What is your signature stress response?

Our signature stress response is personal to all of us and will depend on a variety of factors.

It is fair to say on entering our 10th month of living under restrictions and the continuing news around Corona virus that all of us will be feeling some level of stress.

Noticing where you are on the scale of stress and overwhelm is part of building your resilience in times of stress. If you catch the warning signs early, you give yourself the chance to act and use strategies to reduce your stress before you become burnt out.

Our natural biological mechanisms to cope with stress are designed to be used in the short term. In a moment of threat, raised cortisol and quicker reactions give us the added energy, focus and drive to survive a stressful event. Over time the stress hormone cortisol sensitises the part of our brain that senses threat and so we more readily tip into a reactive state the longer we are exposed to higher levels of cortisol.

 In the long term the raised cortisol levels are damaging to our mental and physical health. If we stay in high stress long term, we can become stuck in that state. Our bodies recalibrate and the level of stress you endure becomes our ‘new normal’ meaning we no longer realise we are in a stress response.

Where you were on the scale at the start of 2020 will give us differences in our starting point along with the strategies we have available to us to combat our rising stress.
I noticed when my usual methods to bring balance to my stress; going to the gym and seeing friends, were removed last year and unwittingly were replaced by ‘not so healthy’ coping mechanisms- raiding the fridge, treating myself to sugar rich foods with the odd glass of wine thrown in! These things give a quick dopamine hit in the moment but ultimately lead to weight gain and more despair.

Some other signs that you are in a stress or overwhelm response are:

- Your relationships are under strain

- You go from 0-100mph when reacting to things in the blink of an eye

- You are more accident prone, drop or have become more uncoordinated

- You struggle to plan, organise or think about the future

- You feel on edge, and are agitated like a coiled spring

-you are struggling to sleep or are woken in the night and can’t get back to sleep

-you can’t think clearly; your mind feels foggy or like you are trying to walk through treacle

-little things quickly wind you up and annoy you

-you buy things you don’t need or more than you usually would buy of things you do use

-you have become more reclusive than usual

-doing things in excess, such as binge watching TV, playing video games for extended periods of time.

-you are acting out of character

-you feel shut down and don’t feel anything or lack emotion or compassion

-you have become disconnected. Some around you may say you don’t seem to care like you did

-doing risky things or what could be described as adrenalin seeking activities

-your appetite increases or decreases

-craving sugar

-drinking more alcohol or recreational drugs regularly

-feeling anxious or low in mood

This list is not exhaustive. But if you can relate to a few of the signs it is worth checking in with yourself in more depth- where you are on the scale?

When you notice you are stressed or overwhelmed, stepping back and giving yourself the opportunity to recover is a strategy towards resilience.

There are many ways you can rebalance but speaking to someone about how you feel is a good first step.
Speak to someone you trust; a loved one, a friend, a health professional, therapist, mental health first aider or coach are some people you could speak to. In connection we can start to calm our nervous system and co-regulate our emotions. It also will normalise how you are feeling. Reducing shame and guilt is also important in helping you to rebalance.

If you would like to find out more ways to build resilience and calm your nervous system, get in touch and we can explore how to bring in a balance to your life.

Contact me through a direct message or by emailing me on lydia@amethyst-coaching.co.uk.