Hugs. The Power of Touch

Ella is very empathetic. My little 11 year old is growing up fast in this world and sometimes it is difficult to see past and work around all of the very difficult things that happen, the mean things people say and the off ways people treat each other around her. She finds it especially difficult when people are unkind to her (obviously!) but also struggles when unkindness is shown to others. Actually, she finds it more difficult when the people around her are mean to each other. She tries to make them stop, she tries to stand up for those who are being persecuted. She is very much like me, when I was a child. Always befriending the underdog, always making friends with the outcasts, trying to make everyone feel welcomed and loved. It is in our nature.

As an adult I realize the potential harm that this has on my own body, mind and soul. Sometimes this can be soul sucking. It can be energy draining and leave you with little reserve left for yourself. Taking care of everyone else around you leaves you little time to take care of yourself. It took me a long time to realize this and to take action. I want to help Ella through this, so that she can be true to her nature, but also protect herself.

There are many tactics I use with Ella. One in particular I wanted to share on this snowy day in March when we are all anticipating spring, anticipating the Farm Store opening, anticipating our own community coming together again…

Hugs. The Power of touch.

Caring, physical touch, such as hugs has been proposed as an important means to demonstrate caring, empathy and support. A group of researchers proposed that hugging may provide stress buffering social support that actually assists in the prevention of disease! Imagine! The power of touch can help prevent us from getting sick! The study controlled for frequency of the social interaction and for personality of the participants. They controlled illness in the study by inoculation of the common upper respiratory virus and measurement of nasal mucus production and nasal clearance function. Their study concluded that their hypothesis was correct on a few counts. Social support assisted in buffering stress and assisted in preventing illness. “For participants perceiving low social support, more frequent interpersonal tension and conflict was associated with greater probability of infection subsequent to viral exposure”. And virtually identical results emerged when hugs were examined as the potential stress buffer. Hugs were found to be a positive contributor and a protective mechanism against viral infection. Social support and hugs are important social buffers to the effects of stress on health.

So what is the right amount of hugs? What is the mechanism that promotes hugging and other non sexual physical touch that can bring on these protective mechanisms and feelings of social support? How can we work this into our everyday in an easy effective way?

As a nurse, I quickly learned the power of touch, but also of knowing when to use it and when not to. As a new intensive care unit nurse in Manhattan I had the opportunity to take care of many different kinds of people, from many different diverse backgrounds and cultures. I had an experience that caused me to pause when utilizing the power of touch. An Hassidic Jewish family recently lost the patriarch of their family in our ICU. The entire family came in to view their loved one after he had died. Culturally, we knew that they wanted us to give them space with their father and grandfather. I was trying to be caring and reached out to touch a young mans shoulder to offer support and to guide him to where his loved one was, and the recoil I received back makes me pause to this day. I was not ready for his reaction to my touch and it did leave me realizing that cultural norms are present that we may not be aware of. We all may revert back to our own personalities, mine is very much associated with touching, especially when I am nervous or I am anticipating that someone else is nervous, scared or stressed. It is my natural tendency to put a hand on a shoulder, reach out to hold a hand. Now, I ask- “is it ok if I touch you? I want to offer support.” Most people say yes, and receive my caring through my physical touch. This young man did not feel caring, probably felt the exact opposite, and for that I apologized. I can still conjur up feelings about that day. I know it was dramatic for both of us.

When we know it is safe and comfortable to utilize the power of touch, it can be very powerful to demonstrate your caring and your support. Providing a shoulder to cry on, hugging, holding hands, giving a quick squeeze of someone’s arm can go a long way in non verbally demonstrating your caring and it can help boost the receiving persons immune system and recharge their emotional system so that they can deal with the stress they are experiencing.

There are a number of times, since I have taken my new job in Bridgeport, an hour commute each way, that I speak with Ella over the phone on my ride home. Usually, I am calling after she has relaxed a bit from her day, has had a snack and is either trying to relax, play or finish up her homework. Sometimes when I call she explains her day happily and other times she is a puddle of tears describing a stressful day filled with students behaving badly and treating each other unkindly. Sometimes this is directed at Ella, sometimes at others. Either way, Ella struggles to understand and often times is very upset by this. We talk through it the best we can over the phone, and then I ask her to go find her dad and seek out some snuggles. Tell him you need to snuggle, I tell her. Go get some good hugs. And then, go spend some time with the dog too! (more on the power of pets- but that is enough for a whole other blog!).

Recently, I was helping her again with a difficult situation, this time in person, and as we talked I moved closer and closer to her and then just started hugging her. Pulled her in for a big bear hug, and kept holding her, for just slightly longer than normal. I told her I had recently read a study that found a simple hug has the power to reduce leaves of cortisol, allowing the person to experience feelings of wellness and happiness. Skin receptors sense the touch and oxytocin is released, oxytocin acts in our brains as a happiness hormone- feelings of trust and affection ensue. Receiving 4 hugs per day, for at least 6-8 seconds each can actually boost a person’s emotional and physical health! Touch and hugs also can decrease the pain of headaches, improve sleep quality, communicate a sense of trust and intimacy, motivate us to be successful, strengthen our relationships and lift our moods. As seen from one of my previous examples, you definitely need to use this technique wisely and with people you trust and love, however what could be better than an 8 second snuggle to make you feel better?!

