What's going on in our bodies when we get stressed?

When we sense danger in some form, our bodies release a whole whack of hormones (namely adrenaline, cortisol, and noradrenaline), all of which are dumped into our systems to help us battle a perceived threat.

The fight/flight/freeze response was helpful when we were dealing with sabre-toothed tigers and beating off competitors for food and mates; nowadays, though, our physical safety is threatened much less often, but this evolutionary response remains nonetheless. When we feel scared or threatened somehow but no physical danger is actually present, our bodies still prepare for fight/flight/freeze. Our heart rate increases, we might tense up, hyperventilate, sweat, cry, or begin to panic, despite the fact that we're really in no danger at all.

Stress balls, daily meditation, yoga and exercise are just a few things that can help us release some of this built-up tension.

Did you know that almost 40% of adults do not get enough sleep every night? Sleep deprivation has a huge impact on your mental health. It can affect your ability to problem solve, focus, and recall memories. Driving tired is just as dangerous as driving under the influence. 

Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Go to bed at the same time. Create a dark and quiet place to sleep. Unwind a few hours before bed. Disconnect from your digital devices. Read, meditate, colour in an adult colouring book, or paint. Find an activity that relaxes you. Get better sleep and put your mental health first. You will be more productive and happier in the long run!

Did you know being too stressed can affect your memories? When you've been anxious, worried or even frantic from having too much on your plate for long periods of time, your body responds by releasing cortisol into your system. Too much of this stress hormone can have a blocking effect on the part of your brain that converts new experiences into memories. 

Think about it like this: If your camera was taking blurry family vacation photos, you'd get it fixed or replace it, right? While we can't replace our brains, we can certainly take steps to repair and maintain them. It's easy to get stuck in this cycle of stress, but if you're self-aware enough to see this pattern before it gets out of hand, you can put everything back into balance! The simple act of laughing or losing yourself in music can be a great start to making sure your precious memories are being saved properly!

Aromatherapy is an easy way to relieve stress, appealing to your sense of smell and easing you into feeling more relaxed. Stress candles, incense, tea, oils or creams are all products that can help to bring soothing scent into your world, and each can be used in different ways. 

Ylang ylang, rose, lavendar, vetiver and chamomile are all aromas thought to relieve stress. Using these scents as essential oils in your bath, during a massage therapy session or in a diffuser can have dramatic effect. Inhaling deeply while using these oils can enhance the effect and can even be a benefit when you're drinking chamomile tea, rubbing in cream or indulging in a foot bath, which has relaxing effects of its own!

Did you know meditation can help heal your relationship? We often lose sight of our intention and become defensive if we don't take time to slow down and direct our mind to be loving, compassionate and have the intention to care for the person we are in a relationship with. 

Meditation helps us overcome the insecurities that can ruin our relationships because we try to impress the other person or become unloving because our ego is trying to prove we are worthy of love.

Instead of thinking about ourselves and what we can get from another person, meditation allows us to see the soul of the other person by opening our intuitive knowing. This allows us to move above the insecure identity we project onto our partner so we can love both ourself and them unconditionally as well as put our mind in a place of kindness and being caring instead of greediness.

The power of positive thinking can help us overcome stress. It sounds easy, and it can definitely take time to get into that mindset if you've been down in the dumps or feeling like you've been pushing a stone up an endless hill. If we can switch our brains from focusing only on what we are worried about or take a pause from letting the spinning thoughts take over, we can fill that space with more cheerful thoughts. 

The next time you're feeling particularly overwhelmed, give yourself five minutes to think about a few things you are proud of or grateful for having. Sometimes a simple reminder of all that we have achieved can be enough to put the worries about what we haven't into perspective and calm us down or help us deal with what's in front of us.