• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

1300 361 953

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Strive Occupational Rehabilitation

Occupational Rehabilitation Services

  • Our Team
  • Why Us
    • About Us
    • Fast Rehabilitation
    • Increase Productivity
    • Injury Prevention
    • Decrease Liability
  • For Employers
    • Occupational Rehabilitation
    • Early Intervention
    • Corporate Health Solutions
  • For Employees
  • Referrals
    • Quick Referral
    • Preferred Provider
  • News
  • Careers
  • Contact
    • Brisbane
    • Cairns
    • Gold Coast
    • Toowoomba
    • Townsville

Mobile Menu

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hacking our stress response – easier than you think!

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Hacking our stress response – easier than you think!

August 2, 2021 //  by striveor

I don’t think I need to spell it out, but let me cover it just in case any lucky readers have never experienced chronic stress before:

Chronic stress over a long period of time = constant low level activation of the “fight or flight” stress response.

Wow. Brand new information. Who knew. But, let me lay on some new knowledge that you might find helpful – it changed my damn life.

The above algorithm leaves our bodies physiologically stressed enough to produce all the stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) that make us feel physically horrible (particularly when built up over long periods of time), however, not stressed enough to complete the stress cycle (ie, by running away or getting into fisty-cuffs).

Without the physical completion of the stress response, our bodies have no physiological queue to relax and turn the stress response off, leaving us in this state of suspended animation. Leaving us feeling like absolute trash.

What is really cool though, is that we can actually hack into this response to help ourselves feel a whole heap better – we just need to understand the way our bodies work a bit more, and be a little patient.

In our bodies, there is a long, complicated, wonderful nerve called the Vagus nerve, that is responsible for our parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” response). This nervous response is directly opposed to the “fight or flight” response, so learning how to turn it on can help us come down out of our stress response faster… if only we learn how!

There are two really simple ways to complete the stress cycle that are backed by the science when it comes to switching on our vagus nerve. These are:

Physical exertion – ie, exercise.

Look, I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but physical exertion is the fastest way to complete the stress cycle. It works by using the stress response its intended purpose – think, fight or run – pumping blood and oxygen around to our muscles and working those stress hormones out through our heavy breathing (exhaling CO2) and sweat). After a period of high intensity physical activity, the “fight or flight” stress response is complete, and your vagus nerve automatically switches on our “rest and digest” response, bringing with it the feelings of calm, content, and elevated mood.

Diaphragmatic (deep) breathing

Generally speaking, most of the bodily functions our parasympathetic nervous system is responsible are automatic (such a heart rate, digestion, etc). However, breathing is the one function that we, with a bit of effort, can consciously have control over – which makes it a powerful tool we can use to modulate our stress response.

Try this exercise for deep breathing, for two minutes, twice per day or when you’re feeling overwhelmed: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts. It will be challenging to begin with, but the more you practice the better you’ll get.

What’s even cooler is that this doesn’t just work in the moment – if practiced over time, the cumulative effects of deep breathing can actually prevent our stress response from over-reacting in the first place. Neat!

#StriveToBeMindful

Category: Uncategorized

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Bringing Your Whole Self To Work

We’ve been ‘quietly quitting’ for a long time

Getting into the driver’s seat of your life!

Are you in the driver’s seat in your life?

What is the big picture?

Making MAGIC begins with our understanding of Meaning

Strive Wins PIEF Conference 2022 Award for Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative

“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” – Desmond Tutu

The Great Resignation, or the ‘Great Re-Evaluation’?

Strive’s Manufacturing Healthy Minds Program a 2022 PIEF Conference Award Finalist

Strive Quarterly Webinar Series

Update from our Far North Queensland Team

Previous Post: « Be nicer to yourself, idiot
Next Post: Finding the good »

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

Bringing Your Whole Self To Work

Bringing Your Whole Self To Work

We’ve been ‘quietly quitting’ for a long time

We’ve been ‘quietly quitting’ for a long time

Getting into the driver’s seat of your life!

Getting into the driver’s seat of your life!

Are you in the driver’s seat in your life?

Are you in the driver’s seat in your life?
  • Why Us
  • For Employers
  • For Employees
  • Referrals
  • Careers
  • Contact Strive

Request a consultancy service now

Make request

Contact us today

Click here to see our locations

Get in touch

Sign up for Strive News

Site Footer

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Why Us
  • For Employers
  • For Employees
  • Referrals
  • Careers
  • Contact Strive

Copyright © 2023 | Privacy Policy | Site by Kingfisher

Level 2, 18 Finchley Street, Milton Qld 4064

Ground Floor, 55-57 Kitchener Street, South Toowoomba Qld 4350

Ground Floor, 14 Spence Street, Cairns Qld 4870

Level 1, 25 Sturt Street, Townsville Qld 4810

Level 15, 2 Corporate Court Bundall Qld 4217

Level 3, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane City Qld 4000