A Worrier’s Guide to Chaosia

The mind’s emergency preparedness for stressful and dangerous situations.

“Panic is approaching, 

I can hear it roar.

Here comes the feeling

That my blood is running cold.”

Sys, don’t panic, it’s organic

Stress is a good servant, but a bad master. Protector and tyrant. Helper and saboteur. Our Loki.

Let us first take a look at what stress is and how it works - know your enemy and friend, so that you can react appropriately when it surprises you. By the way, instead of “Systers”, I constantly and unintentionally keep writing “Systres”. May my sudden dysgraphia serve as a warning and an incentive to read this article. Don’t let the stress control you, and don’t be your stress. 

A stressor is any factor which disrupts the homeostatic balance and comfort of an organism. Anything that upsets us, physically or mentally. The stress response of the body is just a natural adaptational response and an attempt to modify one’s physiological functioning to resist the stressor. The resulting stress (our physiological response to a stressor) can have more damaging effects on our health than the stressor itself! Don’t get me wrong, though. The body’s ability to respond to stress is essential to survival, and stress is desirable at the right time and at the right level. Such positive stress is called eustress, whereas distress puts a strain on our body for too long and with too much intensity.

What mechanisms does the body employ in the stress response? The main ones are the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis, which is a sort of Head Panic Activist. In reality it means the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Both systems have very similar effects, they cooperate and complement each other. They excite the body to action. The main difference is the speed of their activation. It is important to turn on the body’s defence at the right moment and in the right order. It is equally important to turn this defence off at the right time, letting it act within the limits of hormesis. 

• The sympathetic nervous system acts immediately, with a fight or flight response. Noradrenaline and adrenaline are released, glycolysis is activated to free up energy for action and the heart rate accelerates. 
• The HPA axis is activated with a few-minute delay, acts through cortisol (but also adrenaline), the same as the sympathetic nervous system starts glycolysis and other destructive biochemical pathways to release energy, and at the same time suppresses parasympathetic processes (such as digestion, blood flow to the skin, and the function of reproductive organs, as well as reproductive and growth hormones) - see where I’m going with this? Imagine having the HPA axis activated all the time. Careful, cortisol can also penetrate the blood-brain barrier and affects the brain directly. A long-term excess of cortisol can cause an accumulation of adipose tissue in the face and its plumpness, among other things.

Chronic stress 

“I’m dashing, I’m rushing, I don’t have a moment’s peace. I skip breakfast, I don’t snack, I won’t make it, I’ll be late.”

What if this perfect alarm system gets out of hand, though, and we don’t slow down after its acute activation? Unfortunately, we see this harmful distress more often than is desirable for our body and mind. Another problem is that the body expects active movement at the onset of the stress response, but the vast majority of the modern-day stressors - unless it concerns a war in our territory - are completely abstract, take place in our heads and, above all, never stop. These include stress about constant uncertainty and danger, work or school, dysfunctional relationships, endless to-do lists, the dizzying speed of life or excess of stimuli around us. However, we can even cause such stress to ourselves by adhering too strictly to a subjectively healthy lifestyle. This may include overtraining, anxious obsessing about our diet, supplements, and daily regime. Any extreme can help in the short term, but cannot be sustained in the long run.

The goal is to always come back to the centre. If we don’t, chronic stress ensues, disrupting the brakes of the HPA axis. All defence mechanisms then remain constantly active, the body wastes a lot of energy, digestion and nutrition absorption deteriorates (the effect of stress on thyroid hormones and metabolism; 1), we lose muscle tissue, the immune system keeps increasing inflammation levels (2), burns itself out and loses its ability to respond to real threats, the menstrual cycle and functioning of the reproductive organs are stopped or disrupted (the effect of stress on sex hormones; 3), new moms stop being able to produce milk, sleep quality, libido, concentration, learning, and memory all deteriorate, the heart muscle grows weaker, regeneration worsens, and the body doesn’t grow - neither physically nor mentally. And I haven’t even mentioned the effects of oxidative stress on the brain! The body starts to wither and the anxious tension is unintentionally stored in the muscles and nervous system. Children of constantly stressed mothers suffer from mental problems even in adulthood and have a predisposition to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and a reduced ability to manage stressful situations. The dangers of over-stressing lurk on every corner (4).

