15 Ways To Activate Calm & DeStress
Are you chronically stressed? Not only can stress lead to anxiety, but maintaining that constant state of tension can also lead to physical issues like inflammation, poor immune function, hormone imbalances, weight gain, thyroid and digestive issues, and insomnia—to name just a few side effects. When you implement exercises that tell your brain and body that all is well, you not only can tap into a better headspace, but your physical health improves, too.
What IS CHRONIC STRESS?
Essentially, chronic stress is a prolonged response to a threat; the threat might be real, as in being chased by a bear, or perceived, as when you’re speaking before a large group. In both cases, you may experience the same psychological and physiological reactions.
When you perceive a situation as stressful, your hypothalamus, a gland at the base of your brain, activates your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), or the fight-or-flight response. When it turns on, your brain tells the adrenal glands to release epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine, which are hormones. You might notice a temporary increase in your heart rate and blood pressure along with increased alertness and decreased digestion and urine. This is your body’s way of diverting your energy toward managing the stressor, says Dr. Guyden, MD.
Simultaneously, your adrenal glands release cortisol, the primary anti-inflammatory stress hormone, to release glucose (sugars) into your bloodstream so you can take quick action. Cortisol will also activate the inflammatory cascade in an effort to aid in tissue repair and recovery, explains Dr. Guyden. Once the stressor recedes, your body should return to homeostasis. This reaction “is designed to be short-lived,” she explains.
When the stress response remains activated for a prolonged period and engages too frequently, you’re at risk for chronic stress. According to Dr. Guyden, chronic stress results from multiple sources of stress you’ve been experiencing for three months or more. This leads to sustained activation of the body’s stress system, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis), which releases stress hormones. Meanwhile, psychological stress provokes the immune response, sending chemicals known as pro-inflammatory cytokines to attack the threat. Over time, Dr. Guyden says, your body can become cortisol resistant, which means your inflammation response never “shuts off.” Chronic inflammation can lead to a number of serious health conditions.
It’s important to note that the same circumstances may elicit the fight-or-flight response in some individuals but not others. “Some people find excitement in small amounts of stress, and thus, their bodies don’t respond to them as ‘stressful,’ and potentially, have no physiological response,” says Dr. Guyden. “Others, depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, lifestyle, socioeconomics, childhood trauma, and genetic factors, respond to very small stressors as if they are life-threatening.”
Symptoms of chronic stress
According to Dr. Guyden, “Our brilliant bodies are designed to respond to stress.” However, when prolonged or multiple stressors suppress the parasympathetic nervous system, you may experience various chronic stress symptoms.
The long-term activation of the HPA axis and elevated cortisol levels can cause:
increases in blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease
increase in blood sugar levels (as in diabetes)
dizziness/fainting
weight gain
lowered immune function
digestive problems
memory issues
mood disturbances such as depression, anxiety, or irritability
fatigue but difficulty sleeping (a.k.a. wired but tired)
chronic pain
muscle tension
urinary problems
“Interestingly, with long-term chronic stress, cortisol may eventually decrease, causing chronically low cortisol, leading to a slightly different picture,” says Dr. Guyden. Symptoms can include:
low blood pressure
craving salt and spicy foods
morning fatigue
panic
diminished motivation
poor concentration
allergies
hormonal issues such as early menopause or low libido for women
WHAT IS THE VAGUS NERVE?
Did you know you actually have a chill-out button in your back pocket? It’s called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the brain to the body, and its primary function is to activate our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS); there are two branches of the nervous system, the PNS, “rest and digest” and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), or “fight and flight.”
Of course, it’s not literally located in your back pocket—the vagus nerve runs from the brainstem through the neck and down to your abdomen. Its main function is to regulate digestion and your heart and breathing rate. When it’s activated, it will temper your physiological stress response, allowing a feeling of calm to wash over you. And the good news? There are specific exercises you can do for vagus nerve stimulation.
BENEFITS OF VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION
Consider what happens when your sympathetic nervous system is heightened—maybe you’re stuck in traffic, just received a nasty email, feel overwhelmed at your job, or had a fight with your partner or a friend. “When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, the job of the SNS is to promote survival. So, in the face of a threat, your body wants to make sure you can run for your life: Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, and other systems you don’t need at the moment are down-regulated. Meaning digestion, immune, and reproductive systems slow,” says D’Elia Assenza. When you employ exercises that tell your brain and body that all is well, you not only can tap into a better headspace but your physical health benefits, too.
For example, the vagus nerve is a channel that receives signals from the gut microbiota and zips that info over to the brain, notes a 2018 paper in Frontiers in Neuroscience. The authors point out that stress inhibits the vagus nerve and may be linked to GI disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through inflammation.
In essence, the vagus nerve plays an important role in the gut-brain axis, which affects your mood and has been implicated in the development of depression and anxiety. Another study published in the same journal noted that vagus nerve stimulation might be an additional therapy for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. (Of course, these exercises are not a substitute for treatment your provider has recommended for you.)
