7 ways to RELEASE STRESS (+ why you need them...)
In this post we’ll chat thru…
① The STRESS CYCLE + it’s 3 STAGES
② How stress IMPACTS your HEALTH
③ 7 ways to REDUCE STRESS naturally + COMPLETE the CYCLE
LET’S DIVE IN. 🖤
Okay so I know stress isn’t the sexiest topic to talk about but gosh friends…it’s a HUGE PIECE of self care. Think about it. I feel like the reason self care has as much hype as it does is because we are STRESSED THE FREAK OUT and looking for release. Amen?
Here’s the deal. Part of LIFE is dealing with STRESS. If you’re stressed…you’re not alone. Stress is inevitable.
But today I wanna walk you thru something that has been SUPER eye opening and helpful for me when I’m caught up in stressful moments, days, or even seasons. Something that takes self care and goes BEYOND THE BUBBLE BATHS. Let’s dive in.
WHAT IS THE STRESS CYCLE?
First off. Stress isn’t just an emotion, friends. There’s a LOT going on physically in our bodies when we under go a stressful moment, season, or environment. When you get stressed out, on a small scale…or a larger scale, it triggers a series of responses in our bodies. A few years ago I was facing some SERIOUS burnout and I grabbed a book by twin authors, Emily and Amelia Nagoski called “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.” This book radically transformed the way I viewed stress AND my responsibility to release it from my life.
In the book they talk about this thing called The Stress Cycle. Basically it’s our bodies natural and automatic way of handling stress. It should only last for a short period before you recover and continue with business as usual…BUT…when stress is constant…or you never give yourself time to recover, the cycle can persist…never closing out.
The stress cycle has a beginning, middle and an end.
The beginning ➡ perceiving the threat.
The middle ➡ our body responding to the threat / stressor. This is when cortisol begins to pump through our bodies and we get ready to fight or take flight.
The end ➡ the completion of the cycle through releasing the stress from our bodies.
Back in the day, the stressors that used to activate our stress cycle were threats to our physical survival, like being eaten by lions. This would be the beginning of the cycle…knowing there is a threat out there. Our ancestors bodies would respond by either fighting the lion, hiding in a bush, or running back to the village. This is the middle part of the cycle where the cortisol is pumping and fight or flight kicks in. And they’d complete the stress cycle by celebrating that they got away and hugging family…telling their bodies that they’re now safe. The end. Loop closed.
Unfortunately, for us in today’s world, there’s a disconnect between things that cause our stress response to start and the completion of the cycle to let our bodies know we’re safe.
Nowadays, the stress cycle activation can come from the a tough day parenting a screaming toddler, a deadline at work, or even getting stuck in traffic. The kicker…and what I want you to understand… is that our bodies respond in the SAME WAY as if we were being attacked by lions. Even if it’s “just traffic.”
We feel under threat and our stress response activates. The cycle starts.
In most cases, we can’t just run away from our modern stressors in the same way we were able to run away from lions. We have to commute, we have to look after our children, and we have to go to work. In other words, the stress is there and we don’t actually complete the stress cycle.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!
Even when the stressor goes away, the stress in our body doesn’t. We just keep piling it up.
It’s NO WONDER you’re stressed, sis. And it’s also no wonder a bubble bath every few months for “self care” isn’t working. It goes BEYOND that.
HOW STRESS IS IMPACTING YOUR HEALTH…
Most of the time we think about stress as something that’s happening within our MENTAL HEALTH, but the truth is, there are actually many ways chronic (aka long-lasting…non cycle ending) stress negatively impacts the PHYSICAL HEALTH, too.
Extended periods of stress being built up in the body contributes to:
Decreased immunity and ability to fight off or heal from illness
Stomach cramps, acid reflux, and nausea
Increased blood pressure, heart rate, and risk of heart disease
Mood issues, including anger and depression
Fatigue and trouble sleeping
Loss of libido and reduced fertility
Increased fat storage and disrupted hunger cues
The reality is…we can’t REMOVE stressors from life. It’s just not realistic. We need the job to keep the roof over our head and fuel our passions + use our gifts. We get called to be parents (or dog parents) and it’s our role and responsibility to care for littles in THRU challenging seasons. Traffic is traffic and that’s not gonna change.
But. Remember in this community I love to talk about CONTROLLING WHAT WE CAN CONTROL. And we MOST DEFINITELY can control the COMPLETION of our stress cycle everyday.
STRESS IS NOT THE PROBLEM. It’s how we DEAL WITH THE STRESS.
7 WAYS YOU CAN DEAL WITH STRESS + CLOSE THE CYCLE…
Emily and Amelia suggest 7 ways to close the stress cycle in their book and…like MOST THINGS in this community…they aren’t mind blowing or hard. They just take being INTENTIONAL.
Breathing – Slow, deep breaths help down-regulate the nervous system and signal to our bodies that we’re safe. I am loving using Peloton Meditations on the daily.
Physical activity – Go for a run, walk, or jog when you get home from work. A spicy 90’s spin class. Gentle yoga. Shoot or get outside and do some yard work. All of these count. And work to close the cycle.
Laughing – Okay for real…how great is this? The only caveat the sister’s give is that it has to be real, belly deep laughter. Not as easy to find but incredibly effective. Put on a hilarious movie or call a friend who you know will make you laugh til you pee.
Positive social interaction – any positive social interaction works. Heading down to your local cafe and saying ‘hi’ to the barista counts. Waving at someone out on your walk, looking up and saying “how are you?” as you walk by counts. Complimenting someone’s outfit counts. It signals to your brain that the world is a safe place and that you are safe.
Crying – We’ve been taught that crying equals weakness and I truly hate that. If you know me you KNOW I love a good cry. It’s okay to cry….it’s actually GOOD FOR YOU to release that emotional energy. Crying is our body’s way of releasing stress. So bawl away, friends.
Creativity – Draw, sing, color, do a DIY, daydream. Whatever creative expression appeals to you, get lost in it and release that stress.
Physical affection – Nothing like a big ol’ hug to help your body feel safe, right? This can be with anyone. It doesn’t even have to be from a romantic partner…simply anyone that you feel safe with.
As we head into fall I know getting back to school and then back into the holidays can make stress build up and up and up. I actually have been polling my sisters in The Sisterhood Membership asking them what they NEED from the membership content in coming seasons and it was UNANIMOUS…
They feel OVERWHELMED, STRESSED, and BURNT OUT.
So that’s what we’re gonna tackle TOGETHER this fall in the membership. Enrollment isn’t quite open yet…that’'ll happen in a few weeks on Sept 1st but I want you to be PREPPED + READY when it opens.
Quick recap if you’re newer around here…
The Self Care Sisterhood is a virtual self care community for hard working women who also want to include THEMSELVES on their to do list. The sisterhood’s mission is to provide tools, resources, and community that equip and empower you to take care of YOURSELF (mind, body, + spirit), so you can go out into the world and LOVE + SERVE from the overflow. Each season there is a topic centered on various themes surrounding ALL THINGS self care…and this fall it’s ALL ABOUT GOING BEYOND BURNOUT.
If today’s post spoke to you and you’re ready to…
▫️stop living overwhelmed, stressed, and on the brink of burn out…
▫️implement healthy ways to cope with the daily (inevitable) stress in your life…
▫️gain clarity + focus + intention on what truly matters MOST to you in this season…
▫️and do it all surrounded by a group of women who GET YOU + are on JOURNEY WITH YOU…
Then tap below to get on the WAITLIST so you’re first to know when we open up registration.
I can’t WAIT to welcome you in. 🤍
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