Enough of fiery threats, however. Don’t let fear scare you. Our amazing body does all of this in order to adapt to each situation as best it can. We just have to give it the opportunity to take a break and truly protect us. So how can we treat acute stress burns, and how to train our stress-dragon so that it will serve us to our benefit? What if we created a list, a sort of a mini survival kit, but instead of physical tools for survival, we included acute as well as preventive techniques that would help us to bring our upset mind back to the centre and peace?

An acute crisis survival kit of inner peace and health

Accelerated heart beat, dizziness, inability to concentrate, cramping anxiety in the stomach, fear in the eyes, chaotic thinking, sensory paralysis, and many other individual signs - here comes paralysing stress and panic. This list will help you overcome it and support your relaxing parasympathetic nervous system!

• Take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly!

Are you familiar with box breathing? Repeat after me, breathe into your stomach and count:

• Breathe in counting to four
• Hold your breath counting to four
• Breathe out counting to four
• Hold your breath counting to four. 

Repeat for a minimum of one minute or until your heart and mind calm down.

Pay special attention to breathing out, and feel free to make exhalation longer than your inhalation. Inhalation activates the body, exhalation calms it down.

• Release the rush of anxiety through movement

Exercise, jump around, run, or dance. Give your body exactly what it expects - action!

• Use your voice

Sing, hum, holler, yell, chant (accompany your exhalation with a deep tone at a frequency that you find calming).

• Change your setting, visit your family or friends or call them

• Disconnect from social networks and mass media news

• Write down your emotions on a piece of paper and share them with others

Also try to write a short list of people and things that you appreciate in your life, that make you happy and help you.

• Take time to plan and organise

Transform the accumulated urge to move, fight or flee into a useful strategy to bring order to your head and environment. Dive into sorting, cleaning, or simply pack an emergency bag and calmly tend to your everyday work or hobbies. 

• Treat yourself to some extra care and cuddles

Massage your temples and stiff muscles or ask your loved one to do it for you. Snatch a beloved person or a pet and cuddle thoroughly.

• Close your eyes, turn off the lights, and dream

• Don’t be afraid to seek out professional help!

Preventive survival kit of inner peace and health

Don’t let stress control you in the long run, and prevent chronic stress. Stressful situations will force you to come down from your set rules. Will you grab some sweets, bread, ready-to-cook meals, fast food, alcohol, or coffee? Will you stop exercising regularly and spend your nights scrolling mindlessly through social networks or watching one series after another? Will you fall into apathy and depression? Become the fighter you have always admired in others, not knowing you had one inside too! Make up your mind, resist, and use your activated body in your favour. What are you worried about, what calls for your attention, and what steps can you take in the long run in order to feel peaceful and safe?

• Sleep

Sleep well, long, in complete darkness and silence, without any electronic devices in bed.

Learn to breathe through your nose - both in your sleep and during the day.

• Refuel

Drink a lot (and I definitely don’t mean alcohol), eat varied foods in sufficient quantities, take vitamins or minerals in the form of supplements if needed. Support your gut microbiome with probiotics and antioxidants.

• Create healthy, lasting relationships, have hobbies, laugh

Do you dedicate the time of your life to something that truly fulfils you, spend it with people who support you and help you grow?

• Find a physical activity you love

In the end, it’s not about what kind of physical activity you do, but rather about regularity and playfulness. Move in any way! You don’t like to pump iron, but enjoy dancing and yoga? You hate running, but love walking? You don’t settle for one sport, but keep trying out new ones? Why not, have fun with it! Always keep in mind, however, that sport must not tire you out in the long run. That would increase your chronic stress levels, which is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. Physical exercise should make you feel empowered and joyful; don’t go to bed feeling drained.

• Bathe your body and soul in nature and in the sun

Put away your phone, go out and spend some time walking in a forest or sightseeing. Personally, I love weekends spent with friends, trekking through the woods, playing the guitar, cooking together on a bonfire, swimming, enjoying philosophical debates and sleeping under the stars. Enjoy the beautiful views, gaze into the distance - it will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and calm you down.