As we anticipate Spring, the Farm Store opening and the community that will keep us engaged and happy over the summer, we can rely on the power of touch and the power of hugs to see us through this last bit of winter. Enjoy a couple of really good snuggles today and know that you are making yourself and your partner/friend/family member healthier on the inside!

Be well!

Teresa

Additional Resources and Reading:

Cohen, S, et al (2015). Does hugging provide stress buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness. Psychological Science, 26 (2) 135-147.

Kaufman, V. et al, (2022) Unique ways in which the quality of friendships matter for life satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23, 2563-2580.

H. Garcia and F. Miracles, The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The art of making the most of every moment.

The Month of Anticipation

March is a transition month. We begin to anticipate spring (despite the 8 inches of first fresh powder that nature decided to dump on us February 28th and then the additional 3-6 inches of wet snow March 3rd!). In warm places, like near our foundations, small crocus have already started to sprout. Inside our home, an orchid displays all of its specialness on our plant wall. We anticipate the warmer weather, being outside without layers of clothing, boots, heavy coats, mittens and hats. We look forward to friends and family around the barbecue. We think about cleaning out our closets, opening the windows and freshening up our houses.

March is also a time when we may want to do some of that internal clean up that we have been putting off all winter. Through the doldrums of winter, we can let our self care slip a bit. March is a full month, 31 days, where we can set some new habits and get our own selves ready for the next season.

March is also the time when here at the farm, we anticipate opening our Farm Store again. We have been busy all winter, planning the farm beds, practicing new bakes and making new products. Our dining room table is full of new product awaiting labeling. We begin to plan the new spring Farm Store window (sneak preview: Mushroom theme!) and we begin to anticipate the socialization and community that comes with opening our store.

With all of that anticipation, I found myself exhausted these past few weeks. Not just tired, bone tired. Can’t do anything tired. Last Sunday, after a walk with my friend, I found myself untucking my made bed, climbing in and taking a nap. For those of you who know me, that is highly unlike me. I never take naps. I probably should take more. I have read studies that discuss naps preventing cardiovascular health and extending life, but I still have hardly ever been able to lie down in the middle of the day and fall asleep (Kenny, my grammatical expert- I used that phrase correctly, right?). More on sleep later, its so important to health that it deserves an entire month of blogging- suffice to say, I have never, I repeat, NEVER been a good sleeper, especially in the middle of the day!

So, I guess I need to rest more. I am renewing all the activities I do to take care of myself this month. I will be holding myself to taking breaks when my body feels like stopping. I will be holding myself to meditating everyday. I will be getting ready for the busy part of our Farming year by really taking the time for me this month.

So, this particular blog is short and sweet. The plan for the rest of March in blogging is about how community impacts your health. Friendships and feelings of belonging are so important to how you show up in the world and the health your body feels. Even eating a meal with your family or friends is healthier than eating at your desk in front of your computer. Your gut and its health are vital to your overall health. Your gut and your brain are highly connected. When you are in parasympathetic mode (relaxed, rest and digest mode) your gastrointestinal (GI) functions are enhanced. When you are stressed and your sympathetic neurons are activated, you may feel butterflies in your stomach, have vacation constipation or diarrhea from anxiety- the enteric nervous system is reacting to an emotion (your stressed state) and your GI functions will be inhibited. The resources, energy, blood circulation and secretions that your body needs are not as available when you are in flight or fight mode or stressed. Hence, the tummy symptoms. The connection to community is clear. When you feel safe your body will function optimally. When you control for chronic stress your gut microorganisms do their job more effectively, transmit neurotransmitters and the two way communication between your brain and gut can functions appropriately to provide you with optimal health.

Short and sweet. Taking a break for a little bit. See you back here next weekend for more about community, friendships and family and how those social interactions help us maintain and increase our health. And how does this connect with our little Farm Store? A whole lot! Community is so important, especially after the last few years we have had. Being able to provide for a safe, comfortable, friendly place for folks to gather, eat together and socialize was a way for us to help to heal our community. We are looking forward to opening day as much as our community is!

Books I am currently Reading:

The life changing magic of tidying up, Marie Kondo,

Smarter not Harder, Dave Asprey

Finding the Mother Tree, Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, Suzanne Simard

Just Be. Daily activities to be your best self.

What calming activities help you to center yourself? Do you work on doing the same relaxing things everyday? I try to work on incorporating a couple of things everyday to help support my everyday mood, stress level and appreciation for life. We have talked about many of these things already in my blog this year, this weeks installment is related to how to make it happen each and everyday.

