We all know someone or indeed have been that someone who falls sick when they are finally on holidays. They hit the sunshine, everything is good and then it happens - headache, flu like symptoms, fatigue..…
What about the times you have had really stressful events like exams, wedding planning, conflict or time pressured work projects…and following these you feel sick? Or even retirement.
It is really quite offensive that our body gets sick when we fed it a carrot last week, gave it a sip of water and allowed it a few hours of sleep! How dare it!
Now if you have been listening to me on my soapbox you will know that stress has a huge physical impact on our body and that includes our immune system. We know short term or long term stress can lead to illness. But what about this group of people who get sick after the stressful event comes to an end? Or they collapse in complete exhaustion?
If you have been paying attention to my soapbox moment, you are aware of the significant physical effects stress can have on our bodies, including our immune system. It is well-documented that both short-term and long-term stress can result in illness. However, what about individuals who fall ill or experience complete exhaustion after the stressful situation has passed?
While we are under stress, our bodies produce a number of chemicals – particularly stress hormones – that mobilise our immune system against illness. When we are stressed we mobilise all our energy for survival - this is both physical and mental.
When the stressful period ends the body slows the response down and our immune system pulls back. Our body wants to rest and sleep - and this is healthy. However, if we de-stress too rapidly it could lead to biochemical changes that weaken our immune system further, opening us up to physical symptoms like colds, flu, pain, headaches, depression, anxiety, allergic reactions as well as the fatigue and tiredness. Our immune system eases on its heightened state, becomes less vigilant and viral/bacterial invaders can take hold.
Plus there are a few leftover chemicals from the stress response that tend to produce inflammation which can causes other issues like arthritic pain and migraines. So we can add stiff and sore to the list.
However...
It is normal for your body to feel exhausted once it starts to feel safe.
I know it sounds a bit odd and even counterintuitive - everything settles down, and we are not so rushed or busy or stressed yet we feel exhausted.
Feeling tired once we feel safe is entirely normal. It is a sign the body has let its guard down and is out of a stress response - there is no need to fight, freeze or flee.
When we are stressed our body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These are survival hormones - they keep us alive. They also keep us alert and ready for action. But when safety is restored, the threat has eased, our body initiates a process called nervous system regulation. It basically hits the reset button - the restore you back to factory settings button.
This is why we collapse on holidays and sleep for days (or get sick). This is why after a socially busy few weeks we are exhausted.
So how do we know if our nervous system is a bit out of balance?
Remember the whisper symptoms - it is often a feeling of overwhelm at the smallest task that you normally do with ease. It could be tension in your jaw, a twitching eye muscle. It could be waking up in the middle of the night with a racing mind and a racing heart. It is definitely getting sick on holidays!
Here’s the good news - it is possible to balance your nervous system so that you feel you have better control over your emotions, your circumstances and those bodily feelings.
How do we do this?
Well you could lower your stress gradually. Sounds a bit weird but basically if you are driving you car down the freeway of life then slam the breaks on and come to a dead stop…well I am not a automative mechanic but I do think it can’t be good for your car, or your body.
So rather than coming to a complete stop you taper things down, gradually lowering the stress to help your body transition to a new normal. Once the stressful event has subsided you need some techniques that activate the immune system a little and thus keep it from slowing down too rapidly.
Techniques like.....
Engage in intense physical exercise - short bursts of exercise like a brisk walk, taking the stairs.
Try some problem solving for the mental stimulation but give yourself time constraints - crosswords, sudokus, wordles.
Ensure you get enough sleep - both restoring for stress and the immune system. Aim for 7 hours sleep a night to reduce your risk of becoming ill.
Avoid alcohol even thought it might be just want you think you deserve after a hard slog. Alcohol is naturally inflammatory to our body increasing our stress and depleting our immunity further.
Practice some mindfulness or relaxation techniques. The simplest way is to pay attention to your breathing, focusing on the out breath.
And finally and obviously, eat fresh whole foods but you don’t need me to get on my soapbox about that.
“Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.”– Danzae Pace
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