The holidays bring with them a host of emotions. This time of year can be cherished by many yet anxiety-inducing as with the accumulation of homecoming, gathering, and giving.
Stress is a buzzword for a reason– we all experience it in some capacity or another. However, this article is meant to provide you with tangible ideas to help get you through this season and beyond.
How do we typically manifest stress in our bodies?
This can look different for all individuals, however, there are many common or overlapping themes that arise when it comes to your body letting you know it is “stressed out.” We have disconnected as a society from what stress actually does for us. Because it is quite unpleasant, naturally we want to avoid or abolish stress whenever we can. However, stress is also healthy - and it is a (sometimes not so) gentle reminder that we need to tune in to our bodies and give ourselves some TLC.
What does stress look like for you?
Muscle tension and pain (many times around the neck, low back, pelvic floor)
Headaches
Shallow breathing or breath holding at times
Bladder symptoms (frequency, urgency, UTI-type symptoms)
Bowel symptoms (constipation, diarrhea)
Elevation in blood pressure, heart rate
Low libido
Frequent illness
What you can do when you notice stress levels elevating and symptoms popping up:
Physiologically and neurologically speaking, it is pretty amazing that there is an evolutionary process that takes place when our bodies are put in what Emily Nagoski, author of “Burnout," calls a “Stress Response Cycle."
Our body takes us through the same process of stress as it would if we encountered a lion that we need to escape from to survive and warn the rest of our village. Our body also takes us through the same process of stress response when we anticipate stressors (the great upside to being human).
Just because you’ve dealt with a stressor doesn’t mean you have dealt with the stress itself. You have to deal with the stress to complete the circle. Physical activity is the single most efficient strategy for completing the cycle. Even if it's jumping up and down or a good old cry.
“The good news is that stress is not the problem. The problem is that the strategies that deal with stressors have almost no relationship to the strategies that deal with the physiological reactions our bodies have to those stressors. To be “well” is not to live in a state of perpetual safety and calm, but to move fluidly from a state of adversity, risk, adventure, or excitement, back to safety and calm, and out again. Stress is not bad for you; being stuck is bad for you.” - Emily Nagoski
Stressor → Physiologic response (above symptoms) → Reaction (Fight or Flight)
→ Survival and back to a neutral state
Our Vagus Nerve (Latin for “Vagabond” or “Wandering”) travels from our brain to our body serving most of our vital organs and functions. It has a key role in controlling breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive function. It is quite literally the nerve that serves as the Mind-Body Highway– linking physical and mental processes. It tells our body if we are in “fight or flight” mode, or if we can take a seat to “rest and digest.”
Although we do not have direct influence over the stressors that arise and the immediacy of how our body reacts physiologically (Thank you, Body), we DO have influence over the input we put back into our body to travel up the highway back to the brain so we can signal safety and relief from stress.
So what can you do?
Do you know what is super amazing about science? There are researchers whose purpose is to learn what we can do to reduce the long-term effects of stress on our body and mind in an ever-changing world. Physical activity (exercise) has been shown to be THE most efficient strategy for completing the stress cycle. It is an excellent coping strategy for managing both acute and chronic stress alongside the addition of breathing practices (which have a more direct influence on the vagus nerve).
→ Breath Work/Techniques:
Diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to improve the quality and depth of breath, reducing shallow breathing that stimulates a fight or flight response in the body. Simply bringing your hands to the abdomen, or chest and abdomen, helps increase awareness of our breath patterns and where we tend to funnel our breath. The goal here is to increase abdominal and ribcage expansion for a deeper and longer breath.
You can do this lying down, sitting, or standing. Incorporate this technique and awareness with the below movements.
An additional breathing technique called “Box Breathing” helps slow down your breath to focus on the quality of your inhale and exhale. How to perform: Inhale to a count of 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold after 4 seconds.
→ Movement Techniques to Tap Into The Vagus Nerve:
These stretches can be static (hold the stretch 30 - 60 seconds) or dynamic (moving into and out of the stretch if you prefer).
#1 - Side bending neck and thoracic stretch:
This allows the muscles around the sides of the neck and our upper trap to relax and reduce tension along the nerve path. This is a great stretch if you notice you carry more tension around your neck and shoulders, and if you find yourself sitting a lot throughout the day.
#2 - Chest Opener and Back Stretch:
This stretch is great to perform with a foam roller or the back of a sturdy chair. Use your hands to support your head and place the foam roller/chair at your mid-upper back. Allow your upper back to fold over the foam roller and breathe into the stretch.
#3 - Child’s Pose (hands on foam roller or on ground):
This stretch is well known in the yoga community- it has a lot of benefits for raising mind-body awareness, allowing improved breath flow through the ribcage and pelvic floor, improves pelvic floor relaxation if you notice that you hold more tension there or have pelvic floor symptoms (see above), and helps reduce back and hip pain especially if you notice a lot of stiffness initially with this position.
#4 - Cat-Camel
This movement is great to work on with the coordination of the breath. Multiple benefits of performing the below movement include spinal mobility for vagus nerve input and pain reduction, pelvic mobility as well as gentle pelvic floor muscle movement, reduction of neck pain, and improved blood flow from sedentary postures. Additional benefits you can add are INhaling with movement of the first picture, and EXhaling with movement of the second picture.
While the holidays can be a time of joy and connection, they often come with their own set of challenges that can lead to stress and anxiety. Incorporating simple movement and breathing techniques into your daily routine can be a powerful way to combat this stress and bring a sense of calm amidst the chaos.
About the Author:
Natalia Avelar is a Pelvic and Orthopedic Specialist and owner of Peace Pelvic Health in Chicago.
She specializes in pelvic floor physical therapy and is dedicated to supporting individuals during the transformative stages of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and postmenopausal years.
Peace Pelvic Health offers in-home and telehealth consultations, ensuring that compassionate, personalized treatment is accessible to everyone.
On a mission to provide direct care that fosters healing and empowerment during some of life’s most pivotal moments, Natalia believes that patients should receive care in a professional and supportive setting that allows them to share their experiences, express concerns, and enhance their quality of life by collaborating as a team.
At Peace Pelvic Health, the focus is on nurturing not only your physical health but your overall well-being, helping you feel your best. Natalia is also trilingual, speaking English, Polish, and Spanish fluently.
Learn more about how Peace Pelvic Health can support you at peacepelvichealth.org or reach out directly at 773-694-4030
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