Life is hard. We are all busy. Some days there are no moments for ourselves. Work, life, family is all very important, however, in order to show up as our best selves for the activities and the people who are so important to us, we need to take care of ourselves. We need to do those things that help center us, relax us and motivate us for our peak performance.

I have been struggling with my self care routine for a little while. It has inspired me to write this blog this year, as a way of helping me to research new ideas for self care, try them and report out here how they work and how I have incorporated them into my life.

My life is very busy. The workweek is exceptionally difficult. I have an hour commute each way, this is new for me- I am about 8 months into a new job that is a considerable distance from the farm. I have successfully incorporated wellness routines into my commute. I listen to self care books on my ride to work and I make social connections on my ride home. I live for phone calls to family and friends on the ride home, it makes me happy and helps me to feel connected. There are some days when the commute is easier and other days when it is so difficult. An opportunity for me during my commute: when I am feeling down, make sure to make the social connection to a friend via a phone call. It always makes me feel better.

Life during the work week is very routine, as I am sure it is for most people. I feel like for right now, especially given that it is wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere, it has to be routine. The darkness of the mornings and evenings is waning, springtime is approaching, however there is not a lot of time for outdoor activities during the work week. I miss the outdoors incredibly during my work week. I try to sneak out for walks during my lunch breaks, but often I eat my lunch standing at my computer on a zoom meeting and I roll right into a busy afternoon, not allowing for time to take a break.

Eureka! Another Opportunity! I need to work on taking a break at work and moving. Walking, rounding in the hospital, something that is not sitting or standing still (at my stand up desk).

The work week stifles my creativity. I wait for the weekends to crochet, write my blog and think about new products for the farm. I know that I feel my best when I am creative everyday. Definitely on my self care list is doing something that I love everyday. Crocheting, reading, writing in my journal and thinking about new farm store products are all things that I can incorporate into each and everyday, but sometimes this falls to the wayside when life is very busy. I try to spend a few moments in the early morning doing these favorite things. I usually wake up about an hour earlier than everyone else, have my first cup of coffee while journaling or reading, then move to a craft- even if for a few minutes. It reboots my mood and helps me get focused for the day.

So, I have some goals for my self care this year. One obviously being this blog, taking time each day to research and write will help me work towards my “Big Audacious Goal”, writing The Book! But, I also have some personal daily tasks so that I can be my best self.

1. My “Big Audacious Goal”- I try for 60 minutes of writing, reading and thinking about my blog and book each day.

2. Planning. I spend 5-10 minutes planning what I am going to do the next day related to ME. My work calendar is pretty much set, I work on how I am going to focus on ME. My self care, my exercise, my creativity. If I don’t schedule it, I don’t do it.

3. Mindfulness/Meditation- 10-20 minutes. I do this first thing in the morning. If I don’t do a meditation when I first wake up, I find that I can’t squeeze it in during the day.

4. Gratitude. I have incorporated a weekly gratitude practice on Fridays at work. I write thank you notes and recognitions each Friday to staff at the hospital.

5. Movement. I am still working on incorporating an exercise routine into my weekly/daily life. I enjoy walking outside on the weekends. It has been difficult with my new job and commuting finding time in each day working on my physical self, so this is still a work in progress.

6. Doing something I love everyday- this is where I get creative. Crocheting (currently I am working on rabbits for Easter!) and planning new farm store products.

Be well,

Teresa

Additional Reading and Resources:

The Art of Impossible, Steven Kotler

The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking

The Nordic Theory of Everything. In Search of a Better Life, Anu Partanen

Cleaning up your Mental Mess, Dr. Caroline Leaf

Hardwiring Happiness, Rick Hanson, PhD

Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert

Chatter. The Voice in our head, why it matters and how to harness it, Ethan Kross

The Power of Breathing

“Breathing in, I am aware that I have a body. Breathing out, I smile with compassion.”

Thich Nhat Hahn

There is no better way to calm the mind-body and show your gratitude for yourself than to perform a daily breathing practice.

I didn’t know I needed this, but I did. Back in 2011, when Jason and I were trying to conceive, I was at a pretty stressful part of my career. I had just taken on a new role in leadership- a new team, a new focus- quality, patient safety and risk management- truly outside of my normal wheelhouse. I was enthusiastic to learn everything I could and to support my new team. I wasn’t struggling, however it was new and stressful and there was definitely more at stake. I felt that pressure inside my body. Along with the new job, we had just ended a round of doctors visits at the UCONN Fertility Center and I was feeling rather down. It is incredibly frustrating, not being able to get pregnant, and we were struggling with those feelings on a daily basis.

Why am I telling you this? By now, if you have been reading my blogs for the past few months, you have realized that I am pretty transparent. While fertility and conceiving is a very personal topic, I have shared other things in my blogs that are also very personal. I do so in a way that demonstrates where I am coming from, what I have changed in my daily life in order to better position my mind and body for this wonderful life.

