By Tara Thomason

   Stress has a language we can all be learning, starting here. Now. Stress is a way that

our bodies speak to us. If we learn to listen and use the information wisely, stress can

be a good thing!

   Yes, that is what I said: stress, if we learn to speak its language, can signal us to take

certain actions to capitalize on the physical impacts or counter them, depending on what

your needs are at a specific point in time.

   In a world where all we hear is, “Stress is bad,” many people, organizations, and

medical teams have been researching the overwhelming effects of stress on the body

and mind for years. It is well documented that stress affects our heart rate, cortisol and

adrenaline levels, and when prolonged, it can increase inflammation, weaken the

immune system, lower energy levels, and harm mental health. It has also been linked to

cardiovascular disease and more. So, we have learned that it needs to be addressed in

the most effective ways possible. For anyone who suspects their stress levels are

affecting their health, it is advisable to seek medical advice and discuss options such as

stress management programs, mindfulness practices, and yoga programs before

participating.

   This article, by no means, is an end-all-be-all to stress management, but it is a

beginning to learn how to recognize it in its early stages and perhaps think about it

differently, resulting in a more productive response to it.

Let’s address one (of several) typical responses to stress: the fight or flight response.

When this happens, the heart rate increases, blood vessels constrict, and cortisol and

adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. Living in this state for long periods of

time will build up and frequently cause a host of health issues.

In a study of 50 participants (by Jamieson, Nock, and Mendes 2012, Harvard University

Department of Psychology, “Mind Over Matter: Reappraising arousal improves

cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress”, Journal of Experimental Psychology)

a test group was given information decreasing emotionally negative stress information,

suggesting that altering their perceptions of stress arousal was sufficient to promote a

more adaptive physiological response. They were then given a social stress test. The

physiological outcomes, by simply changing their thoughts about socially acute stress

responses to something that could be helpful, resulted in improved cardiovascular

functioning when compared to the control groups.

   Another study by Keller, Litzelman, Wisk, et al. 2012, University of Wisconsin, School of

Medicine and Public Health tracked 30,000 adults in the US over 8 years. They asked

them how much stress they experienced in the last year. They also asked if they

believed stress is harmful for their health. Then they used public death records to see

how many of these people died.

   Results: People who experienced a lot of stress in the previous year had a 43%

increased risk of dying. But this was only true for the people who believed that stress is

harmful for your health. The people who experienced a lot of stress but did not view it as

harmful had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study, including people

who had little stress. Bringing all this together, Dr. Kelly McGonigal, PhD in psychology,

author of The Upside of Stress and Stanford educator, interprets these two studies as

grounds to conclude that it is not necessarily the stress itself that has life-threatening

effects on people, but how people think about and manage their stress.

   This brings me to some specific things we can do right now to begin to recognize stress

signals, shift our perspective, and take some actions to harness the energy it can bring,

or if needed, counter it by offsetting its effects. Life without any stress is impossible. There is certainly a time and place for removing certain stressors in life. It’s best to put your mental health in high priority and seek professional guidance from a licensed cognitive behavioral therapist or psychologist if you are unsure which stressors to remove or work on, feel deeply overwhelmed, have high levels of anxiety, or depression. That said, when we attempt to eliminate too much stress, it can lead to diminishing our goals and dreams in life, causing isolation and depression. By not taking healthy risks and learning how to be

resilient in the face of stress, we are not living up to our human potential.

   So, let’s dive into applying a few of the techniques that will kick off your judo flip to your

perspective on stress! Mindshift One, Active Energy Transformation: You might be gearing up for a stressful situation, like a presentation in front of a room full of people, taking a test, or having a difficult conversation with someone. Perhaps you feel your heartbeat rise a bit,

muscles tighten, the proverbial butterflies, or even a feeling of excitement. Take a

moment to follow your breath and be with the emotions.

   These reactions are the cues to remember that stress can be helpful. Invite yourself to

elongate the exhalation so that it is slightly longer than your inhalation. Ask what your

body is trying to tell you. Remind yourself that your body is reacting this way to give you

more energy, strength, and brain power to help you meet your goals and needs. Invite

these added benefits to be truly helpful with your endeavor.

   This whole exercise can be done in a matter of 90 seconds, or you can take several

minutes, as your situation allows. When practiced enough, the time it takes to shift this

mindset can decrease. It is like a muscle and needs to be practiced. This is the first

step in really learning the language of your body and using it to your advantage.

   Mindshift Two, On the Go Relaxation Response: Sometimes we have a difficult time

calming down after stressful days or events. We get home or sit back down at our desk

or in our car, and just need to unwind that ball of stress we are holding on to, keeping

our bodies in a prolonged state of fight or flight response. Sometimes we don’t even

know we are doing it, especially if we have been in the same high-stress situations for

weeks, years or decades at a time.

   If you can sit with your feet on the ground or the floor of your parked car (do not

do this while driving), start by simply observing your breath and becoming aware of it.

After several observed breaths, I invite you to begin a more calculated inhale through

the nose (if it’s not congested and it’s comfortable) and become aware of your

abdomen, letting the proverbial belly fill up with air, then let that air float into the solar

plexus and then up into the shoulder area and then smoothly release a nice big relaxed

exhalation through the mouth. On the exhale, if comfortable, allow yourself to audibly

make a sigh of relief. Repeat for 3-5 rounds. Then allow yourself to return to a natural

uncontrolled breath.

   Breathing naturally, bring your attention to your feet and ankles and move them gently in

a circular motion 3 times in each direction.

To engage the knees, while seated, straighten and bend them a couple of times, and

then pull your knee, one at a time, toward your chest, just lifting them as high as

comfortable, to begin loosening the hips.

   Next, with both hands on the knees, allow your spine to gently flex, arching the back

slightly and then round the back toward your chair, allowing the shoulders to relax. On

an inhale, flex the back, and on the exhale, round the back. Continue 3-5 times.

I invite you to pull the shoulders toward the ears and smoothly back down,

synchronizing the breath, inhaling with the upward movement, and exhaling as you

bring the shoulders down. Then take a few shoulder rolls as it feels comfortable to you.

Moving to the arms, bend and straighten the elbows several times and then roll the

wrists in both directions.

   Then turn the head, looking to the left and then the right with the breath, inhaling in one

direction and exhaling the other direction several times. Then gently look up with an

inhale and down with an exhale for several rounds.

   The above routine is called a modified join-freeing series, which allows the body to shed

some of the pent-up energy and get back to a more balanced state.

Finally, allow yourself to sit still in a comfortable position. Think of a comforting place or

experience. Something that brings a sense of calm and pleasant remembering. Then

with the mouth closed, take a deep inhale and make a humming sound on the exhale.

   Repeat 3-5 times and then sit quietly, settling into that place of comfort and calm you

just identified, ideally, for a full 1-2 minutes. Allow the thoughts to float through; don’t

fight them, just let them, and allow them to move on and try not to attach yourself to

them. Feel free to stay here longer if you are at home or in a place that allows for a

longer 15- to 20- minute session.

   If you have questions or would like to tell me how your practice goes, or to schedule a

private coaching and therapeutic yoga session catered to your individual needs, please

reach out directly to tara@taravida.com.

Tara Thomason blends 33 years of corporate leadership with more than 3 decades of

yoga, meditation, and yoga therapy training with internationally recognized teachers.

She is a Human Potential Strategist to Business and Community Leaders, and

Therapeutic Yoga Teacher.