From Stress to Stillness
Do you have pain or tension in your neck, shoulders, arms, hip or back?
Perhaps along with this pain/tension you’ve also had difficulty getting a good night’s sleep lately or you’re experiencing more constipation or diarrhoea. The poor sleep and digestive disturbance may also be causing feelings of low energy which is inhibiting your ability to exercise so you’re not able to get relief from your busy mind or mental worries. Emotionally you may be less calm, more easily upset, slightly down or feel stuck in life. Research shows these are signs that stress is beginning to have an impact on your physical, mental or emotional health.
Everybody experiences stress. But how does stress affect YOU personally, and what can you do about it?
According to a World Health Organisation Global Burden of Disease Survey “stress related disorders will be the second leading cause of disabilities by 2020”. In Australia, the results of a 2014 study into stress and wellbeing showed that more than 7 out of 10 Australians report stress having an impact on their health. Stress and related disorders impair physical and mental functioning, lead to lost work days and impairment at work, and create a higher use of medical care.
The word stress itself has quite a negative meaning these days. The catch phrase “I’m stressed” is acceptably used but perhaps with little understanding of what it means. Stress, when managed well, contributes to a healthy lifestyle. When we exercise we put our respiratory, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems under stress. We breathe more rapidly, our heart beats faster and overtime our resilience builds so that we feel physically stronger. By studying we put ourselves under mental stress. This develops new ways of thinking, new tools and skills to apply, assists us to grow intellectually and develops mental resilience. Relationships can pose challenges that cause emotional unease. By positively dealing with the feelings that arise we develop emotional flexibility and resilience.
These general examples are common daily stresses that physiologically cause a temporary activation of our normal stress response – an increased release of cortisol (the anti-stress, anti-inflammation hormone) and catacholemines (adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and dopamine) that are part of the fight-flight-freeze response. These hormones prepare the body for physical activity; your heart beats faster and stronger, blood pressure rises, more blood is sent to the brain and muscles, the liver is told to release sugar stores for energy and the airways widen for increased breathing.
In paleo times this response was great as it was needed to fight or run from any life threatening situation. However, in our modern life the major stresses that trigger our fight-flight response are financial and family issues, mental and personal health issues and rather than being released physically the hormones build-up tension in the body and mind. This accumulation begins to overload or overwhelm the body and further pressure can exceed your perceived ability to cope and be in control. The biological system designed to protect us is now a contributing factor in many stress related conditions such as cancer, heart disease, mental illness and other disabling diseases.
Prior to these serious illnesses arising stress impacts heart rate, memory, breathing and muscle function. Alternatively, if these systems are not functioning effectively the stress is more internally generated. Suppression of emotions, self-inflicted mental pressure and spiritual strain can also internally generate stress.
We are born with a certain ability to cope with stress. In order to maintain and grow this ability we need to eat well, breathe well, exercise well and relax well. If we assume that we start with a 100% ability to manage stress by adulthood most people run at 50% of their potential. Sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, overwork, emotional distress, shock and environmental factors all deplete this.
At 50% we become more susceptible to colds and flu etc. If we don’t take time out to rest and relax we put our body under more stress and deplete our ability to cope even further and with other contributing factors our coping potential drops to 30% at which point more serious illnesses can develop due to a compromised immune system.
When our coping ability drops below critical level our state of mind changes. We can become depressed, detached, cannot sleep, indulge in compulsive and addictive behaviours have greater levels of fear and attempts to feel more in control may often make the body more toxic.
Returning to a Healthy Lifestyle – The Relaxation Response and Shiatsu
Healthy lifestyle behaviours help to reduce stress and include exercising regularly, eating healthily and getting adequate rest and relaxation. The body’s relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response. It turns off fight/flight mode and brings the body’s biochemistry back to pre-stress levels.
The relaxation response is best stimulated by progressive relaxation techniques such as therapeutic body work like Shiatsu.
In the 2014 stress and well being survey the main relaxation technique used was watching TV. Similar to listening to music or reading a book, watching TV is a distraction activity and although useful does not induce true relaxation. Distraction activities do not cause the brain to switch to the alpha type brain waves that indicate the body is biochemically and physiologically relaxed. Progressive relaxation techniques like Shiatsu do induce alpha type brain waves. It also more rapidly initiates relaxed breathing and muscle relaxation and so produces a calming effect to the nervous system.
Therapeutic touch/body work is essential for healthy human development and is helpful in stress related conditions. A cross European study on the effectiveness of Shiatsu followed 633 participants for 6 months. At the end 86% of patients perceived that symptoms related to stress and tension were greatly reduced from having Shiatsu. Overall health, confidence about health and posture had improved. Up to 80% of patients reported having made healthy lifestyle changes and almost 35% had made reductions in using conventional medicine and medication. Participants reported an increase in the amount of rest and relaxation time, an increase in exercise, improvement in body/mind awareness, increased levels of confidence and resolve, a more positive experience of their social life, improved diet and ability to stay grounded.
Regular Shiatsu takes account of both internal and external processes and how a person interacts with their environment. This then establishes a clear process for managing change and re-establishing a healthy lifestyle, relaxing the nervous system without side effects and returning the biochemistry to pre-stress levels.
By re-experiencing a state of relaxation it makes it much easier for the body to remember how to return to a relaxed state after stressors have passed. Shiatsu develops better breathing habits which assist in the letting go process and the gentle pressure and stretching reduces anxiety and lifts mood. If the stressors are not going to go away the Shiatsu treatment promotes clarity of thought and creativity in decision making which is important during times of stress. Guidance can be given on what can realistically be changed and what strategies can be implemented to better manage the stress.
Where there is internal stress occurring from deep emotional causes like grief or depression Shiatsu provides a safe space to be deeply listened to. Shiatsu therapists listen to understand, accept where a client is at that moment and create a sense of connectedness and an opportunity for peacefulness and calm. Shiatsu also offers a different perspective on illness and as well as relieving symptoms it looks to treat the cause creating overall long-term benefit.
From Stress to Stillness
Soul Body Shiatsu runs a 10 week From Stress to Stillness program. This involves 6 Shiatsu treatments plus diet and lifestyle guidance to help you to stress-less. For more information on the program fill in the enquiry box below or contact Soul Body Shiatsu on 0403 550 695.