First published on Conference & Incentive Travel as part of the Stress Matters wellbeing supplement in March
Busy busy people, that’s us #eventprofs. These busy lives can cause us a lot of stress. This stress is a mental tension caused by demanding circumstances and it doesn’t just affect our mental state, it affects our physical health too. When we are very stressed, a hormone called cortisol is released into our bloodstream, suppressing the functioning of our immune, digestive and reproductive systems. Being able to manage this stress so we can keep our minds and bodies healthy is important.
The challenge is, we all need to manage it differently.
Firstly though, it is important to note that not all stress is bad. Stress is actually our body’s way of helping us survive when it thinks it is in danger. Our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and makes our heart rate increase and gives us this burst of the energy hormone, adrenaline, and this is what makes us often fire on all cylinders on-site at events. It’s our body’s way of making sure that we can deal with whatever situation is being thrown at us. This is also called our flight or fight response.
Animals have this response mechanism too. Octopuses and squids, they shoot ink – there’s that Finding Nemo scene: ‘You guys made me ink!’ their approach to camouflage is a manifestation of the fight or flight response. It’s saying, ‘How can I get away?’, and hiding is one of those ways
So the question is, when something challenging happens, which response do you demonstrate?
Fight – Do you believe you can overpower the threat? If you do, your body is told by your brain to quickly prepare you for the physical demands of fighting. You might experience some of the following:
You cry
You feel like punching someone or something
You feel like stomping or kicking
Your stomach feels tied in knots, or you have a burning feeling in your stomach
Your jaw is tight, or you grind your teeth
You glare at people or talk to them with anger in your voice
You feel intense anger
Your words include metaphors like bombs
Flight – When you believe you can overcome the danger by running away, your brain prepares your body for flight. Some things below that might mean you’re in a flight response:
You constantly move your legs and feet
You’re fidgety
You’re tense
You feel trapped
You exercise excessively
Your legs are restless
Freeze – When neither of those reactions appeal, your body freezes:
You have a sense of dread
You have numbness in your body
Your skin is pale
You feel stiff or heavy
Your heart is pounding
Your heart rate may decrease
Different situations will call for different responses and while that’s not what we are focusing on here, knowing what your normal response is can help us find stress management techniques that might work for us.
The “fight” response. If you tend to become angry, frustrated and agitated, use relaxation techniques that calm and quieten you down. Consider one of the below:
Meditation. Try sitting cross-legged and bring your focus to your breath, to a repeated phrase, i.e., ‘I am relaxed.’
Progressive muscle relaxation. Either sitting or lying down, starting with your toes and moving all the way up to your forehead, tensing one body part for five to ten seconds and then releasing and letting that part of your body feel relaxed.
Deep breathing. Take two counts of breath in through your nose and two counts out through your mouth. Focus on your breathing while doing so. Just five rounds of this can have a huge impact.
Guided imagery. Close your eyes and think about all of the details of one of your most positive relaxing moments. What does it smell like? What can you hear? Use all five senses.
The “flight” response. If you tend to withdraw or zone out when you are stressed, you need to focus on energising and stimulating your body and mind.
Massage. Relaxing muscle tissue, which may lead to decreased nerve compression, and increased range of motion. Massage can also improve circulation, which enhances the delivery of oxygen to muscle cells.
Mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness daily can increase your level of care and compassion for yourself and others. It also gently builds an inner strength so that future stressors have less impact on our happiness and physical well-being
Power yoga. Allowing yourself some time every day to move your body, strengthen your muscles and stretch deeply will contribute to a healthier, happier state of being. It will also leave you feeling less sluggish and tired.
The “freeze” response. If you tend to “freeze” in stressful situations and find you can’t work logically through problems, we need to choose physical activity that engages both your arms and legs, such as running, dancing, or tai chi, and perform it mindfully, focusing on the sensations in your limbs as you move. This will then in term stimulate a flight or fight response.
Jogging. A morning jog or other forms of cardio exercise can help with releasing the endorphins and can help prevent feelings of stress throughout the day.
Yoga . YouTube is overrun with yoga videos so even if you can’t make it to a yoga class, you can get some stretching in anywhere and at any time. Let go of tension in your body and to clear your mind.
Dancing . Not only can it alleviate some of the physical tension that comes with stress, the social aspect of dancing also allows for a freedom of expression and creativity.
Have a think about if you need to energise your body or if you need to quieten it down. What works for one person, might not work for you. It is important to consider what fits into your lifestyle and what leaves you feeling satisfied. Contact Stress Matters to book a personal or team stress audit session to see how you react to stress and what you can do about it.