While Jason and I were going through this difficult time, my dad noticed that I was stressed. He had been a hospital administrator as well, while my parents were raising us, and he knew first hand about that stress. Even though I thought I was fine, he knew I wasn’t. He offered to walk me through some meditation and breathing practices. I agreed, albeit reluctantly. Because remember, I thought I was fine. My dad drove up to my house one morning a week (he lives over an hour away), early in the morning, to walk through a breathing exercise with me. We did my vitals- blood pressure and heart rate prior to beginning and at the end of the exercise. He talked me through a total body relaxation, starting at the top of my head all the way to my toes. He was relentless- he would stick with talking me through relaxing parts of my body until he could tell I was relaxed. He took pride in helping me through this. He is the least likely person to be into meditation and mindfulness- or at least that is what I thought prior to us starting. My dad came weekly for months. He would knock quietly so as to not wake Jason or the dog. We would work on the mindfulness exercise and I would give him a quick cup of coffee and then he would be on his way again.

A few months later, our dreams came true and the very beginnings of Ella had begun! (What a miracle by the way- growing a human inside of you is probably one of the most powerful, rewarding, scary and awesome things a woman can do- I feel blessed and honored everyday that I was able to do that for my Ella. I am truly awed by this.)

What I didn’t realize at the time, is that this practice of deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation is something that my body needs, continually, in order to function optimally. Later on, in 2019 when the discs in my neck herniated, I finally realized what my body needs daily.

Breathing is fundamental to life. Deep conscious breathing is fundamental to self care. Deep breathing helps to increase the oxygen supply to the brain, and engages the parasympathetic response by stimulating the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system running from the brain stem to the abdomen. Stimulating this nerve by taking big, deep, belly breaths helps the body to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression, allows for a relaxed awake awareness in the mind, shows immediate reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, produces alpha waves in the brain (wakeful relaxation) and can also promote theta waves (state of day dreaming, relaxation).

Deep belly breathing or Diaphragm breathing creates these effects by a large contracting of the diaphragm muscle in the abdomen, expansion of the belly and then a deepening of both inhalation and exhalation. These motions inside the body, with the muscles of breathing activate the vagus nerve and promote deep relaxation.

You can perform this type of breathing as a part of meditation practice, or mindfulness routine. You can also perform this deep breathing, anywhere, anytime! Especially if you are dealing with a stressful situation- it is the perfect way to help your mind and body handle any type of situation. Taking a moment to perform a deep breath will help reengage your parasympathetic nervous system and ready you for dealing with stress.

There are a couple of deep breathing techniques that I will share with you below. I especially like the Box Breath as I am winding down my day, in bed, preparing for sleep. I also enjoy deep belly breathing, challenging myself to elongate my inhalation and exhalation as I fall deeper into a relaxed state. Breathing is also central to meditation. My main meditation is focusing on my breath. I can do 10 or 20 minutes of concentration on my breath and come out of the meditation feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. To perform a breathing meditation do not change the breath in any way, just become aware of your breath. Concentrate on where you feel the breathe come into your body and where it leaves your body- what sensation do you feel as you breath in and out normally? Do you feel it in your nose? A nostril perhaps? Do you sense the air a bit lower down? Are you aware of the rise and fall of your abdomen? Do you hear something as you breath in and out? Focusing on one of these sensations and only that sensation is something that your brain craves, but we rarely take the time to do. That is your meditation practice.

Back to the breathing techniques:

Pursed Lip Breathing- improves ventilation, releases trapped air, keeps your airways open longer which helps to decrease the work of breathing, relieving shortness of breath, prolongs the exhalation to slow the breath rate and causes general relaxation. You can practice this breathing technique 4-5 times per day, for 5-10 minutes each time, or whenever you have a moment, or NEED a moment!

Pursed Lip Breathing:

1. Relax head, neck and shoulders

2. Inhale for two (2) counts with your mouth closed.

3. Pucker or purse your lips.

4. Exhale slowly through pursed lips for a count of four (4).

Abdominal/Diaphragm breathing- also called belly breathing- this technique is the basis for all meditation and relaxation techniques. Belly breathing helps to strengthen the diaphragm, improves our core muscles, slows the breathing rate, decreases work of breathing, decreases heart rate and blood pressure and causes deep relaxation. Practicing this technique 3-4 times per day for 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the amount of time. This technique can be practiced lying down or sitting/standing- wherever you may be! When you are first starting, a reclined position is best for feeling your belly and core muscles working to ensure you are performing the technique correctly.

1. Lie down on the floor, knees bent, place on hand on your upper chest and the other on your abdomen just below the rib cage (near your belly button!).

2. Relax

3. Tighten abdominal muscles.

4. Inhale (mouth closed) for two (2) counts and exhale through pursed lips for four (4) counts very slowly while feeling your belly move up as it fills with air and moves down as it expels air.

5. Repeat for ultimate relaxation.

Square Breathing/Box Breath- I enjoy utilizing this technique to very quickly reach a relaxed state. This breath can be done anywhere, anytime for immediate relief from stress and anxiety. I find it especially helpful right before bed, or in bed to promote falling asleep quickly.

