Stress & Your Body
Understanding Stress and How to Reduce Its Impact
Stress is often considered a "bad" word, a six-letter equivalent of something to avoid. It’s a word that can evoke anxiety just by thinking about it. While we all recognize that stress negatively affects our bodies and minds, it's important to understand exactly why that is. At Vita Vie Retreat, we focus on stress reduction in addition to promoting physical fitness and healthy eating. In today's world, especially in recent years, stress levels have increased significantly. Now more than ever, it's crucial to address stressors and reduce their impact on both the body and the mind.
Reducing stress is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system and allowing our bodies to function optimally.
The Body’s Response to Stress
The "fight-or-flight" response is a series of biological changes that prepare us for emergency action. When a threat is perceived, a small area of the brain called the hypothalamus triggers a chemical alarm. This activates the sympathetic nervous system, which releases stress hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol. These hormones surge through the bloodstream, priming the body to either flee or fight.
As a result, heart rate and blood flow to the large muscles increase, enabling quicker physical reactions. Blood vessels constrict to reduce blood loss in case of injury, pupils dilate to improve vision, and blood sugar levels rise to provide a burst of energy. Simultaneously, non-essential body functions are suppressed — the digestive and reproductive systems slow down, growth hormones are reduced, and the immune response is weakened.
Types of Stress
Physical Stress
Positive Physical Stress: Physical activity or exercise is a beneficial form of stress. When we move or exercise, we place stress on our muscles and bones, which helps maintain an optimal metabolic rate and prevents weight gain.
Negative Physical Stress: Over-exercising can suppress the immune system, while under-exercising can lead to weight gain and a feeling of sluggishness. Poor posture can negatively affect breathing, muscle function, joint health, circulation, and organ support. When the body's structure is out of balance, other systems are affected.
Chemical Stress
Positive Chemical Stress: Our bodies naturally produce chemicals essential for health. For example, exercise induces chemical changes such as increased protein synthesis and energy production, which are necessary for maintaining physical health.
Negative Chemical Stress: Modern life exposes us to many synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides, and some medications, which the body struggles to neutralize. These substances can cause adverse reactions and contribute to poor health.
Electromagnetic Stress
Positive Electromagnetic Stress: Exposure to natural electromagnetic fields, such as sunlight, is essential for life. Sunlight helps regulate hormone levels and physiological functions, while the Earth's electromagnetic field influences our body's rhythms.
Negative Electromagnetic Stress: Overexposure to harmful electromagnetic fields, such as excessive sunlight or radiation from electronic devices (e.g., computers, cell phones, microwave ovens), can harm the body.
Mental Stress
Positive Mental Stress: Engaging the mind through productive thinking, goal-setting, and overcoming challenges can be beneficial, promoting growth and resilience.
Negative Mental Stress: Dwelling on negative thoughts, overcommitting, and experiencing verbal abuse or constant pressure can lead to chronic mental stress and anxiety.
Thermal Stress
Positive Thermal Stress: The body maintains a stable temperature of around 98.6°F through various physiological mechanisms, which is beneficial for overall health.
Negative Thermal Stress: Prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures or burns can cause harmful thermal stress on the body.
Ways to Reduce Stress
Practice Deep Breathing: Try a simple breathing technique: inhale for a count of four, hold for four counts, and exhale for a count of four. Repeat several times. Within 20 seconds, your heart rate will begin to decrease; within 40 seconds, your blood pressure will start to lower; and within a minute, cortisol levels will reduce, which can help manage abdominal fat.
Exercise Regularly: Activities like walking, stretching, or foam rolling can help alleviate physical stress and promote relaxation.
Body Treatments: Massage, facials, and body scrubs can help reduce muscle tension and promote a sense of well-being.
Reframe Stressful Situations: Ask yourself, "Is this worth the stress?" Often, it's not the stressor itself but how we react to it that causes tension and anxiety.
Smile and Laugh Often: Laughter and smiling naturally reduce stress levels and improve mood.
Practice Mindset Work: Mindset work can help you regulate your nervous system, shape your thoughts, and shift your awareness to what you DO want to be focusing on vs what you don’t.
By understanding the different types of stress and adopting techniques to manage it, you can significantly enhance your physical and mental well-being.
Calm, relaxed, stress-free: Say hello To A BALANCED MIND
Calm, relaxed, stress-free - those are some of the words that come to mind when we think of eliminating stressors. Imagine breaking free and reclaiming control over your thoughts, and developing a powerful, positive mindset that supports your goals. Mindset Momentum is a self-paced, 12-week digital journey designed to guide you every step of the way, with lifetime access so you can revisit your growth whenever you need.
In this course, you’ll be empowered to:
Define and Align with Your Core Beliefs: Set intentional goals that resonate deeply with who you are and what you want to achieve.
Break Through Limiting Beliefs: Uncover and dismantle thought patterns holding you back, and adopt tools that help you shift your thinking toward possibility.
Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude: Learn proven techniques for reframing negative thoughts and cultivating gratitude for daily moments.
Stay Focused with Fillable Journals and Weekly Practices: Access your interactive, guided journal to track progress, gain clarity, and stay on course.
Understand How External Influences Shape Your Mindset: Gain insights into how relationships, career, and environment impact your thoughts and actions, helping you make conscious changes that support your growth.