Mindful strategies to use stress wisely
The word "stress" carries a very negative connotation.
Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it, on the other, which involves multiple systems, from metabolism to muscles to memory.
Some stress is necessary for all living systems; it is the means by which they encounter and respond to the challenges and uncertainties of existence.
The perception of danger sets off an automatic response system, known as the fight-or-flight response, that, activated through hormonal signals, prepares an animal to meet a threat or to flee from it.
Even reading it right now might bring up memories of stressful encounters, or remind you of some stressful event on the near-term horizon.
But in reality, stress is not black and white—like most things, rather, it exists on a fluid spectrum.
In fact, when it comes to how we respond and live our lives, too little stress might be considered just as uncomfortable as too much stress.
While we all want to live in a state of flow, it is helpful to learn to optimize our stress response—to learn to harness stress to our benefit rather than allowing it to derail us.
Let's discuss a few strategies for exactly how to do that.
Have you ever worked on a project with a tight but achievable deadline, where your unique knowledge and skills were vital for a successful result?
Even though you found it challenging, you may well have done some of your very best work.
Or, think back to a task where you felt little pressure to deliver. The deadline may have been flexible, or perhaps the work wasn't challenging.
Chances are, you did an average job at best.
There's a subtle relationship between pressure and performance.
And when I say performance, I mean you and/or daily life.
Think of your life as a performance on the grand stage of eternity. Do you like how the performance is going? Where does the script need a rewrite:) Where does the set need to be changed?
Bottom Line:
When people experience the right amount of pressure, they often perform very well. They feel good and empowered and enjoy what they are doing, even when it is hard.
However, if there's too much or too little pressure, performance can suffer.
There are three states to be aware of:
Low Stress: This is a state of low arousal. This state is necessary for recovery (most of your living hours), but it is generally not conducive to performance.
Optimal Stress: This is the optimal state of arousal. It's the "Goldilocks" level—not too hot, not too cold, just right. When you're in this state, you are well-positioned to execute important tasks (our modern-day version of the hunt).
High Stress: This is a state of high arousal. This is the over-stressed position we so often find ourselves in. It may lead to a complete shutdown from system overload.
Again, working on essential tasks while in this state is not ideal.
As you think about optimizing your own response to daily life and it;'s inevitable stressors, I mean you can try to understand your stress response in a deeper way.
You might like to try for a week just to log your levels of stress while completing various activities through an average day, and then jot down a few notes on how you think you did. It's a very interesting little experiment that can be quite insightful.
Look for trends in activities, stress levels, and performance outcomes: By performance, I don't just mean productivity, I mean the amount of joy you can find in the task itself.
What are the typical activities that send you over the edge into high-stress land?
Are there activities where you'd like to experience more optimal stress? You might even think of optimal stress as a sense of excitement or adventure.
Develop an awareness of where you are on the curve at any point in time. It can be super helpful just to bring mindful awareness to your levels of stress as a way to use them to your advantage.
Mental Reframe: Challenge vs. Threat
In a book entitled, The Stress Prescription, Dr. Elissa Epel uses a fascinating analogy of a lion hunting a gazelle to help frame the positive vs. negative stress response.
Both animals are experiencing stress, but differently:
The gazelle is having a threat response: "She is full of fear, coursing with adrenaline. Her blood flow is constricted because her vessels have narrowed (vasoconstriction) to prevent excessive bleeding. Less oxygen makes it to the brain as physiological resources are directed to the limbs."
The lion is having a challenge response: "Her heart is pumping volumes of blood efficiently, allowing her maximal speed and anticipating the meal she’s about to have. She is focused and driven. She seems to have unlimited reserves of energy."
Most of us don't have to face this type of life-or-death encounter on a regular basis (I hope), but this difference, between viewing an event as a threat or challenge is critical to our performance.
This is my version of the threat response.
I find myself facing an opportunity and my internal reaction might start out this way.
