Do you know how often fear rules our lives? And our bodies reflect this fear through fight-or-flight responses in our sympathetic nervous system. When our physical bodies are threatened, the stress triggers a natural and healthy survival stress response. Unfortunately, our body can’t tell the difference between a physical threat and fearful thoughts about the future, work, relationships, or money. In either case, the stress response is activated, and the body is filled with a rush of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.
Stress management is an important factor in optimal health and wellness. The truth is, no matter what diet you follow, how much you exercise, and what supplements you take, if you’re not managing your stress, you will still be at risk for modern degenerative conditions like heart disease, diabetes, disrupted sleep, and autoimmunity.
The body is intelligently equipped with self-repair mechanisms which know how to efficiently fight cancer, prevent infection and heart disease, and age gracefully. But when the stress response is activated, it turns off this self-repair. This wouldn’t be an issue if one’s body were activated only once or twice a week, but this is not what happens. In the age of technology, we experience over 50 stress responses per day, and most of them are not from real threats to our lives! Rather, they come from our minds manipulating of our emotions and racing thoughts about imaginary threats that may never come true. “What is stress?… any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both tax or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual.” – Richard Lazarus; Prominent Psychologist
What happens when we are under stress?
- Increased blood sugar
- Suppressed immune system
- Causes hunger at the wrong time, snacking and craving sugar
- Reduced ability to burn fat
- Suppressed sex hormones and hormonal imbalances
- Reduced testosterone and growth hormones
- Increased fat around the belly, leading to a fatty liver
- Increased risk of depression, anxiety, and mood imbalances
- Contributes to cardiovascular disease
Ayurveda teaches us a well-rounded life with routine, individually focused practices, complete approach to healing and health, and is spiritual in nature. These balance out our busy lives. Ayurvedic philosophy embraces the concept that coming back to balance must focus on levels: physical, mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Let’s explore the natural ways to care for ourselves and promotes true health.
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