Your life is complex and so is your body’s response to stressful events. Stress is a physical response. Whenever the brain perceives a risk to one’s person, it instantaneously starts a chain of events that changes your physiology. These changes may cause headaches, perspiration, or cold hands. The stress response causes your mouth to become dry before you speak in front of a group of people.
Thoughts, feelings, or beliefs trigger the stress response just like an encounter with a mountain lion or a garbage rummaging raccoon. We recognize this startle response immediately. Our muscles tense and hearts begin to beat harder and faster. Breathing becomes shallow. Once the mountain lion runs away or we see that it is only a raccoon, our brain initiates the relaxation response and begins to wind down. It returns to our original state of less stress.
Less Stress
Less stress does not mean an absence of stress. As you know, I love using metaphors to illustrate a point. I often use cars to talk about the body’s response to stressful events because they are familiar to most of us. When a car is started, there is an infusion of energy. The energy comes from the spark plugs, gasoline, and battery. There is just enough energy to start the engine. Once the engine starts, a steady flow of gasoline keeps it running at an even level. The engine is idling. When the car is running with the gear in park or neutral, the engine idles.
When our bodies, minds and emotions are at rest and relaxed it is like an idling car. We are in park or neutral and our engine is idling. Our uniqueness causes our bodies to function distinctively. Cars are similar. Cars idle at different speeds also known as revolutions per minute (RPMs) depending on the design of the engine, size, and number of cylinders. A formula one race car will idle at a much higher RPM than a Ford Focus. Each of us needs to understand our own unique idling speed.
A Demonstration
I demonstrated how the body responds to stress using the sound of a car engine in my livestream Hidden Reactions that Increase Holiday Stress. The video is on my YouTube channel. Subscribe @mlbaileyconsultants.
My process for stress management begins by guiding you to recognize the feel of your body at rest. Essentially, you answer the question “how do I idle?” You begin to pay attention to the speed at which you idle. Is it low like a family car? Is it high like a formula one race car? I teach you to pay close attention to the connection between your mind and body. This knowledge provides a baseline for you to measure the physical intensity of your personal response to stress. Many of the physical changes caused by the stress response are subtle and may be overlooked or ignored. Personalized stress management plan requires you to pay close attention to those subtleties.
What symptoms and signs of stress are you experiencing?
My method is not for the woman who wants a quick fix. Your life is complex and so is the stress you experience. I am working with women who desire to live quality lives and are willing to commit to a process to get there.
I offer several options to help you on this journey.
Get to Know Me:
Stress Talk “Live” with Marcyline Bailey
Stress Talk Members Only Facebook group
Stress Talk with Marcyline Bailey Podcast
Self-Help:
Take the “Ish” Out of Selfish and Put Self First
“Here is to your sustainable, successful and satisfying stress managed life.”
Visit the M.L. Bailey Consultants website to view our calendar of events. Join the conversation by liking our Facebook page, following me on Instagram and connecting with me on LinkedIn.