1. Create four (4) equal steps of your breathing- like a box- having four (4) sides.

2. Breath in for four (4) counts

3. Hold for four (4) counts

4. Exhale for four (4) counts

5. Hold for four (4) counts

Try incorporating some breathing techniques into your daily self care routine. You will be amazed by the immediate and lasting results!

I have listed some resources I have used over the years and some new ones I read in order to write this blog. I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me!

Be well,

Teresa

Resources and Additional Reading:

Good Vibes, Good Life, How Self Love is the Key to Unlocking your Greatness, Vex King

The Wim Hoff Method, Wim Hoff

Brain Body Diet, Sara Gottfried, MD

How to Relax, Thich Nhat Hahn

The Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, MD.

Salyers, M. et al. (2011) Breathe: a pilot study of one day retreat to reduce burnout among mental health professionals. Psychiatric Service, 62 (2): 214-217.

The American Institute of Stress located at https://www.stress.org/take-a-deep-breath/

Xiao, Mia We al (2017). The effects of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 874. online at https://www.nubian.i’m.nih.gov/prc/articles/PMC5455070/

The Stress Reaction in our Body

We all have stress. We all deal with stressful situations, stressful people, stressful inner turmoil (remember that inner critic- she can be such a bitch sometimes!). We all stress about money, love, what to eat for dinner, etc… the list could go on and on. We all handle these daily stressors differently. How we best deal with these situations determines how the stress impacts our bodies- either positively (driving us to be more competitive and productive) or negatively (showing up as physical and mental health problems). In order to choose the techniques that may work for you to handle stress, we need to understand the stress cycle and how it actually affects our physical body.

As the New Year started and I restarted my blog, I didn’t want to start with this intense post. The science behind stress can be anxiety producing in and of itself and I wanted to lead you into this work comfortably. Taking care of ourselves should feel good and should be comfortable. This work should not produce additional anxiety or stress. I was reminded of this at work. Feedback is a gift and my team spent a few hours last week on a team immersion exercise designed to give me, their leader, feedback. Part of their feedback centered around some of the mindfulness exercises we did at the start of our meetings. While I always found them helpful and centering, not everyone on the team did. It reminded me that not everyone gets relief from stress in the same way. In fact, some activities, while peaceful for some may be anxiety producing for others. I am so grateful to my team for reminding me of this. So, hence this post. I want to share what I have learned about stress and how it impacts our bodies so that you too can determine what works best for your own healing and wellness journey.

The effects of stress are generated by our central nervous system pathways and by our body’s hormones. Your body is beautifully constructed to deal with stressors and threats in order to protect itself. Imagine you are Neanderthal Man, living in Neanderthal times. A tiger is running at you, licking its lips getting ready to gnaw into your femur. Now, that is stress! The human body is keenly able to identify the stressful situation you are in and pump hormones through your body so that you react quickly and either fight the tiger or flee from the tiger in order to remain alive. Those hormones are that powerful.

Here’s how the cycle works:

The stress or threat is identified by the brain stem, specifically the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus releases corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). CRH acts upon the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). ACTH is carried by the blood to the adrenal glands ( glands which sit atop the kidneys). The adrenal glands, thus activated by ACTH, cause the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol. Cortisol acts upon every tissue in our bodies- activating the sympathetic branch of our nervous system which causes our heart rate to go up, our pupils to dilate (better to see the tiger at night!), specific lung structures called bronchioles to dilate so that we can utilize oxygen more efficiently, our respiratory rate increases to prepare for fighting or flighting and our gastrointestinal system slows down so that blood, oxygen and nutrients can be shifted towards our muscles (again to support the fight or flight). All of these actions of our bodies help to enable the fight or flight manuevers and allows us to live another day either gnawing on the tigers femur or resting after a fast sprint!

The problem with this cycle of hormones and reactions is when the “stress or threat” becomes a chronic identification in our brain. When this sympathetic nervous system cycle is continually activated, and cortisol is coursing through our bodies continually (not as designed), significant health problems may arise. It becomes difficult to digest properly, sleep effectively and reproduce. Chronically stressed individuals are more likely to develop osteoporosis and hip fractures because cortisol has been activated for so long, its bone thinning actions impacted the density of their bones. Cortisol also affects gut tissue- causing gastrointestinal disturbances, leaky gut syndrome and intestinal bleeding.

Cortisol and the other hormones released during this cycle of stress also alter the functions of our immune cells. Cortisol dysregulates the types of cytokines that are released, meaning the very cells that are supposed to be released to prevent illness and infection are suppressed when we are dealing with stress either acutely or chronically. (Marshall, 1998). Overuse of the adrenal glands during chronic stress may eventually lead to the failure of the glands to function properly. There has been some research that has demonstrated that cortisol actually remodels part of our brains (the hippocampus- the area of the brain responsible for long term memory and chronic pain perception). This remodeling can cause chronic pain conditions.

