The first thing we do when we’re born is that we inhale and the last thing we do when we die I that we exhale. Generally a human being can survive 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, but only about 3 minutes without oxygen before brain cells start to die. We inhale about 20 000 breaths each day without having to think about it at all, thanks to our autonomic nervous system.
Our autonomic nervous system, “the stress system”, coordinates the organs of our bodies and isn’t will-controlled. It’s divided into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. When the sympathetic nervous system is more active it’s preparing our bodies for a fight or flight, regardless of whether you’re bumping into a dangerous animal or are late to an important meeting. Stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine) are released into the bloodstream which elevates your heart rate and blood pressure, your breathing becomes more rapid and shallow, the blood is prioritized to the skeletal muscles that move your body and you’ll also have a decreased ability to think clearly and make good decisions and instead your actions become more impulsive and emotionally driven. Some of the body’s functions are then put on hold, the ones that don’t directly help in a life threatening situation, for example the digestive system. The parasympathetic nervous system is more active when we’re winding down and recharging. Then the body prioritize time for digestion, wound healing, reproduction, sleep and it kind of rebuilds itself.
Stress itself isn’t dangerous, but when it lasts for too long (several months, years) and there is no time to recharge, that’s when it may lead to poor health. We all react differently to stress and some people are more sensitive to it than others. The individual experience of stress is what matters here, so that means that the intensity of the stress a person is feeling is determined by how the person evaluates and assesses the experience that caused him or her stress. How we think about and act on the stressors, affects how we experience stress regardless of what triggered it.
The first sign I notice when I’m stressed is that my breathing becomes very shallow, feeling like the breath kind of stops before it goes all the way down to the lungs. My thorax becomes tighter and tighter and my shoulders are pulled upwards and forwards, which then leads to tight neck muscles eventually resulting in a headache. It turns into a vicious spiral and if you don’t break it, the body will continue protesting with psychosomatic symptoms until you do something about it. It can be anything from digestive problems, problems with sleeping, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, depression and pain in any part of the body. On top of that your immune system is decreased when you’ve been stressed for a long time and the risk of injuries and inflammation in your body is increased. I have, except the already mentioned symptoms, also experienced such pain in my legs that I wasn’t able to stand for longer periods of time, I have fainted, my chest have become so tight it felt like I wasn’t able to breathe sufficiently, my abdominal aorta has been pulsating so intensely I thought it was going to burst and I’ve also pulled my back, all of it most likely caused by stress.
As I mentioned earlier the autonomous nervous system isn’t will-controlled, but there is a way to get around it and that’s through breathing. Breathe slowly and deeply with a prolonged exhale, it makes the parasympathetic nervous system more active and calms your body down. When you’re feeling stressed and like that vicious spiral is getting started, slow down the pace. Practice speaking and moving slower, chew your food properly, listen attentively when someone is speaking to you, feel the sun warming your face, but above all breathe, breathe, breathe. Already after a few calm breaths the body calms down. Try to inhale for 1-2-3-4-5 and exhale for 6-7-8-9-10-11-12. Repeat that several times until you feel calmer. Then you can try to prolong the breath, especially the exhale, if it feels okay for you. All of us started with a breath, take care of yours. Take care of you.
[The photo is from Wanaka, New Zealand 2019]