Are we all stuck with the stress button on?

Well I don’t like to make overarching generalizations, but most likely we are..

When is the last time you really felt relaxed, like you could slow down, without have a bunch of to do’s, should have’s, would have’s, or what if’s…or over analysis of anything and everything running through your mind?

I believe that most people in the world are forced into the state of “fight or flight”, basically just to survive nowadays.

We have work and our professional lives, a family to take care of, “side hustles” and passion projects, a social life to keep up with, and the worries pertaining to the world and having to live and survive in it. This doesn’t typically allow much down time and time to just “be”, without feeling like you are missing out, like you should be doing something productive, or worrying about the future.

Sadly, this leaves us in chronic states of stress, and overpowering desires and cravings to try to do something in order to be able to calm down like having some wine, other alcohol or drugs like anti anxiety medication or worse, and over eating foods that are unhealthy because you want to numb yourself and your overactive mind. Partaking in these numbing behaviors can be a perpetual cycle and big problem in and of itself, not to mention keeping you in this state of chronic stress (and making it worse simply based on the effects of these substances you are putting into your body).

The sympathetic nervous system is the state you are in when you are stressed. This is your “fight or flight mode”. In my opinion, it is anything BUT sympathetic to you and me though (ironic that it is named that).

Being in this state constantly causes stress hormones to be released and our immunity to lower. We all know at this point that our immune system is very important and having a lowered immunity means lowered ability for body to respond to infections properly and adequately.

If anything should entice you to want to lower your stress at this time, in my opinion, it would be the lowered immunity factor, because who wants to be sick..?

The parasympathetic nervous system on the other hand, is the “ rest and digest mode” of your nervous system. Being in this state is the preferred and natural state of your body to be able to digest food properly, reproduce, and heal.

Have you ever noticed that when you are overly stressed, your digestion becomes a little.. or maybe a lot..off? Maybe you have increased gas or bloating, or otherwise like constipation, cramping or diarrhea..

In reference to reproducing..

When your body is in fight or flight mode and not rest and digest mode, your body says, “No way” I am trying to flee from a tiger..or another threat. I need to be alert and divert all the energy to survival. I cannot, and will not, let myself get pregnant and reproduce right now. That is not a feasible task for me at this time.” … So what happens?

You may not be able to get pregnant..

Sadly, this is a situation that a lot of people face nowadays. Although living in a state of chronic stress is not the only reason that some people are unable to get pregnant, it is a common one.

And what if you are unable to get into the healing mode (parasympathetic mode) for your body? ….

That’s right: you can’t heal properly. This obviously can lead to all sorts of health issues and serious diseases down the line.

The real kicker here is that a lot of us have been stressed for so long, and are used to living in this state of increased performance, always having to be “on”, having extraordinarily high expectations of ourselves, etc, and we don’t even think or realize that we ARE in this fight of flight mode for a majority of our life.

I was this way, until I finally realized that I can’t go on in this mode. My body, mind and soul would not let me. It was unsustainable.

So I had to surrender, give in and listen to my body more closely than I ever had before.

That realization was one of the greatest gifts I had ever been given..

Sometimes it takes an adverse health event to smack you down and make you actually listen. Taking the time to evaluate how you may need to make some changes could be a great thing to do for your health, presently and in the future.

Are you living in this state of chronic stress, candle burning at both ends, obligations out the wazoo, always feeling like you should or have to be doing something, and never giving yourself the self-care and downtime you so desperately need and deserve…?