However, don’t fret! There are three stages of this stress cycle and many of the techniques my blog discusses can assist you in staying within Stage 1 of this cycle.

Stage 1 is the normal response to alarm/threat or stress.

Stage 2 is labeled stress resistance, meaning the activity of the stress cycle is sustained for a longer time period and the glands may go back to normal but as long as the elevation of cortisol continues, so does our blood pressure, glucose, heart rate and respiratory rate.

Stage 3 is labeled exhaustion- the stress cycle is dysregulated, we are now susceptible to disease.

Understanding this cycle of stress is important to understanding what our bodies are doing, why they are doing it and what we can do to overcome its negative effects. I hope that you will stay with me on this journey of understanding stress and what we can do to take the best care of ourselves. I am so grateful to share this learning with you and grateful you are on this journey with me! As you can see by my reading list below, I have more to learn on this subject too!

Resources and Additional Reading:

When the Body Says No, Gabor Mate, MD.

McEwen, BS (1998). Stress, adaptation and disease. Allostatsis and Allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840, 33-44.

McEwen (2001). Plasticity of the hippocampus: adaptation to chronic stress and allostatic load. Annas of NY Academy of Sciences, 933, (1), 265-277.

Cadegiani, et al (2016). Adrenal fatigue does not exist: a systematic review. BMC Endocrine disorders, 16, (1), 48.

Marshall, et al. (1998). Cytokine dysrregulation associated with exam stress in healthy medical students. Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 12 (4), 297-307.

Mohd, R.S. (2008). Life event, stress and illness. Malaysian Journal of Med. Science, 15 (4), 9-18.

American Institute of Stress at www.stress.org

I am currently reading/listening to:

The Upside of Stress, Kelly McGonigal

I am about to read:

Why We Get Sick, Benjamin Bikman

Molecules of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, Candace Pert

Good Vibes, Good Life, How Self Love is the Key to Unlocking your Greatness, Vex King

Meanderings on Meditation

New month. February. I can’t believe we are one month into the new year already! It feels like yesterday I was starting the blog again- December 31, I committed to myself and to my future readers that I would take on this year and share all that I have learned during my wellness journey. I also committed to myself that I would begin to write the book that I always knew was inside me. Well, maybe not always…have I told you that story yet? I just looked back in the blogs, I realized I have not told you that story…here goes.

Ella and I were relaxing on the beach at Lake George, in Bolton Landing. It was the summer when she was seven, so 2019. Little did we know our lives were about to change along with everyone else’s! I was lamenting about this idea for a book which kept coming up in my head. The thought that kept surfacing was very intently telling me to write a book. However, my inner critic kept reminding me I couldn’t. My inner critic can be very bitchy at times, and at that moment on the beach, the self doubt that she was inflicting was truly powerful. Then, my little seven year old glanced over at me and said, “Momma, I know you can write this book because I know it here” (and she pointed to her heart), then she pointed at my heart and asked me “doesn’t your heart know it too?”. OMG. Be still my heart.

So, I’ve dabbled since then. Fits and starts. Asked some authors for advice. Fought off my inner critic. Now, I am on a path. I have goals. Writing almost daily, researching my topics. Writing this blog here. I am becoming more and more excited about the work and know (in my heart) it will be successful. Please, please, give me feedback and suggestions. Feedback is truly a gift. I will take any and all advice!

I thoroughly enjoyed the blogging in January- sharing all of the natural ways to bring peace and fulfillment back into our lives. I enjoyed researching, reading and writing about nature and all of its wonderful cures. At the same time, while Jason and Ella are hitting the slopes, I have taken the time to go on very long walks, near the Farmington River adjacent to our home. The walks are sometimes accompanied by my friend, other times by an audio book, but either way, I enjoy some sun on my face (if it is not cloudy of course!), some fresh cold air and some pretty sore muscles! I am not one to mosey- if I am going to go for a walk, then doggone it, I am going to WALK!

In this new month, I wanted to share more about the start of my wellness journey and how instrumental meditation and relaxation has been to the initial and ongoing healing process. Let me first start out by saying that relaxation is not something I am inherently good at. In fact, I might be the opposite of good at it. I will go, go, go until I drop. I tend to not be able to sit still. My body wants to keep moving and my mind wants to keep doing and creating. February’s blogs will focus on how to slow down, relax and breathe.

The start of my wellness journey really began when I “hurt” my neck in early spring of 2019. As I was couch ridden, resting my neck and back for a number of weeks, I had time to think about the levels of stress I was experiencing at home and at work, and I had a lot of time to read. Articles, magazines, books, webpages. I was driven to read about decreasing inflammation, reducing stress and living a more calm and relaxed life. However, being driven and competitive, I knew that changing my career choice was not going to be an option. I had to think about how to continue the difficult work of being a Nurse Executive, at the same time a parent, a partner, a small business owner all wrapped up together with being a more healthy person who knows her boundaries, takes times to rest when she needs to and incorporates daily rituals that help to reduce the chronic, negative effects of stress.

