Stress Less: How to increase your resilience to stress

I find stress has a role to play in the majority of clients I work with. Helping clients to understand how stress may be impacting their health, and suggesting ways that they can address it, is an important part of the work I do.

Signs you may be highly stressed, or unable to handle stress, include:

• You find it difficult to wake up in the morning

• You often have mid-afternoon energy slumps

• You get a ‘second wind’ and feel more alive in the evenings

• You have regular cravings for salty foods

• You find it difficult to lose weight or put on weight easily

• You find yourself easily irritated, agitated or angered

• You suffer from constipation or experience gas and bloating after eating

What is stress?

When we perceive a threat, cortisol – ‘the stress hormone’, is released and it initiates a number of processes that are designed to protect us. It prepares us to stand and fight, or run away in what’s referred to the ‘fight or flight’ response.  It raises blood sugar levels so that we have energy to fight, or to run away, and it shuts down non-essential functions like digestion. These responses can be lifesaving in the case of acute stress, but if stress is prolonged to the point it becomes chronic, raised cortisol levels can become problematic. So some stress is a good thing! We just don’t want it around for long as that’s when it becomes damaging.

How is stress controlled?

Stress is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two parts:

• the sympathetic nervous system - a system of stress or activity mode

• the parasympathetic nervous system - a system of de-stress or restorative mode

The role of the nervous system is to perceive what is happening in the outside world and to mount an appropriate response to mobilise the body which will help us to survive. The system has been built to keep us safe, however it does not recognise the difference between perceived stress and real life threats so the physiological response to both is the same.

Stressors can be mental, physical, emotional, and physiological.

When we think about stress we immediately think about mental and emotional stressors, and often underestimate biological stressors that can also activate our nervous system and impact our function.

A number of factors that can contribute to the amount of stress we carry in our bodies, including:

• Poor nutritional status / inadequate nutrients

• Poor digestion

• Poor absorption of nutrients

• Poor elimination of toxins

• Overactivity of stimulants on the body, caffeine, alcohol, sugar

• Food allergies and intolerances

• Infections

• Presence of toxic chemicals

• Emotional and psychological stress

The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to help the body to recover from ALL the stressors we are exposed to well. Our aim is to become more resilient to stress and to enhance our ability to handle what life throws our way.

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as: “It’s not something people have or don’t have. It involves behaviour, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed by anyone”.

Knowing this is powerful because it means we have the ability to modify the brain and the body through our daily actions. How we respond to stress is within our control.

How can we better manage stress?

A holistic approach is needed to identify and reduce environmental stressors on the body whilst at the same time improving baseline stress resilience.

• Nutrition

Nutrition is fundamental. You need to be eating the right foods to function well, and to remove the foods driving dysfunction.

Reduce your exposure to stimulants particularly caffeine and alcohol. Although they make us feel good in the moment, they can also activate the nervous system and drive cortisol imbalances. Try decaf tea instead or swap for green tea which contains L-Theanine, a plant compound that helps to reduce cortisol and downregulate the stress response.

Balance blood sugars

• Remove sugar, processed foods, refined carbohydrates like white bread, cereals, pasta, cakes and biscuits. Instead choose complex carbohydrates like beans, pulses, brown rice, quinoa, oats and starchy vegetables, which are high in fibre and beneficial for gut health

• Have a protein rich breakfast to kick-start your day such as porridge made with whole milk and topped with nuts and seeds

• Include healthy fats with all your meals like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like chia, flax and hemp seeds, walnuts and fatty fish

• Eat 7 or more portions of vegetables per day, including plenty of leafy greens

• Avoid eating 3-4 hours before bed, as this can disrupt blood sugar balance and have a detrimental impact on sleep quality

Include key nutrients to support stress

B vitamins are important for the production of energy and neurotransmitters, and they support stress control.  B vitamins are found in wholegrains, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, lentils, and fish.

Vitamin C is especially concentrated in the adrenal glands where it is needed, along with magnesium and B5, for the production of cortisol. Vitamin C is rapidly used up in periods of stress. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and helps reduce oxidative stress created in times of high stress. Good food sources include peppers, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, and citrus fruits.

Magnesium plays an important role in both the brain and the body. It supports energy production, blood pressure and blood sugar, mood, digestive regularity, and much more. In times of stress, magnesium becomes heavily depleted. Magnesium inadequacy is very common and deficiency can result in stress and anxiety. Good food sources include pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

• Sleep

A lack of sleep can elevate cortisol, disrupt blood sugars, and cause us to make poor eating choices the following day, which further disrupts blood sugar.

Preparing for sleep starts the moment you wake up. Stepping outside first thing into natural sunlight helps to set the body’s circadian rhythm and starts the clock of when the sleep hormones should be produced.

Keep to a regular sleeping pattern, i.e. get up and go to bed at the same time each day.

Prepare for sleep by allowing for ‘wind down time’ before bed, reduce evening exposure to blue light by limiting screen use 2 hours before bed, and engage in something that soothes and calms the mind before going to sleep such as breathing or reading a book.  

• Identify your stressors

Being constantly on the go can make it hard to recognise how stressed you are and what it is that may be stressing you out.

It's worth spending some time reflecting daily to see if you can find your triggers. Make a list of the things in your day that give you energy and those that take it away, and then see if you can reduce or remove any stressors, or allow extra time to prepare for, and recover from them.

• Schedule in some ‘downtime’ everyday

On average in a 24-hour cycle we should be active for 12 hours and at rest for 12 hours. So if you are sleeping for 8 hours, the remaining 4 hours should be downtime that allows you to engage the ‘de-stress’ system. What you spend this time doing is personal to you but they should be activities that bring you joy and allow you to be in the present moment.

• Reframe your mindset

Learn to be more present and to appreciate the small things. We can often be distracted by worries and thoughts that control our minds and lose the ability to live in the present. By being more mindful in everyday tasks, we can escape this constant noise. So next time you drink your tea or coffee really notice what you are doing, give it your full attention, and think about how it tastes, smells, looks etc.

• Move more

Movement is key. In times of fight or flight by moving you can help to dispel unused energy. Movement also helps to increase endorphins and relieve tension. It can be anything that appeals to you, whether that’s a brisk walk, running, cycling, yoga, or swimming.