Walk it off! Do you remember Forrest Gump who set out for a run when he started to feel anxious, and then just ran and kept running? You don’t have to run, just walk and keep moving. The healing magic of kinetic energy shall be your silent therapist.

• Pamper yourself

Go to the sauna, relax in the cold, treat yourself to some aromatherapy and herbal teas. Enjoy a cup of lemon balm, camomile, lavender, St John’s wort, Rhodiola, valerian, or hops. Take a hot bath and delight your taste buds with some quality chocolate.

• Control your thoughts

Try any kind of meditation that suits you (I can recommend the loving kindness meditation by Veronika, for example; 5), immerse yourself in peace and relaxation with yoga nidra, and practise mindfulness with everything around you. In your daily rhythms, alternate between focus aimed into your centre and from your centre out into the world. Getting stuck on either side of the barricade would do you no good.

Observe your emotions and accept them.

• Be creative and do magic

Play your favourite music, fill a canvas with an explosion of your creativity, or perform a ritual in soft candlelight.

• Support your inner warrior

Build up your resistance in crisis situations. Why don’t you try boxing, learn basic survival skills, or do a first aid training?

All of this works for me personally, but what is your effective defence? Experiment and feel what happens in your body during the stress response, and what strategies work for you. In the end, grab a piece of paper and put together your own proven survival kit of peace - with all the observations, ideas, techniques, and protocols. You can keep this list in your wallet, diary, or on your fridge.

To people, in peace

Stress can be caused by a mere thought; we all know it too well. And the most stressful of all is a thought of stress itself. In order to keep stress in line, let’s use our minds for our protection. Our mindset and outlook have an enormous influence on our health and stress response. Acute stress stimulates the body to action, says what is important, and helps to direct our attention. Our attitude is the helmsman of the stress response - do I see stress as a signal and a tool, or as something dangerous and paralysing? Am I teaching my mind to accept the occasional discomfort (physical and mental, pleasant and unpleasant), and adapt to it?

The so-called mindset, nowadays quite an annoying buzzword, is a huge topic which we will certainly analyse to the smallest details here at Systers. However, for starters I recommend listening to Dr. Andrew Huberman’s podcast where he interviews Dr. Alia Crum (6). Your mind allows you to approach stress exactly the way you want; all you need to do is set a purpose and train your mind at it. I’m not saying that by formulating your wishes in your thoughts you will be showered with golden coins and the keys to your new mansion with unicorns in the orchard, but you are definitely capable of much more than you think. Go out to people, in peace, and inspire.

May you sparkle with electrifying wit and a fat layer of myelin is the only thing getting on your nerves!

Take care, Sys. ❤

Bibliography:

1. Lopresti AL. The Effects of Psychological and Environmental Stress on Micronutrient Concentrations in the Body: A Review of the Evidence. Adv Nutr. 2020 Jan 1;11(1):103-112. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz082. PMID: 31504084; PMCID: PMC7442351
2. Johnson TV, Abbasi A, Master VA. Systematic review of the evidence of a relationship between chronic psychosocial stress and C-reactive protein. Mol Diagn Ther. 2013 Jun;17(3):147-64. doi: 10.1007/s40291-013-0026-7. PMID: 23615944
3. Brasil DL, Montagna E, Trevisan CM, La Rosa VL, Laganà AS, Barbosa CP, Bianco B, Zaia V. Psychological stress levels in women with endometriosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Minerva Med. 2020 Feb;111(1):90-102. doi: 10.23736/S0026-4806.19.06350-X. Epub 2019 Nov 12. PMID: 31755674
4. Guidi J, Lucente M, Sonino N, Fava GA. Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health: A Systematic Review. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90(1):11-27. doi: 10.1159/000510696. Epub 2020 Aug 14. PMID: 32799204
5. https://www.systers.bio/en/metta-loving-kindness-meditation-and-its-effects-on-mental-health/
6. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ELdxrMTQum8E4ulpMSb2J?si=14b5a8c5cd7d4ec8