Less Anxiety. More Peace… 3 Easy Tools To Combat Stress.

We are all living in a highly charged world that is constantly placing us under stress 24/7. It’s not all your fault. As parents you work all day, then chauffer your kids to their soccer games, dance classes, karate lessons, while rushing to pick up food from the grocery store to get dinner on the table. Oh, and don’t forget that present you need to pick up for the 3rd birthday party this month! The list goes on and on. Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day. Not to mention that we get continuously bombarded by fear propaganda in all aspects of our daily lives. We are told to be afraid of this disease or that strange person. The list of possible boogeymen never ends. You don’t really need me to tell you how bad constant stress is for your body. You know it…You feel it daily.

“I came to Stephen with hope that he can relieve some of the stress that I have been feeling. Stephen treated me with great respect, genuine care and obvious practical knowledge of his craft. He is a gifted healer and I recommend to all to let him lighten your life burdens. Thank you Stephen!” – Theresa E.

When your body experiences an abnormally prolonged state of fear or stress, your body’s autonomic nervous system (which is comprised of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches) can get stuck in sympathetic overdrive. Sympathetic overdrive is when we experience a threat to our own survival (such as a lion attack) and the autonomic nervous system kicks into “Fight or Flight” mode, rallying your bodies energy reserves and body systems to either fight the perceived threat or run away. During this time your body is flooded with adrenaline.

This is fine for short bursts, but your body is not meant to stay in sympathetic mode for prolonged periods. Your body is meant to return naturally to parasympathetic mode, once the threat has passed. Parasympathetic mode is your body’s “Rest and Digest” mode and is where you need to get back to, in order to properly digest, heal and rebuild your body.

The problem is that your autonomic nervous system does not know the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat. It still responds in the same manner, by shifting your body into sympathetic mode. So how can we begin to shift the body out of sympathetic overdrive and back into a more natural rhythm?

Below are 3 great tips.

HUMMING & GARGLING

The action of humming and gargling helps to tone the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body and connects the brain to many major organs. The vagus nerve is intimately connected with the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) The tone of your vagus nerve is important. The higher the tone the more able you are to adapt to and relax faster after stress.

The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your vagus nerve. And this has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and vagal tone (1)

10-20 seconds of gargling is all that is needed. I would recommend making it a part of your normal tooth brushing routine morning and night

Try adding humming (any song will do) or chanting (I like to chant the 7 sacred sounds of the 7 major Chakras: Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Hum, Om and Ahh) while your stopped at a traffic light or quietly while standing in line at the grocery store.

EXPOSURE TO COLD

“Exposing your body to acute cold conditions, such as taking a cold shower or splashing cold water on your face, increases stimulation of the vagus nerve. While your body adjusts to the cold, sympathetic activity declines, while parasympathetic activity increases.” (2)

Try making a habit of cold exposure by adding this simple step on to your daily showers or when you wash your face morning and night.

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is a very effective treatment for getting to the root of chronic stress and anxiety. So how does Acupuncture work.

When there is abundant, free-flowing, unimpeded bio-electricity (what we call Qi) in the body, all tissues are nourished and there is health in the body. When there is a breakdown or blockage or deficiency of bio-electricity(qi), the body is unable to repair and rebuild damaged tissues, and states of disharmony begin to settle in.

Prolonged states of stress are not natural and impede the flow of qi in the body. Acupuncture works by communicating through the fascia or connective tissue, which is piezoelectric in nature. Piezoelectric is defined as electricity resulting from pressure. When we needle the body at specific acupuncture sites, we are manipulating the connective tissue, which sends bioelectric signals through the sensory nerves to the spinal cord, central nervous system, and finally to the brain where the hypothalamus regulates the autonomic nervous system, returning it to a more balanced state.

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can influence autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions (3). It was found that acupuncture effectively alleviates ANS dysfunction-associated symptoms in its indications, such as migraine, depression, anxiety, insomnia, functional dyspepsia, as well as functional constipation.

In addition to acupuncture, biochemical mineral salts can be very effective in the treatment of chronic stress and anxiety. They are all natural and work beautifully alongside acupuncture. Read more in our previous blog post about biochemical nutrition.

If Stress and Anxiety are interfering with your quality of life, don’t hesitate to call, email or book an appointment online. Humanity Acupuncture is here to help you get your health back on track, so you can get back to living!

Many Blessings,

Stephen Longo LAc. Dipl. Ac.
Humanity Acupuncture
Stony Brook, NY
631-686-4001
stephen@humanityacupuncture.com
www.humanityacupuncture.com

References
(1) How to stimulate your vagus nerve for Better Mental Health. (n.d.). https://sass.uottawa.ca/sites/sass.uottawa.ca/files/how_to_stimulate_your_vagus_nerve_for_better_mental_health_1.pdf

(2) Wim Hof Method. (n.d.). Vagus nerve stimulation. Wim Hof Method. https://www.wimhofmethod.com/vagus-nerve-stimulation

(3) L. Qian-Qian, S. Guang-Xia, X. Qian, W. Jing, L. Cun-Zhi, W. Lin-Peng Acupuncture effect and central autonomic regulation Evid Based Complement Altern Med, 2013 (2013), Article 267959,