Calming the Savage Beast: Tips for Surviving Our Stressful Times

By Tom Kenyon, MA

I'm going to be short and to the point. There are two types of individuals when it comes to stress – Sympathetic or Parasympathetic. And you would be wise to recognize which type of Responder you are.

Sympathetic Responders

If you are a Sympathetic Responder you will find that you tend to feel more wound up when you are stressed. There is a tendency for you to get hyper. If you are really stressed, you may find it difficult to go to sleep or in some cases sleep at all. You will also find that you are not interested in eating. And chronic muscle tension can become a real problem – stiff necks, sore backs and even migraines, that sort of thing.

Nutrition

Eating foods that induce a sense of balance are very important for this type of responder. Stay away from sugar and simple carbohydrates as well as caffeine if you are experiencing a particularly high stress level. Let me be clear here – I am not badmouthing coffee. I think a good Cappuccino at the right time can do wonders. The problem is when we are inordinately stressed. If you are already revved up in a sympathetic stress response, caffeine can cause a further increase in stress-related hormones. And this is the last thing you want.

Relaxation Inducing Activities

It is important for these types of responders to find a way to relax, to let go. Hatha yoga, T'ai Chi and/or Feldenkrais can be very helpful types of exercise in this regard. What makes the above types of exercise so beneficial for Sympathetic Responders is that they induce relaxation in both the fine and large muscle groups of the body. When muscle tension is reduced, there is an immediate reduction in stress symptoms. These types of exercise also direct attention inward, thereby increasing kinesthetic awareness (awareness of physical sensation). This type of awareness is very helpful for Sympathetic Responders because when they really get revved up they can easily feel disconnected from their bodies. Therapeutic massage can also be helpful. Some Sympathetic Responders have found Acupressure, Shiatsu, Acupuncture and even Aroma Therapy to be effective in helping to keep their stress levels in check.

The right type of music can also be of great benefit. Take time to listen to music that you find personally relaxing. If you are experiencing a severe sympathetic response to stress, I suggest you actually take some time to yourself. Cut off the phone; tell everyone to leave you alone for about twenty minutes and listen to some relaxing music with headphones. You'll feel better.

Another helpful activity in this regard can be biofeedback. Some persons are so habituated to their stress response they may find the above activities have little effect in producing relaxation. If this is the case, I would strongly recommend you get some alpha training under your belt. If you are a Sympathetic Responder, you should not think of such training as a luxury item. The reason is simple and sobering. Studies show that unchecked sympathetic responses to stress are implicated in a wide number of serious health problems including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke and hypertension.

Summary

Basically, you want to calm things down, cool off. Slow down in other words. Your nervous system has been genetically hot wired to a sympathetic bias—flee or flight – and the smallest sense of a threat can set you off – especially if you have been under chronic stress for an extended period of time. Use the list of suggestions above as a starting point. And then create your own. I know one person who manages her stress by quilting. We're all unique. What works for one of us, may not work for another. But something will work for you, and it is vital that you find out what it is.

Parasympathetic Responders

The normal types of stress will usually affect you like a Sympathetic Responder – and you will find yourself in the classic fight or flight reaction. But if the stress is prolonged, your brain begins to respond in a vastly different manner. You may find yourself feeling sluggish, sleepy even. You will have a deep-seated desire to conserve energy and perhaps to eat. Whereas a Sympathetic Responder over-reacts to stress and remains in a type of hyper-vigilance – even when such vigilance is not needed – you are different. Your system goes to the other extreme of the seesaw and tries to replenish itself and conserve energy even when it is not in your best interest to do so.

Being a Parasympathetic Responder is tricky business. You have to weigh sudden irrational desires (like the impulse to eat and rest) against what you logically know to be true. When the signs of a stress reaction come to your awareness, you need to ask questions – questions like – did I eat lately? Am I really hungry? Or did something happen that's making me feel uncomfortable? You will also have to be vigilant about what you eat. Certain foods are guaranteed to make matters worse for a Parasympathetic Responder. Your task, like that of the Sympathetic Responder, is to bring your system back to a relative state of balance when it has over-reacted to stress.

Nutrition

Parasympathetic Responders often have a preference for carbohydrates, especially when they are in a stress reaction. This is because carbohydrate intake can increase serotonin levels in the brain and give a temporary boost to morale. However, in the long run too much carbohydrate actually runs counter to feelings of wellness for a Parasympathetic Responder. This is especially true if the carbohydrates are of the simple variety – like sugar.

The challenge for you is to closely monitor your carbohydrate intake, especially the simple variety. I say challenge because there seems to be a built in desire to forage when under stress, and when foraging under duress, Parasympathetic Responders want fast relief from the distressing feelings of being stressed out. So they reach for the soda, or the candy, or the 'healthy' energy bar or the 'healthy' fruit drink – most of them, quite frankly just high priced junk as they, too, are loaded with simple carbs. Molecularly speaking, organic sugar is still sugar. It's going to affect your insulin levels the same way.

So the first thing to do is to rein in those carbs. Notice I did not say eliminate them. Carbohydrates are needed for energy and a diet lacking them is not balanced and will eventually create a type of internal stress as the body searches for something inside to burn up for energy. The trick is to eat moderate amounts of high quality protein, moderate to low levels of carbs and find which quantities of each work best for you – meaning what gives you the best feeling of mental clarity and energy. Then do your best to keep your food intake within this range. You will find that your ability to deal with stress dramatically increases and you will feel more on top of the world instead of feeling like you are on the bottom being run over.

Movement

Parasympathetic Responders have a deep-seated primal instinct to conserve energy. Thus when you are chronically stressed, you may feel groggy, sleepy even. The temptation will be to do less, to mope around, perhaps even sleep more – perchance to dream. And while this may have a feeling of rightness to you, it is not. In point of fact, you need to move more. I know I know. If you are a true Parasympathetic Responder and you are under stress, this is the last, and I mean the last thing you will want to do. But do it anyway. Go take a brisk, the operative word being brisk, walk. Take a swim. Close your drapes, turn up your stereo and become an imaginary student of Martha Graham. Perform a free-flowing dynamic interpretative dance. Be wild and dance with abandon. Or on the more yang side of things, go to a gym, get some weight training, and start pumping some iron. Whatever you choose, make it dynamic. Get the breath and heart beat going. Dynamic exercise can become one of your greatest allies to fend off stress and if you do this type of exercise regularly, you will be better equipped to handle what life throws your way.

Summary

You are like a bear in winter, when it comes to stress. You will have a deep desire to find a den and hole up for awhile. Maybe grab some extra berries on the way. But such remnants of your evolutionary past won't serve you in the long run. Instead of rest, you need to move your – you know what. But find something that brings you joy, and if not joy, at least something that doesn't annoy the hell out of you. Unlike the Sympathetic Responding folks, who are running too hot, you are running too cool. Heat things up a bit. Turn up your metabolism and stoke the furnace. Move.

Meditation

Research has clearly demonstrated that regular meditation can greatly alleviate the effects of stress and can even increase intelligence, creativity and problem solving skills. I wish I had the time to go into this topic with you, but I have run out of space, so I'll write about it in another article. There are many types of meditation; it's a highly effective method that works for almost everyone.

Tom Kenyon holds an MA for Counseling Psychology. He's the author of Brain States (New Leaf Publishing), a critically acclaimed guide to the brain's unused potentials, and co-author of The Magdalen Manuscript and The Hathor Material (ORB). He is also the creator of numerous psychoacoustic recordings. For a free listing of his products, seminars and training's, write PO Box 98, Orcas, WA 98280.