My " evil twin"... also known as "imposter syndrome" :) tells me some kind of story that I'm not good enough or it won't work out. I'm going to fail or people won't respect me.
This might be your version of a threat response story, or it may be slightly different, but you get the idea.
This is my version of the challenge response.
I find myself facing an opportunity and Mindfulness allows me to reinterpret/reframe and reminds me that this is an opportunity to rise to the occasion and that perhaps there is untapped potential within me I have not discovered yet.
It is an opportunity to grow and improve, even through stumbles and failure. My struggles may also serve to help others, later in time, as I will have direct experience of the struggle and perhaps be able to help them in a better way because I have gone through i
What I've noticed:
When you let the threat response win out, you always underperform. You tend to feel you let yourself down and often a sense of shame or regret arises. It's not a way that makes you feel empowered. You tend to beat yourself up.
It creates a memory that you end up reliving again and again - Something like..... It didn't work out so why even try? Or I'm not good enough for this.
What I've found:
When you confidently and mindfully reframe/reinterpret to a challenge-response, and remind yourself to embrace the growth opportunity and enjoy the "stretch", you tend to do better and reach new heights in your own personal growth.
Regardless of the specific outcome, it is space in your mind that feels much more empowering.
It also creates a memory you can call on again and again: Something this…
I can handle this. I can navigate through this mindfully. I can learn to enjoy it if I choose.
A few strategies.
1: Be the Lion
When you encounter an opportunity and start to feel a threat response dialogue settling in, reframe the conversation to focus on the growth opportunity. Let your challenge response guide you.
2: Breathing: Physiological Sigh or Lion's Breath
When you do find yourself tipping over the edge, try this physiological breath.
Double-inhale through your nose
Long slow exhale through your mouth
Repeat -3 to 5 times
The Lion's Breath is another effective approach that is derived from ancient breathing practices originating from yogic traditions in India.
Get into your seated position of choice.
Place your hands on your knees. Spread the fingertips wide, like a lion's claws.
Lean the upper body forward slightly.
Inhale through your nose with your mouth closed.
Open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue as much as you can, curling it down toward your chin.
Exhale forcefully with a "ha" sound, feeling the breath come from deep within and passing across your entire tongue. Keep the tongue out for the entire exhale and don't be afraid to get loud.
Relax your face and take a few normal breaths before doing another lion's breath.
Repeat until you've completed 3 lion's breaths.
Once your repetitions are complete, breathe slowly and deeply in and out through the nose for 60 seconds.
3: Preparation: Train Your Stress Muscle
Just as an athlete trains to handle increasing weight or intensity loads, you can train yourself to handle and manage stress more efficiently and effectively.
To do this, place yourself into controlled stressful environments and work on managing your mental and physical faculties.
Example: Get into a cold shower and see if you can focus and perform a simple mental task (basic math, reciting a poem, etc.) for a fixed period of time.
By engaging in voluntary stress training, you can improve your ability to handle the involuntary stress that inevitably enters your life.
Final Thoughts: How to Turn Stress into Your Ally
It seems to be a fact that there is no such thing as a stress-free life. So how do we work with what is inevitable?
We can see our lives as sacred and valuable.
We can see our challenges as noble tasks.
We can see ourselves as holy.
This is the greatest way to turn stress into clean fuel, a fuel we can use to create deeper levels of fulfilment in our daily lives. We can flourish in spite of our challenges.
Our problems no longer define us, they are what create us
Whether labelled as nobility, virtue, or divinity, and regardless if one believes in the existence of God, individuals unmistakably know in their marrow what sacredness is, they recognize holiness or indescribable goodness both in fellow humans and within the realms of human experience
Bring mindfulness into the equation and use it to your advantage.
Try these ideas and perhaps you'll turn stress into your good friend (or at least a friendly acquaintance:)
Whether you're struggling with stress, anxiety, or self-doubt, or seeking personal growth and self-improvement, mindfulness coaching can help you gain clarity, build resilience, and enhance your overall well-being.
