Stress and Chronic Illness
In modern day society, we are go go go. We don’t stop. We’re chasing our kids. We’re working or studying long hours. We’re taking care of the home. We’re going to extracurriculars. We’re commuting long distances in traffic. We’re constantly in front of devices. We eat meals quickly on the go or grab fast food. We drink coffee to wake up. We expect everything to happen in an instant. There is no slow pace. We chase our dreams and look forward to the two weeks’ vacation per year to finally chill. There is no time to relax and rest your mind or body.
Think about that. Does that sound healthy to you? Does that sound sustainable for the long term? Absolutely not. Sadly, most of us are leading this lifestyle.
What is this fast-paced lifestyle leading to? STRESS!
One of the main causes of fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses is…ding ding ding…stress. Specifically, chronic stress. Let me explain why:
When you are exposed to a threat or a stressor, your body’s stress response system, called “fight or flight”, kicks in. Your body is biologically wired to either fight off that stressor / threat, or flee from it. For example, our ancestors would have experienced coming into close contact with a bear: run or fight it off. Your body is designed to handle stress in short bursts, or acute stress, activating your stress response system, but shortly after, calming it down and relaxing with “rest and digest”.
The “fight or flight” response is a physiological reaction when your body responds to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. The interesting thing about the body is that, it doesn’t know the difference between a perceived threat, or a real threat in front of you, if you are thinking about the threat or stressor, your body will go into fight or flight as well.
When you’re stressed, the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) will activate, triggering a host of symptoms in the body, such as:
Pupils dilate
Salivation is inhibited, to reduce hunger
Lungs constrict, making you breathe faster
Heart rate increases
Digestion slows (so you don’t poop while fighting off that bear)
Adrenaline releases
Glucose releases
Once the threat or stressor goes away, your body activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), which relaxes the body, and in turn, here’s what happens:
Pupils constrict
Salivation is stimulated, appetite comes back
Lungs relax, you breathe easier
Heart rate decreases
Digestion is stimulated, hunger returns
Adrenaline is no longer produced
As I mentioned above, in modern day society today, we are bombarded with stressors at every turn. Our stress response is chronically activated, which can lead to sickness and / or chronic illness, such as fibromyalgia. Here’s the kicker, there’s a genetic mutation that you may carry, that can also cause your body to hang on to stress hormones 3-4 times longer than someone who does not carry that genetic mutation. If you’re a caucasian from Europe, you’re more likely to carry this mutation.
If you’re constantly exposed to stressors, without getting time in between to relax, your sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system will be activated too often, and you may begin to have trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, experience chronic pain, mood disorders, memory problems, digestion thrown off, your appetite low leading to potential nutrient deficiencies, and you may begin to feel fatigued.
Living with an invisible chronic illness like fibromyalgia is stressful in and of itself. It’s stressful trying to keep up with a “normal” life. It’s stressful searching for relief from your symptoms. It’s stressful finding understanding from doctors and loved ones. It’s stressful experiencing flare ups. It can feel quite overwhelming.
On top of this, here are some other stressors you could be facing:
Difficult / sick pregnancy
Traumatic childbirth experience
Postpartum issues / lack of sleep
A career you don’t enjoy
Stressful job
Working long hours
Working shift work
Having a child with a chronic health condition / issues
Juggling your kids with minimal / no help
Being around toxic / unhealthy family or friends
Experiencing grief
Being in an abusive relationship
Sadly, this is not an exhaustive list.
The good news is, we can recognize that we are constantly bombarded with stress, and try to slow our lives down.
Here are some of my tips to help reduce your stress, and in turn, rest your body enough to help reduce your fibromyalgia and chronic illness symptoms:
Slow your life down, take time out for yourself
Go for daily nature walks, touch a tree, sit on a log, put your bare feet into the earth, ground yourself
Journal out your thoughts, stressors and worries
Listen to your favourite music and dance if you feel called to
Draw, paint, do a craft - harness your inner child
Drink calming herbal tea, such as, lemon balm
Create solid boundaries with people, learn to say no and protect your space
Exposure your body to sunlight
Make a fibromyalgia smoothie (grab the recipe by signing up for my newsletter)
What is your stress level sitting at from 1-10 right now? What is your average stress level? Do you take the time to rest and recharge?
As part of my 12 week 1:1 fibro program, we work on reducing the stress you’re exposed to, learning how to respond in a healthy manner to stress, and calming the nervous system down naturally through diet and lifestyle choices. When we work on reducing your stress, we can help reduce your fibromyalgia symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, stiffness, insomnia, and everything in between, so you can begin leading your best life!
Stress is one of my favourite topics to go on about (lol) so watch out for more on this one!!
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Cheers to living your best life with fibro!
xo,
The Nutritionist Mama
*Disclaimer - this is my own personal experience and not medical advice.