The true cause of stress…and a tool to reduce it
Reducing stress is one of the most common health and wellbeing goals people have, but most people don’t know what steps they can take to actively make this change. What is stress to begin with?
Stress is a reaction to stimuli. When the brain perceives a stressor, a systemic response from three glands (the hypothalamus, ptuitary and adrenals) releases hormones such as cortisol, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, and activates the immune system and inflammatory response. Stress is a hyperactive state; you are firing on all cylinders. The systemic response is also the reason why stress is a whole body experience; from tension headaches and dry eyes, neck and shoulder pain, fatigue, digestive issues such as nausea, abdominal pain and irregular bowels, all the way to heart, hormonal and immune health, and the appearance of our hair, skin and nails. Stress affects all physical functions, and is the perfect example of the mind-body connection.
While we often blame stress on external factors (traffic, arguments, deadlines, change to our plans, etc), it is our reaction to these factors that actually creates stress. Reactions are habitual, and the more entrenched we are in a reaction, the more quickly and strongly our reaction is. A simple experiment is to consider your response to two different people. When one of them slights you, you may get annoyed, but when the other one hurts your feelings, you feel a much stronger wave of anger charged with many old hurts crash over you. This is because we develop habitual reactions to people and certain issues, and these feed our stress. But habits can change, if there is a will - and this is a powerful stress reduction strategy. The first step is the slow the reaction down by finding the space between the external stressor and your reaction. The second step is to accept rather than resist the external factor. The reality is that something has happened, and it is only the mind that does not want it to be so.
One beautiful story about managing stress comes from the high mountains of Ladakh, a region in the Himalayas bordered by Pakistan, India and China. Known for its extreme weather conditions including high winds, dry, arid conditions and little water, there is a special tree here known as the ‘Tree of Life’ which is a symbol of resilience in the region. Technically called the Willow Tree, this species has adapted to its stressful environment by setting down a deep root system that draws from undergrounder water, flexible branches that bend rather than break in the wind, a thick bark that buffers the extreme weather, and the tree even has its own microclimate created through a foliage canopy that shelters it from the harsh weather. Pretty amazing! It is the trees innate intelligence that helped it adapt to its surroundings and become a beacon of strength for the local people and travellers in the region. We have the same intelligence within us.
How can we embody this intelligence to adapt to external conditions?
As a first step, practice slowing your reactions down. Being reactive is linked to high vata and pitta dosha, so Ayurveda and Yoga use diet, lifestyle and mindset tools to calm these doshas down. Here are three practices to slow down and find a pause in stressful situations:
Begin the day slowly and consciously, with a routine that helps you feel grounded and secure;
When a challenging situation comes up, don’t rush to fix or address it. Give yourself a little time to grasp and process the situation before taking the next step.
Develop a mindset that accepts and normalises change and challenges. The more adaptable you are, the more creatively you can solve problems as they come up - and maybe even enjoy the process!
“The tree that is unbending is easily broken. But the willow tree bends and flexes, and thus it survives the greatest storms.”
