Strategy #5: Your Quarantine Stress Eating Survival Guide
Address Your Stress
Our health is greatly determined by how balanced our autonomic nervous system is. In my last post, I introduced the two branches of the autonomic nervous system - the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). They are both important and work together to create equilibrium within the body.
In a nutshell, the SNS is responsible for our stress response and the PSNS is responsible for our recovery. It is important that we spend time with the PSNS dominate and active. Because this is when our food digests, our muscles repair, our hormones are made, damage is restored and strength is built.
The problem is many of us spend more time with the SNS dominate and active due to chronic stress. As described in the previous post, stress not only causes insatiable food cravings (often in the form of carbs, sugar and caffeine) but it can also slow down your metabolism leading to weight gain as well as pave the way for a cascade of hormonal, mood and health issues.
Bringing your autonomic nervous system into balance is key for achieving optimal health.
A key to achieving vibrant health is to bring the SNS and the PSNS into balance. For most people this means down-regulating the SNS and up-regulating the PSNS.
How To Down-Regulate the SNS & Up-Regulate the PSNS
1. Explore what activates your stress response and your perception of pressure
Stress can be physical, mental and emotional. Your body doesn’t know or care where your stress originates. And because stress can accumulate, it is important to frequently take inventory of your stressors and your perception of pressure.
What are your stressors? Could you list them all and rank them in terms of impact? This can help you see how much stress you are carrying and identify the biggest culprits. It can also help you decide where to put your energy and attention to move the needle. Working with a coach is particularly helpful when it comes to changing behavior and taking steps to reduce stress.
2. Be mindful of caffeine and sugar
Caffeine and sugar both directly impact our cortisol levels. Too much of either can mimic stress conditions in the body. If you suspect your cortisol levels are persistently high, these are two things to really take a look at.
My suggestion is to aim to reduce slowly and apply the adding in philosophy.
For example, when it comes to your coffee, could you make your coffee with one scoop of decaf in lieu of one scoop of regular strength? Keep adding in decaf until the blend is half and half or full decaf. Or could you add in an herbal tea or a coffee alternative to replace one of your usual full caf cups? And on the sugar front, could you add in some naturally sweet treats or fruit in place of a typical high sugar dessert?
See the resources below for my favorite coffee alternative and a few healthy sweet treats.
3. Exercise But In a Balanced Way
Exercise is tricky and knowledge is crucial here. Regular exercise can help decrease SNS activity and activate our PSNS. But intense activities like HIIT training and running can really activate the SNS.
I don’t believe you should stop exercising or stop working hard at the gym. Not by any means! But I do think you should be smart about your workouts.
The key is moderation, balance and recovery. Two of the best things you can do is listen to your body and space out hard workout sessions.
On the days that you work out hard, be sure to be mindful about recovery. My favorite strategy, as of late, is to follow a hard workout session with a few minutes in the Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) yoga pose. The semi-supine position of this pose paired with controlled breathing helps elicit the relaxation response and calm the body.
And if you are looking for ways to exercise at home during the quarantine, please check out the resources at the end of this article. Some of my fitness friends are doing wonderful things online and can help inspire you to remain active while gyms and fitness centers are closed.
4. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is truly the great healer. There is a reason why human beings are designed to sleep each night. This is where we restore, where we repair and how we rejuvenate. Further, when we sleep our SNS is given the chance to calm down and relax. However, inadequate sleep will cause our SNS to become more active.
So it becomes very important to make sure we are getting enough sleep for our unique bodies. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep per night which seems to be a really good number in terms of overall health.
It can be tough to get the recommended amount of sleep. I totally get it. But could you use the slowing down of things to focus on prioritizing It? Maybe you could sleep in a little later or start to wind down a little earlier?
If you find that you struggle to get enough sleep, have trouble falling asleep or find it difficult to stay asleep, check out the resources below for a few tips that you can implement starting tonight to help you get some more shut eye.
And as you add in more sleep, you will likely find that you need fewer stimulants to keep you going. A double win!
