to create new habits!
A friend and I have started physically-distanced early morning walks with our dogs. A routine that incorporates movement and socializing–makes us all so happy!
A little extra attention to mindset, movement and meals can go a long way to reducing your allostatic load. So you’re refreshed, revitalized and ready for the next phase. Whatever that holds for you!
Experiment with these suggestions and let me know if you notice a shift.
For more ideas and support, join my new Facebook group – Resilience Remedy – a community for women who want to feel better than ever!
