Reduce Stress, Feel Better [Part 1 & 2]

When I used to think of stress, I thought about the emotional stress from tight deadlines at work, or the acute physical stress of a cut or scrape. I've come to understand that stress is a much broader topic and it can come in the form of physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual stressors. Or, a different way to describe these four categories, is from the vantage of the four circles of health, illness, and optimization as described in Dr. Daniel Amen's book Unleash The Power Of The Female Brain. The four circles are:

1. Body/Biology

2. Mind/Psychology

3. Social Connections

4. Spiritual Health/Spirit

Dr. Amen says to think of your biology as your hardware, such as "your genetics, overall physical health, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hormones as well as environmental issues, such as toxins."

As an example, "when you eat a high-sugar or simple-carbohydrate diet, your blood sugar often becomes dysregulated, causing you to feel sluggish and foggy-headed." Or, "when you don't get enough sleep, you have overall decreased blood flow to your brain, which disrupts thinking, memory, and concentration."

A lot of what I pay attention to with myself and working with private coaching clients are the signs, signals, and symptoms of the body. But, that does not mean that we're ignoring the other three areas. In my experience and in the research and reading I do, if there are imbalances in one or more of the other three circles, no matter how hard you work at balancing the physical aspects, you'll still be out of balance and not see the results you are looking for.

The Mind/Psychology circle includes "how we think and talk to ourselves, the running dialogue that goes on in our minds, as well as our self-concept, body image, past traumas, overall upbringing, and significant developmental events." Dr. Amen goes on to say, "If our thinking patterns are excessively negative, harsh, or critical, that will have negative impact on our moods, anxiety levels, and ultimately on our ability to function successfully."

Regular and deliberate stress management techniques are crucial for the health of your mind. When you reach a certain point in your life, this can not be ignored. It needs to be a daily - several times a day - routine to maintain balance or things go sideways with mood, energy, focus, etc.

This can look like:

1. Taking a short bio break

2. A walk in nature (even looking out the window or a photo of nature has benefits)

3. Stretching

4. Humming, singing or gargling to stimulate the vagus nerve which activates the rest, digest and recover parasympathetic response.

5. Mindful breathing - bonus benefits come from constricting your throat on your exhale, like you're trying fog up a mirror. That also stimuates the vagus nerve's relaxation response.

6. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, qi gong

7. Napping or just trying to take a nap has benefits.

Back to the four circles of health. Social connections, Dr. Amen writes, "emphasize the current relationships and events in our lives. When we are in good relationships, experience good health, have a job we love, school we care about, and enough money, our brain tends to do much better than when any of these areas stress or trouble us…Plus, the health and habits of the people you spend time with have a dramatic impact on your own health and habits."

Finally, we need to address our spiritual health to fully heal and recover. Dr. Amen suggests asking yourself deep spiritual questions, such as the following:

1. What is my connection to past generations, future generations, and the planet?

2. What are my values?

3. Am I living in alignment with my values?

4. When do I feel most authentic? And, what actions/settings allow that to flourish?

5. What does a well-lived life look like to me, and am I moving in that direction?

6. How do I contribute to the beauty or peace of the world?

7. Do I believe in God or a Hight Power?

8. How does that manifest in my life?

9. What daily practices or rituals help me to feel centered and/or connected to something greater than myself?

Dr. Amen concluded, "Having a sense of purpose, as well as connections to past and future generations, allows us to reach beyond ourselves to affirm that our lives matter…values and a spiritual connection to others and the universe are critical for many people to feel a sense of wholeness and connection, and a reason to get up in the morning and to take good care of themselves."

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