We all know that stress kills, but many of us don’t know how it affects the body or how to prevent or reduce it in our everyday lives. My mission in this post is to give you a brief overview of what stress is, its effects on the body, and how you can take back control and manage it successfully.

What is stress?

Stress is a natural and essential response that happens when we feel threatened (real or perceived). It helps you think and act quickly in order to effectively fight or run away (fight or flight).

What are the types of stress?

You can experience many types and levels of stress but these three are the most common in the human experience.

• Acute stress: Related to sudden danger like barely avoiding a fall in the shower or being chased by a rabid dog.
• Chronic stress: Chronic (long-term) stress happens when you experience ongoing situations that cause frustration or anxiety. Think parenting, having a stressful job or having a long-term illness can all cause chronic stress.
• Traumatic stress: Traumatic stress happens when you experience a life-threatening event that induces fear and a feeling of helplessness. For example, surviving an extreme weather event or experiencing war can cause traumatic stress.

How does the body manage stress?

There are two primary stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. These two are released at stressful moments to help you survive. One gives you a shot of energy and the other helps you to use that energy to survive. You can run faster, lift heavier weights, and move quickly so that you can live. Your body is pre-programmed to live and it will do all it can to maximise your chances of survival.

Adrenaline

Adrenaline is your body’s super serum that boosts energy levels to ensure your survival. It is short-lived, lasting around an hour. If unused, it may make you feel jittery and restless and cause insomnia.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the other stress hormone; that helps the body think and heal faster in dangerous situations. It controls energy release to your brain and many of your organs. As a result, you become hyper-focused, with the ability to think at lightning speed and in case you get physically hurt, cortisol helps your body repair faster. It does all this by pausing all your non-essential functions to use up their energy. Things like your growth hormone (body repair mode when you sleep), your reproductive functions (libido on pause), and your digestive system (slows metabolism and reduces nutrient absorption).

Effects of prolonged exposure to cortisol

Cortisol is great in an emergency, however, if you are suffering from chronic stress, then your cortisol levels will be constantly high, which does have a detrimental effect on your physical and mental health which include but are not limited to the following:

• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Weak bones
• Skin changes: Such as stretch marks, bruising, wrinkles & acne.
• Mood swings
• Muscle weakness
• Increased thirst and urination
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Susceptibility to infection

Cortisol & The Brain

Long-term exposure to cortisol can also have a long-term detrimental effect on your psychological state and function. This is called the brain-emotion balance which is how and where our mental health is managed. Cortisol impairs the hippocampus (the part of the brain that encodes memories), interfering with the brain’s ability to balance rational thinking and emotions. This means you are unable to reasonably process things that happen in your everyday life, making you more susceptible to depression, anxiety, memory loss, panic attacks and other psychological health issues.

Stress management: Reducing Stress

Exercise:

Reducing cortisol is well within your sphere of control, and with consistency, time and patience you will see a marked difference in your physical and mental wellness. One of the quickest and easiest ways to manage your stress/cortisol levels is through exercise. Regular movement helps to reduce the hormones in your body, it reduces your resting heart rate, increases your digestive system, and releases the happy hormone dopamine. This means you’ll sleep better, look better and feel better. Which exercise you choose to do is entirely your choice, just be sure to do it for at least 30 minutes a day, every day.

Mindfulness:

The other way to reduce stress/ cortisol is through mindfulness exercises. Breathing exercises, journaling, and meditation are great ways to take control of and manage your mental health.

Skincare:

The act of taking care of your physical body has a positive impact on your mental wellness. Cold showers, regular cleaning and moisturising your skin all help to counter the physical effects of excessive cortisol whilst re-centring and refocusing the mind.

My mission is to help you live well naturally and I do this by creating natural skincare rooted in African beauty and wellness. Because for me, skincare is a soulful act that harmonies the body, mind and soul.  This means that how you treat your body, talk to, and about your body, and what you put in and on your body matters. Skincare is more than just cleansing and moisturising, it is about uplifting and celebrating the precious vessel that carries the soul within, making it an essential form of mindful maintenance.

Healthy Habits:

Having healthy habits is one of the key strategies of effective chronic stress management because they are predictable. As humans, predictability allows us to plan and prioritise the things we deem important. By carving out time to restore and replenish our bodies and minds we gain control in an otherwise chaotic world, which gives us feelings of peace and happiness, reducing our stress and anxiety attached to the future.

Relaxing Night Time Routine:

1. Have a warm (not hot) shower.
   1. a. Grab your relaxing Lovely Lavender shea butter bar and your African Sapo and wash your body from the neck down.
2. Step out of the shower patting yourself dry, and use your Shea Magnifique to moisturise your body from head to toe.
3. Complete your night-time face routine with your favourite products, take your time and luxuriate in the process.
4. Put on your favourite cotton PJ’s
5. Have a cup of Rooibos tea
6. Put on your humidifier and put a few drops of lavender for relaxing aromatherapy
7. Play binaural 400htz beats to help soothe and calm the mind (set it to play for 120 minutes)
8. Put your phone to charge and place it away from you for the rest of the night
9. Spray your feet and stomach with magnesium oil and get into bed
10. Grab your favourite book and read for 1 hour or until you are tired
11. Turn the lights off and wait for sleep
12. If you wake in the night, do not reach for your phone or TV, do breathwork and wait for sleep

Aromatherapy:

Scent has long been associated with mindfulness and stress reduction. It does so by stimulating the brain’s limbic system, which is involved with emotions and memories. Essential oils are a great source of scent therapy, as they also offer other skin benefits like being antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.

Best relaxation Essential oils:

• Lavender – Floral Herbaceous
• Chamomile – Floral grassy
• Bergamot – Citrus
• Lemon – Citrus
• Ylang Ylang – Floral, sharp
• Patchouli – Earthy
• Vanilla – Sweet floral

5-minute Stress Management

All that is great, but what happens when your kids have a meltdown in the middle of the supermarket or you want to punch your boss in the face? Here are some 5-minute stress management exercises that you can do to get you grounded and centred to deal with the situation now.

• Deep breaths – Slowly count in 1-5, slowly out 5- 10 and repeat.
• Shaking limbs – shake off the negativity, hands then feet supporting as required
• Stretching – Strech interlocked fingers, stretch neck, squat
• Affirmations – Re-script your negative internal narrative
• Walk away from the situation (if possible) – Call time out
• Chew Gum – Chew like your life depends on it, use like an oral stress ball,
• Play your latest favourite song – re-focus your mind on something that brings you joy
• Adjust your posture – Sit up straight (refocusing the mind)
• Smile – it triggers happy hormones
• Aromatherapy Roller Ball – Scent blast to clear and calm the mind
• Have a cold shower – Like a reset button for the body (be sure to cleanse, exfoliate & moisturise)
• Walk on grass barefoot – connecting with nature centres and grounds releasing stress from your body

That is it for this week, I really hope you can learn from and implement some of my tips for managing your stress. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and I will do my best to answer them.

In the meantime, be good to yourself.

Mazel

x

Disclaimer: The information on this blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.