Adapting Your Body to Stressful Times
If you’re like most people, you’ve read a lot of tips on avoiding COVID-19. You likely know the basics: wash your hands; keep a safe distance from others; avoid travel and quarantine yourself if you have traveled; and don’t go out at all if you experience any symptoms.
Staying Healthy Starts On The Inside
However, it’s also important to acknowledge that staying healthy starts on the inside. The defense system we all need to take care of in these crazy times is our immune system.
Yet here’s the irony: When we are stressed, our immunity becomes weaker. And right now, we’re all stressed about sickness among other things. Just when we all need a strong immune system, chronic stress has the potential to weaken our defenses.
How Stress Affects the Immune System
Why does stress weaken immunity? The process makes perfect sense if you think of how we lived for most of human history.
Not too long ago, if we perceived a threat, such as a predatory animal in the wild, we had to respond – and quickly! In that sense, our body is primed to protect us.
In Stress We’re Programmed to ‘Fight Or Flight’
Let’s take a look at the ‘fight or flight’ response and how stress changes us on a physiological level. Here’s what happens when faced with stress:
- Blood pressure goes up.
- Heart rate goes up.
- Serotonin levels drop, because you need to stay awake.
- Insulin sensitivity is impaired.
- Digestion slows down to preserve energy.
- Cholesterol goes up.
- The body pumps stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream.
All of these changes are designed to make sure that you have enough energy in the right places – ie the arms and legs – to respond to the short term stress appropriately – ie, to fight or to run away.
Resource Hoarding
That’s because your body wants to put all of its resources into dealing with the immediate stressful threat. This response is actually very helpful – if you need to escape a predator. However, in today’s world, stress is typically more chronic and, let’s face it, unrelenting (ie, deadlines at work/school, pressures at home, worry about your loved ones in public health emergencies…).
And that’s where the problems start.
Adaptive Physiology
Our body’s ability to respond to stress is called “adaptive physiology.” To understand this, it might help to think of your nervous system as actually two systems:
- Your parasympathetic nerve system is behind the “Relax and Recharge”, aka “Rest and Digest and Detoxify” response you need in between periods of stress. Without this response, your body’s systems would stay in overdrive.
- Your sympathetic nerve system powers the Fight or Flight response that you need in the face of danger.
Essentially, the way in which these two systems work together is not unlike the brakes and gas pedals in your car. One slows you down as needed, and the other speeds you up as needed.
Ideally, your body adapts depending on the situation. The Relax and Recharge period is essential to restoring balance in mind and body; it’s when you repair or heal your body.
Putting the Brakes on Stress
Right now, many of us feel like the ‘gas’ is always on, which is a perfectly understandable response when faced with a global crisis.
However, that kind of constant stress can lead to a long list of health problems if the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight system) never turns off.
What happens to a car if you only touch the gas pedal and never use the brakes? There’s a high likelihood of a crash.
Don’t Crash Your Immune System
Not surprisingly, your immune system suffers when you’re heading for a crash. All the things that happen during your flight or fight (sympathetic) stress response can lower your immunity. And that’s exactly what you don’t want to happen right now. Stress has been shown to lower the numbers and function of your immune cells (lymphocytes), these cells are important for fighting viruses and tumours. This can also happen when you feel loneliness and depression, which can be happening more so at this time.
6 Ways To Switch Your Body To A Parasympathetic State
So, what can you do? Isn’t stress inevitable at this moment in history? A good starting point is thinking of the two states of your nerve system and doing what you can to reach a state of rest and restoration.
1. Look at your mindset.
How you perceive a stressful situation will affect your body’s response to it. Perhaps you’re social distancing and feeling trapped and restless inside your home. That’s stressful. However, consider the difference between feeling stuck at home and feeling safe at home. That simple mental shift can help your nervous system remain in a restorative mode.
Don’t forget: You always have the opportunity to change your attitude.
2. Seek connection.
In times of stress, you should be close to people who restore your sense of wellbeing. It’s important to feel connected and accepted, because a feeling of connection can support your immunity. However, how can you connect to others while also social distancing?
Fortunately, we’re lucky to live at a time with many options for video chats. Set up virtual coffee dates and regular meetings to touch base with those people who make you feel connected. Whether you use online methods or simply by phone or text messages, there are several options, even letter-writing.
3. Honour your body’s natural rhythms.
Many people are having trouble sleeping right now. However, it’s more important than ever to try to get between seven and nine hours a night. Even if your normal routine is disrupted, try to stick to a regular sleep schedule. That means going to bed at the same time every night (yes, even on weekends). As well, don’t dismiss the restorative powers of a short nap.
4. Don’t overcommit.
We’re all under a lot of pressure right now. Take a close look at your commitments and think of how you can eliminate any unnecessary stress. Remember that the goal is to promote balance in your nerve system.
What makes you feel refreshed and restored? Those are the activities to focus on. Meditation, taking-up reading or gardening again, listening to calming music, etc.
5. Eat to optimize your immune system.
Many studies backup the importance of essential nutrients in protecting your immunity. The ideal diet and supplements for you will depend on your unique health profile, but important nutrients to consider include zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and D. In addition, don’t overlook the importance of maintaining a balance of ‘good’ bacteria in your gut. More and more research points to the connection between a healthy gut and a healthy immune system.
In fact, up to 80 percent of your immune cells are found in your gut. The interaction between your gut microbes and your immune system helps protect you against foreign pathogens.
6. Move your body.
Exercise can help your body’s nerve system maintain equilibrium. It can slow down the release of stress hormones and increase the number of disease-fighting white blood cells. As well, movement helps to regulate the communication between your brain and your body.
However, it’s important to move in a safe way – any irregularities in your body’s alignment can affect this process. Focus on doing something you love and making exercise a part of your daily routine. Consistency is the key! If you’re not sure exactly how to work out with gym closures, check out the multitude of workouts you can find online.
Prioritize Self-Care
Even in stressful times, it’s possible to work on your immune system. Focus on your body’s need to restore and repair itself and prioritize your self-care. An excellent guide to create your own self-care and resiliency plan is from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). Taking steps towards staying healthy can help you gain a sense of control in an uncertain world. And that will ultimately strengthen your response to stress.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please reach out; many resources are listed in the MHCC link above. We can also work together to create a plan that fits your unique needs! Contact us online or by phone at 905-597-7201.