I turned to a number of books early on that I shared with you in the suggested reading list this week and in upcoming weeks. One of them was entitled Stress Less, Accomplish More. This book by Emily Fletcher is about her method of meditation called the Ziva Method. She created it after ruining her body and mind while stressing over her career as a ballerina. She quit her day job, spent some time in India, and BAM- came up with a technique that is relatable and feels really good, once you commit. I ended up taking Emily’s online program on meditation and I was hooked. Committing to 20 minutes, two times daily of her meditation technique is hard, but once you do and once you create the habit you won’t go back.

Side note. I have gone back to not meditating, at times. Then time passes and I pick it up again. I feel best when I meditate first thing in the morning, after peeing (of course), but before coffee, talking or phone scrolling. I use a variety of methods, sometimes guided meditations, sometimes I just sit and breathe. I read about meditation A LOT. I learn from others. It is definitely a journey, but one that I enjoy being on.

Initially, I did not feel anything from meditating. Then slowly, I realized that the stress of everyday life was impacting me in a different way. Instead of reacting, my normal mode, I was taking breaths throughout the day and thinking about situations differently. I found that I was not as emotional, didn’t have fired up emotional responses to stressful things at work. I also didn’t feel any pain. The inflammation in my back, neck and shoulders releases when I release the stress, so I felt better overall.

I also found that when I am not meditating, the pain in my back, neck and shoulders returns. I become more irritable and don’t feel well. Funny how that works, right?

Isn’t that reason enough to spend 10-20 minutes a day meditating? So, my daily self care practice includes meditating. Sometimes I do it in the morning, sometimes I post a sign on my office door at work that says “Shhhh…. I am meditating”, sometimes I meditate right before bed. I squeeze in little doses, 5-10 minutes wherever I can. Sometimes I do the entire body relaxation technique where I am flat on the floor or couch, really getting a full body relaxing session. Other times, I meditate standing up, waiting in line, sitting in the chair at my desk, or even in that traditional pose of the yogi. It really doesn’t matter my body position. What matters is getting to the relaxed state and allowing your brain to go into deeper waves of brain activity so that your brain and body can relish in the good feeling! Physiologically, there is some evidence that demonstrates that short, regular periods of meditation or mindfulness increases immune functions, lowers inflammation, decreases sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous activity and allows for an increase in melatonin and serotonin in the blood stream, contributing to the feeling of well being and restfulness.

But wait! That is not all! Evidence shows us that there are more benefits to meditation including greater observational awareness, more refined sensory perception, elevated mood, greater clarity in the present moment, increased self reflection and decreased reactivity to daily stress. (Dr Michael Baime from the UPENN Program for Stress Management). Meditation and mindfulness when paired with deep breathing also has increased physiological effects. More on that in a later blog on breathing!

In order to truly understand how all these wonderful affects can occur from simply sitting, breathing deeply and allowing the mind to observe itself, we need to understand how stress impacts the body and the flow of information throughout the body. We will get into that in the next blog! You may be amazed by all of the different bodily functions and systems which become involved in the stress reaction. Stay Tuned!

Be well,

Teresa

References and Additional Reading Resources:

Stress Less, Accomplish More. Meditation for Extraordinary Performance, Emily Fletcher

www.zivameditation.com

www.mindful.org/michael-baime-on-stress-management/

Davidson, et al (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65 (4), 564-570.

Real Happiness. The Power of Meditation, Sharon Salzburg

The 6 Phase Meditation Method, Vishen Lakhiani

Sound Medicine, Kulreet Chaudary, MD

Bliss More. How to Succeed in Meditation, Light Watkins

Love Yourself like your Life Depends on it, Kamal Ravikant

The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hahn

Be Free Where you are, Thich Nhat Hahn

How to Relax, Thich Nhat Hahn

The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle

Stillness Speaks, Eckhart Tolle

The Self Care Solution, Jennifer Ashton, MD

Healthy Habits: Natural Waterscapes and Blue Zones

Researching, reading and writing on wellness topics takes time, but also can be fun and quite rewarding, especially because I am able to incorporate much of what I learn into my own wellness journey. Reading for this weeks blog had an interesting start. Standing in our local book store in front of the wellness section, I was looking at all the titles, sizes and colors of the books. In particular, I was contemplating all of the “little cute books”. Little books giving you all sorts of advice from love to hygge to stress reduction. I already own a number of them and use them as daily readings and reminders- one called 5 minute Calm, A more peaceful, rested and relaxed you in just 5 minutes per day, is a complication of calming activities which I use regularly not only in my everyday life, but also at work as reflections prior to the start of meetings I am facilitating. I was researching- touching and reading the covers of all of the little books- when I picked up one, read the title, Ikigai, then put it back down. Then I went back to it. Then I went back to it again. Then I left the store with it. It was the one book that spoke to me and without even knowing it was exactly the topic I was researching for this week- the power of natural water scenes and Blue Zones. What is wild is that I hadn’t even read the jacket cover, I was intrigued by the beautiful light blue cover and the title and my brain seemed very interested. It was exactly what I wanted and needed to read this week, it has opened up a new topic for me: longevity. But more on that later.

