What’s your Primary Stress Response?
A survey by the American Psychological Association found that the ideal level of stress is “below whatever level of stress is being experienced.” In other words, people experienced too much stress in their lives. I bet you didn’t need a professional to tell you that.
Yet, I wonder if you are taking stress for granted.
The “Stress Mismatch Theory” suggests that the body’s Stress Response System isn’t working for current humans. Arguing that it hasn’t evolved to meet the demands of the fast paced, complicated world in which you live.
Because fighting or fleeing is not typically appropriate for dealing with those modern day pirates and tigers found in traffic jams, pressure at work, a loss of the internet, or parenting challenges. It’s easy to believe this theory, especially on a particularly demanding day.
Yet critics argue that this view limits understanding of the body’s intelligent, flexible stress response to only “Fight or Flight.”
Thus ignoring the “Tend and Befriend” and “Challenge” responses.
Each response produces different physiological changes which influence your thoughts, feelings, and actions. And lead to different outcomes. Understanding this variation gives you the power to observe your own response to stress and consciously make changes in your capacity to navigate life.
Remember this. When you are facing an actual tiger or pirate, your Stress Response of “Fight or Flight” is your best response.
You don’t need to calmly plan out your next step or consider the pirate’s feelings. You need to survive. And the powerful physiological response within your coordinated brain-body-energy system will make that happen.
But, let me ask you a question. How many actual pirates or tigers have you faced this week?
In your current reality, the multitude of stressors faced typically are not life threatening. When there is frequent activation of your Stress Response System, you experience the impact of lingering stress chemicals (eg cortisol, adrenaline), as well as incoherent patterns created in your brain’s neural structure and your heart rhythm.
Without intervention, it’s far too easy for your Stress Response System to become overloaded and resort to a limited repertoire of reactions.
Most adults lose their emotional flexibility due to the accumulation of unprocessed effects of stress. Referred to as the “Stress Habit,” this rigidity creates additional stress which inhibits the higher order cognitive functions such as concentration, decision making, planning, and perspective taking. Making life that much harder.
You don’t have to live that way.
Your amazing body system is primed to be flexible and adaptive. The brain-body connection allows for new learning and takes it’s instruction from the heart. Your beautiful heart is an intelligent system that communicates powerfully within your complex mind-body-energy system.
A coherent heart rhythm organizes the mind-body-energy system into optimal functioning.
You not only become calmer, as you expand your perspective, you have access to skills, strategies, and wisdom gained along your life.
Research has shown that an integrated heart influences an integrated brain.
This has many benefits, including improvements in well being, immune function, compassion, and resilience. Brain integration increases your capacity for learning when new linkages form across brain regions (neuroplasticity).
Coherent heart rhythms support the brain’s ability for creativity, novel problem-solving, and regulation of emotion, attention, thought, and behavior.
If you want to intelligently navigate the challenges you’ll inevitably face in life, coherence is a strong ally.
On the other hand, an incoherent heart rhythm inhibits higher order cognitive function, leaving you less able to take a step back and consider events calmly and with perspective, or access your strategies.
Research reveals that positive and negative emotions create distinct changes in heart rhythm.
This makes sense, doesn’t it? When you’re calm or grateful, you feel organized, open, and loving. When you’re frightened or angry, you’re rattled in your body, thinking, and speech. Combining the power of positive emotions, calming breath patterns, and the heart’s intelligence will help shift how you respond to stress. At any age.
What can you do today to create heart coherence and increase flexibility in response to stress?
1. Acknowledge life is stressful and give yourself some space.
More than likely, the demands and pace of your days adds to life stress. You’re at choice to slow down and create some space in your busy day. Let something go until another day. Give up being in charge of the world (and your small world.). Build in Mindful Minutes to breathe and look around as you walk to your car or climb the stairs in your home.
2. HeartBreathing: 3 Minute Practice.
HeartBreathing is a core component of Heart Assisted Therapy (an Energy Psychology method created by John Diepold, Phd).
Take one minute to cross your palms on your heart and breathe slow and deep. Switch your palms, HeartBreathe and focus on what you’re grateful for in this moment. One more switch of the palms and the final minute of breathing. Focus on sending love to someone or someplace on the planet. Check in with yourself. What does it feel like to be in your body now? You are the scientist and your body system is the experiment. [Just don’t do while driving.]
3. Learn the basics about stress, heart coherence, and simple Energy Psychology techniques.
I’m teaching a 3 week series at Soul Sanctuary on Energy Psychology Essentials. These techniques are easy to learn and apply in your daily life. They clear out stress on all levels: energetic, physiological, emotional, and mental. As well as engage the parasympathetic nervous system which is the body’s natural relaxation and healing ally. (You can also check out the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology’s website).
4. The Self Soothe Strategy
I designed The Self Soothe Strategy PlayBook to offer easily digestible information about mindset, stress, heart coherence, and Energy Psychology. With practices that are immediately applicable. The accompanying downloadable recording is well worth the 19 minute investment to drop into coherence and begin the deep restoration of your mind-body-energy system. It is free and available on my home page (scroll down to access).
It’s important to recognize the benefit to others.
You are naturally broadcasting your heart rhythm as you move through the day.
Thus, you are influencing the environment around you with centered calm or scattered anxiety. You know what it feels like to walk into an oasis of relaxation and good will vs. a pressured meeting with criticism and competition. This gives you a hint of what is happening within the physiology (heart, brain, body, energy) of those in the room.
Stress, then, is not only an individual issue. It must be recognized as a systems issue.
You are a change agent. Not only for yourself but for those sitting near you. At the dinner table, in the office, on the train, and in the food store. Let that sink in. And take a look at HeartMath’s research findings in the HeartWarming News below. Your heart coherence, or incoherence, makes a difference for those around you.
Allowing you to bring peace to the world, one HeartBreath at a time.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
HeartWarming
News
HeartMath Institute has a wealth of research into the power of heart coherence. A measurable electromagnetic field surrounds each person, generated by the heart, brain, and other systems. HeartMath’s findings show that the heart’s electromagnetic field is approximately 5000x stronger than brain’s electromagnetic field. The heart’s electrical field has 40 – 60x more amplitude than brain’s electrical field. HeartMath has measured the heart’s pulsating influence up to 10 feet outside of the body. The brain’s electromagnetic field? Measured to extend a few inches outside of the head. Believe in the power of your heart.