5. Engage In Activities that Use Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing is probably the very best way to up-regulate the PSNS. If you implement no other strategy but this one - you will see benefits. This type of breathing is also called abdominal breathing or belly breathing and it encourages a full oxygen exchange. The air goes in through the nose and out through the lips with the belly rising and falling in between.
When we breathe diaphragmatically it activates our PSNS and communicates to every cell in our body that we are safe.
One simple way to practice this type of breathing is with the 4-7-8 breathing method - an exercise that focuses on inhaling and exhaling deeply. See the resources at the end for instructions on how to practice this technique.
In addition to the 4-7-8 method, some other activities to try that focus on this type of breathing are Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Restorative Yoga and Meditation.
6. Try Using The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)/ Tapping
EFT is a combination of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. It involves tapping on meridian end points of the body and using specific language and affirmations to release negative emotion and send calming signals to the part of the brain that activates the stress response.
The basic idea is that when we have a problem, feel stressed or go through something difficult, we experience a negative emotion. Most people hold on to the negative emotion around that issue and that energy gets trapped in the body. By tapping on a series of acupressure points and using specific statements, it can help us let go of the negative energy and shift our mindset around the problem.
I recently offered a free Zoom Class introducing this technique. Click here for the replay.
It’s All About Balance
It is completely natural to experience stress. It is when we leave our stress unattended to that it can create a problem. Regularly take inventory of your stressors and intentionally include ways to activate your PSNS and relax your SNS. This will give your body the balance it needs and help you create vibrant health. The resources below can help you take action on the strategies listed above.
And remember, I am here for you. Contact me if you would like some individual support around managing your stress and improving your health.
Resources and Additional Information
Keep On Movin’ During These Trying Times
My friend Tina Fraley, a personal trainer and life coach, is a super inspirational gal. She is running a free group on Facebook called Life 2.0 which is an open support community group. She offers daily workout options, recipes and meal ideas and fun free challenges to keep people engaged and encouraged while we are going through so many rapid transitions. For more information, visit Tina’s website or request to join her Life 2.0 Facebook group.
My home gym, Fit in Boonsboro and Renee Schuckman are offering a variety of online fitness classes that are free and open to all. Renee is full of positivity and is sure to brighten your day. Classes are either being streamed live on Facebook or offered through zoom. For a full schedule, check the Fit website or follow them on Facebook.
Two of my favorite fitness instructors Heidi Bodenheimer and Jackie Witanowski are also offering several classes online. My daughter and I took their joint barre class and it was so much fun. Both have some classes and events in the works.
Heidi offers virtual weekly workouts through two different Facebook groups and posts workouts regularly on her YouTube channel. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
The Human Connection - Thursdays at 11:00 am EST
Washington County COVID-19 Support - Tuesdays at 12:00 EST
Jackie is planning another barre class and will be teaching in conjunction with the YMCA. You can follow Jackie on Facebook where she posts any classes she is teaching.
Legs Up the Wall Pose
This article on Do You Yoga explains how to do the legs up the wall pose and why it is so beneficial.
Reducing Caffeine and Sugar
My favorite coffee alternative is Teeccino; there are a variety of types and flavors to choose from.
Here are a few healthy treat recipes to help you reduce sugar consumption:
Sleep
This quick video gives you a few tips to help you start getting more sleep.
Please note that this video is from my Conquer Your Cravings eCourse where I teach you how to overcome your food cravings. This perspective frames the delivery but the tips are universal. Get the rest of the course here. It’s completely free and a new lesson is delivered to your inbox each week!
This article shares seven awesome things that happen to your body while you sleep.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Here’s how to practice the 4-7-8 technique:
Empty your lungs of air and place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth right behind your front teeth.
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of 8 and make a “whoosh” sound as you exhale.
Repeat the cycle up to 4 times.
Dr. Weil explains the 4-7-8 breathing technique and also shares two additional breathing methods in this article. For a quick tutorial and to see this technique in action, watch this video by Dr. Weil.
EFT/Tapping
The Tapping Solution is probably your largest most comprehensive resource on the Emotional Freedom Technique. They also offer an app (The Tapping Solution App) that is free and available to download in the App Store.
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