To end this month of healthy habit building with nature, I wanted to talk about the power of being near water- rivers, lakes and oceans. Return to Nature by Emma Loewe does a phenomenal job of describing the science behind why water makes us feel so good and calms our spirits. Additionally, I wanted to read, study and write about Blue Zones. Everyone can read up on blue zones, on how they create a life style and peace that implements longevity to its residents. But that is not really what I wanted to write about. Not living their continuously, in a blue zone, what can we do in our normal routine that would mimic the longevity and peace of those most beautiful places. How can we bring that peaceful healing of being near water into our everyday life- what little things can we do to help keep ourselves calm, happy and healthy?

Researchers have found that there are a number of evidence based common themes across the 5 Blue Zones of the world. (By the way the 5 Blue Zones that are currently documented to have these healthy centurions living a beautifully long active life are: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Lind, California; The Nicola Penninsula, Costa Rica; Icarian, Greece). The common themes are called the “Power 9” (www.bluezones.com):

Residents of Blue Zones embody these nine themes:

1. Move Naturally- Residents move a lot. Not necessarily gym exercising, but natural daily movements such as yoga, walking, gardening. A daily routine includes being outside for 15 minutes of sunlight.

2. Ikigai-Translates to “the happiness of always being busy” - Residents have a life purpose and everything they do enhances that purpose. Residents tend to work towards finding flow in their work and play. Finding flow in everything you do enhances your purpose. In order to find flow, we need to focus our time on things we enjoy and do those things everyday. Choosing a difficult task, with singular focus that has a clear and concrete objective will bring on a flow state. A flow state is easier to achieve when it is something that you enjoy doing, but can be achieved in everyday life activities as well. The more flow we feel, the longer and healthier our lives will be.

3. Downshift- Residents have habitual routines to shred stress. They take 10 minutes to pray, mediate or reflect everyday. They tend to take naps to relax and unwind. There is an easiness and stillness to life. There is a “savoring each moment” attitude.

4. “Hara Hachi Bu”- Residents stop eating when they are 80% full.

5. Their meals encompass mostly plants.

6. They enjoy drinking wine. “People in all Blue Zones drink alcohol moderately and regularly” (1-2 drinks per day with friends and food) (www.bluezones.com).

7. Residents believe in caring for their loved ones first.

8. They have incredibly active social circles of belonging (most times faith based).

9. They will schedule friend dates and plan happy hours with their tribe. They tend to celebrate!

These themes and habits are essential for living a reduced stress life. An interesting aspect of these themes is that a sense of purpose may also protect people from the negative impacts of stress. There is really important self work that needs to occur in order to boost your resiliency (your ability to overcome difficult times). It is very familiar to me and mirrors the work that I am doing with my coach. Starting with a purpose, a vision statement and then extrapolating to goals that you create for daily, weekly, monthly and annual work. That work is hard to do, requires introspection and an understanding of your emotions. However, once you have a plan, it is easier to find purpose on all things and work towards completing each set of goals towards your ultimate purpose.

The stress of everyday may be there so that we can perform and get things done, but the chronic stress- the part that is bad for us, needs to be overcome and is the work to create wellness in our lives. If we have a sense of purpose, know our meaning in life, then the more stressful times are easier to work through. The Longevity Project researchers found that people who maintain lower levels of stress, those who were resilient through difficult situations actually lived longer. This may indicate that low levels of stress are a good thing (I’m currently listening to a book on that very subject- The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal). Stress and anxiety can push us to perform and be productive, so if we are able to keep it in check with our wellness habits and routines we can minimize the negative physical, mental and spiritual effects of stress.

Thanks for joining me on this wellness journey! A new month will bring a new theme of blogs. (And guess what, I am working towards a goal!).

References and Additional Reading Resources

5 Minute Calm, A more peaceful, rested and relaxed you in just 5 minutes per day, by Adams Media

Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, H. Garcia and F. Miralles

www.bluezones.com

Hauler, et al. (2019). Association of napping with incident of cardiovascular events in a prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 105, 1793-1798

Nygren, B. et al. (2005). Resilience, sense of coherence, purpose in life and self transcendence in relation to perceived physical and mental health among the oldest old. Aging and Mental Health, 9, 354-362.

Smith, B. W. et al (2008). The brief resilience scale: accessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15, 194-200.

Return to Nature. The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us, Emma Loewe

I’m in the middle of listening to:

The Upside of Stress, Kelly McGonigal

I am going to read soon:

The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight Decade Study, H. Friedman

The Book of Ichigo Ichie, The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment the Japanese Way, H. Garcia and F. Miralles

Photo credit: Jason Fuller, September 2021, Owl’s Head Lighthouse adjacent beach