Has stress taken over your life? If you are constantly overwhelmed and under pressure with no relief, it’s time to learn how to reset your stress tolerance.
There are countless triggers for stress in the modern world. But you can start to improve your body’s ability to adapt to stress with just 3 simple steps.
Why are we so stressed these days?
Stress is an essential part of the human body, as are the hormones we produce in response to stress. If you are getting chased, you want the tunnel vision, the extra strength, the speed from having plenty of oxygen in the muscles because they keep you safe.
But these days, we don’t know how to come down after a stressful experience like our ancestors did. We also have more forms of stress than ever, which can leave us stuck in fight-or-flight all day long. That’s why we need tools to help us adapt to stress and settle after something stressful occurs.
Some of the forms of stress you might experience on a daily basis include:
- Food intolerances
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Environmental factors such as pollution, EMF, chemicals and cigarette smoke
- Infections – both acute and chronic
- Significant health concerns such as chronic conditions, daily medication and surgery
- Poor sleep
- The effects of current or previous trauma
- Your own mindset and mental health
Now obviously we can’t avoid all of these all of the time – particularly if we are unaware of them. But it shows you why so many of us are stuck in this hypersensitive state where stress is the norm.
How stress can cause serious health issues
Stress is not just something that makes you feel terrible – it has some significant consequences on a physical level. Some of the ways that stress directly influences the body include:
- Suppressing progesterone – your feel-good sex hormone
- Increasing oestrogen – often leading to dominance
- Raising aldosterone – this hormone is needed to regulate fluid in the body. When it’s elevated, your body retains water while losing magnesium and potassium. As a result, you become more dehydrated
- Suppressing immune function – meaning you’re more prone to illness
- Directing blood away from the digestive tract – resulting in digestive symptoms
- Suppressing the thyroid
- Impairing fertility by acting on the ovaries
Long-term stress can also cause symptoms including:
- Anxiety
- High blood pressure
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Inflammation
- Fogginess
- Memory problems
- Easy bruising
- Stretch marks
- Premature ageing
- Muscle loss and/or fat gain
All of these are indicators that you’re under too much stress and not adapting to it properly.
3 habits to reset your stress tolerance
There are a lot of ways you could work on your stress. But I thought I would share my 3 favourite methods to reset your stress tolerance and adapt more effectively to what life throws your way.
Increase your REM sleep
Previously, it was thought that nightmares for those under stress or trauma were an issue, so doctors would prescribe medication to reduce dreaming. But we now know that rapid-eye-movement sleep can help people deal better with stress.
Put simply, dreaming allows your brain to work through the trauma or stress. The ideal amount is around 90-110 minutes per night.
So how do you increase your REM sleep?
- Avoid alcohol, nicotine, sleeping medication and recreational drugs
- Skip low calorie and low carb diets, as they reduce REM sleep
- Include a small serving of carbs at dinner
- Have 2 kiwifruits an hour before bedtime
- Exercise daily – yoga or a 20-40 minute walk are two good options
- Stick to a regular night routine and bedtime
Grounding
This is a wonderful method for resetting your nervous system. It can reduce your cortisol and adrenaline, while boosting feel-good serotonin and dopamine.
Ground daily if possible, and work up to 20-40 minutes per day of skin contact with the ground. If you live in an apartment or have severe winter weather, you may like to invest in a grounding mat.
Quiet time
Too much noise can be overstimulating, particularly if your nervous system is already on high alert. Aim to have at least 10 minutes per day of quiet time.
If you struggle with quiet or silence, you can try using a guided meditation during your quiet time.
Learning how to reset your stress is just one key strategy for a healthy hormone balance
If you want to understand and calm your PMDD, PMS and monthly mood symptoms once and for all, I invite you to join our FREE monthly Calm Cycle Circle here.