Doing vagus nerve exercises also increases your vagal tone, which D’Elia Assenza describes as your capacity to handle stress and determines how quickly you can bounce back from stressful events. “Think of it like exercise—you may stimulate your ab muscles by doing crunches to have greater muscle tone in your core,” she says.
How to stimulate the vagus nerve
Psychological vagus nerve exercises
Getting the vagus nerve moving isn’t the only way to stimulate the vagus nerve - your thoughts and feelings can activate it, too. “Eliciting an emotional response that can be supportive to the vagus nerve and calming parasympathetic nervous system,” says D’Elia Assenza.
Gratitude journaling: Sit down before bed or when you wake up and write down three things you’re grateful for, whether they’re big (your family) or small (that nourishing oat milk latte this morning). Repeat this daily, weekly, or at a cadence that feels right for you to help activate the PNS.
Deep breathing: Deep breathing tricks your body into thinking, “I can’t possibly be running for my life if I’m breathing this slowly.” The Box Breath is fantastic for lowering stress in the body (Also called a square breath.) Inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4. Repeat as many times as you need. Another breathing exercise I love and use to destress the body is the physiological sigh. Double inhale through your nose, followed by an extended exhale through your mouth. This physiological sigh offloads carbon dioxide bringing one’s stress level down very quickly. Click here for a great explanation by Dr. Huberman on the physiological sigh. Diaphragmatic breathing is also fantastic for activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Meditating: Meditating can take many forms and does not have to be long and drawn out, but “contemplative practices,” such as meditation and yoga, have been found to bring calm, in part, by activating the vagus nerve, according to research. Spend five minutes on an app like Headspace, Calm, Feel Better, or Insight Timer for short guided meditations.
Exposing yourself to things that are beautiful, such as a sunset, spending time in nature, looking at pretty pictures, or playing with your pets: Anything that brings forth positive emotions—and this is different for everyone—increases vagal tone, and has been found to be a contributor to good physical health, notes a randomized controlled trial in Psychological Science.
Physical vagus nerve exercises
These activities all center around one thing: Manipulating the vocal cord. “The physical reverberation of your vocal cords can activate the vagus nerve,” D’Elia Assenza explains.
Gargling: Gargle with water in the morning and evening when you brush your teeth. Aim for 30 seconds to one minute.
Singing: It doesn’t matter if you can carry a tune (or make dogs howl with your pitch), turn on your favorite song, and belt it out.
Om-ing: Yes, the same om associated with yoga practice. Sitting in a quiet space, chant a long “om.” You should feel a vibration around the ears, which will connect to the vagus nerve. A study in the International Journal of Yoga found that chanting ‘om’ was helpful in deactivating certain parts of the limbic system in the brain involved in stress and emotional responses, such as the amygdala.
Laughing: Watch a funny TV show or movie and actually LOL at the funny parts. Or, get together with a funny friend who always makes you laugh.
More ways to decompress
Integrate more self-care practices such as Epsom salt baths, massage, walking outside, sauna sessions, and cold plunges.
Try Adaptogen Blends- Adaptogenic herbs have been shown to positively affect stress reduction, adrenal function, and thyroid function. Adaptogens have also recently been researched for their anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory properties. My favorite adaptogens that are great for stress are Ashwagandha, L-theanine, Eleuthero root extract, Licorice root, Rhodiola, Holy Basil, and. Schisandra. Click here and here for my favorite blends.
Support your adrenals and gut by decreasing caffeine consumption; instead, try green tea, matcha, or no caffeine options: Dandy Blend (dandelion root tea), herbal tea, herbal chai, and decaf coffee. Some adaptogenic mushroom blends that include coffee are Four Sigmatic and Ryze: caffeine-free adaptogen blends are MUDWTR and Four Sigmatic Chill Blend.
Move your body daily - Getting outside in the fresh air affects your pineal gland and helps reset your brain and the stress response. I recommend low-impact workouts like walking, pilates, yoga, barre, etc.
Try regular rhythm. Rhythm is key because your hormones are balanced in rhythms. So, waking up at the same time every day, going to bed at the same time every day, and eating at the same time every day help reset your natural balance.
Listen to 6 hz theta wave music to destress. Research confirms that music around 6-Hz binaural beat on a 250 Hz carrier tone could be used as a stimulus for inducing a meditative state within a short duration. Click here for a great 6hz theta wave Spotify playlist.
Seeking treatment for chronic stress
“We shouldn’t be waiting until we are in emergent states of health to address the chronic stressors that many of us face,” says Dr. Guyden. This is particularly true if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. “As we’ve learned, these are diseases of stress and should be addressed holistically,” she explains.
A functional medicine doctor and holistic health coach like myself will address the root cause of your health problems, not just the symptoms. By connecting individuals with where and how chronic stress has crept in, understanding one’s response to stress, how an individual restores and rejuvenates, and what long-term traumas and emotional stressors are still present, we are able to create a pathway to reversal.
Written & edited by: Pam Moore,
Jessica Migala & Cameron Gildea INHC
The information and supplements provided is not medical advice and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your doctor before starting any new supplement or health routine.
