"We are what we repeatedly do". - Aristotle.
For those who have read my past blog posts, I talk a lot about our body's natural "fight or flight" reflex. In short, our fight or flight reflex is a primal instinct that is required to survive. The instinct was triggered for our distant ancestors in order to run away from lions and tigers and bears. This reflex caused a quick change in our nervous system in order to win, survive, and procreate. It causes pupil dilation, increased blood flow to our muscles, improved lung capacity amongst many other changes. Once we run away from the bear, our body goes back to it's normal level of homeostasis, the reflex turns off and we can continue our lives, rest, and digest.
The autonomic nervous system is made up of two different systems:
1) Parasympathetic- Rest/Digest
2) Sympathetic- Fight/flight.
I see many patients who have chronic, persistent and intermittent pain that seems to continually crop out of the wood works, again, just as they are going through another life stressor. I usually always discuss how the chronic state of "fight or flight" can wreck havoc on our body, but it wasn't until recently that I also realized it's connection to digestive issues- the rest/digest system. So many of my patients with persistent pain and dysfunction also suffer from bowel and bladder issues including chronic bladder infections, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhea. In very simple terms, when one system is on and activated, the other system is off. When we are constantly nervous about losing our job, worried about decisions we made in the past, anxious about the future, we are constantly in "fight or flight". So what does that do to the parasympathetic, rest/digest part of our nervous system? Well folks, it can chronically be suppressed. The parasympathetic nervous system allows for fuel storage, sleep, resistance to infection, and you guessed it, motility/digestion. No wonder the more stressed and anxious we are the more unhealthy, tired, and sick we become.
1) Breathe.
Lay down or sit in a relax position. Place one hand over your belly, and the other over your chest. Close your eyes. Slowly breath in through your nose for a count of four seconds causing the hand over your belly to rise, while the hand over your chest stays relatively still. If you only feel the hand on your chest moving, than you aren't breathing deep enough. Allow your belly to expand with each inhalation. After the full inhalation, hold for your breathe for a second or two at the top, and exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat this for 60 seconds. During your breathing, visualize what is happening to the heart and lungs with each inhalation- it is widening, and expanding, opening and accepting. With each exhalation, its resting, relaxing and giving.
Why it works: You are expanding your bronchioles, (which are tiny passageways for air to move into the lungs) with each inhalation. The rest/digest nervous system is naturally activated since it's job is decrease bronchial dilation, thus bringing our body back into it's resting state. Bringing awareness and being mindful to what is happening on the inside is a great way to activate the parasymphatic nervous system, replacing our constant thoughts of worry and stress.
2) Relax.
I don't mean go kick up your feet in front of the TV. I want you to check in with your body periodically throughout the day. Put a timer on your phone to go off every 45 minutes (you can download the Stand Up! App for free. Check out my last blog post on Health/Wellness Apps for more information).
Do this with me right now.
- Check in with your jaw. Are you clinching it? If you are, check in with your tongue. What position is your tongue in? Is it placed up against the back of your teeth? Try this: place your tongue against the roof of your month, now try to clinch your teeth. Was it harder? It's much more difficult to clinch our teeth when our tongue is resting at the roof of our mouth. Now if you haven't done so already, with you tongue gently touching the roof of your mouth, left your jaw gently release with your lips slightly touching.
- Check in with your shoulders. Are they half way up your ears? Are they rolled forward towards your computer? Do 5 slow neck rolls each direction, and 5 big shoulder rolls backwards... Up, back and down. Finish that 5th shoulder roll with your shoulders resting down and back. Quickly re-checkin with your tongue and jaw.
- Check in with your belly. Are you sucking it in like you are trying to put on pants that are too tight? Are you hunched forward making a big "C" curve with your back, sitting on your tailbone? Sit towards the front of your chair, intertwine your fingers behind your neck for support, and gentle extend your back, elongating your belly. Repeat this five times from neutral position and extend your neck, upper back and lower back, maybe even arching over the back of your chair if it is low enough.
- Check in with you glutes. Are you clinching them? Not sure? If your legs are crossed, uncross your legs and place both feet on the floor. Perform 5 slow butt squeezes (contract your butt, don't literally squeeze your butt with your hand), but make sure to relax between each squeeze. After your last glute contraction and relaxation, relax again. That second relaxation is key.
- Check in with your pelvic floor muscles. This one is usually the toughest to relax because they are the muscles we usually have the least knowledge and awareness of. Perform 5 deep breathes like we did above under "Breathe". Visualize on each inhale that the diaphragm is lower and relaxing, and the pelvic floor muscles are lower, lengthening, and relaxing. On each exhale just image those muscles gently going back to neutral position.
Watch this quick video demonstrating this connecting between breathing, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor muscles. You at least have to check out how they made the pelvic organs look like a little piglet.
If you are like most people, you were probably tensing most of those areas we just went through. In fact, studies have found that 70% of individuals who clinch and tense their jaw also have some type of pelvic floor dysfunction (ex. pain with intercourse, pain with urination, etc. See my past blog post Let's Talk About Sex Baby! for more information).
Why this works: Activating the body's relaxation state sends signals to the brain that we are calm, decreasing the brain's natural "alarm system" that is chronically triggered with stress, anxiety, worry and fear.
3) Yawn.
Scientists aren't sure exactly why yawning activates the parasympathetic nervous system. What they do know is that yawning is "contagious", meaning when others yawn, we can quickly and involuntary jump on the bandwagon. They believe it's a way that we show empathy towards others (dogs do this as well to humans). Also, it has been found that when our body gets a little warming than our normal, it is common to yawn, thus putting us back into our normal homeostasis. Tell that to your boss or teacher next time they catch you yawning!
Can you make it through this video without yawning?
Summary: The sympathetic nervous system is imperative for survival- we see a car coming directly at us full speed, we run out of the way without thinking twice about it. It is when we are unable to get out of this state of fight or flight that it takes a toll on our body. It's important for our health to take the time to activate the parasympathetic nervous system during your day. Set an alarm on your phone and do a quick body scan every 45 minutes. Practice deep breathing for 60 seconds intermittently throughout your day. I would suggest once before getting out of bed in the morning, before lunch, before leaving work, and lastly before you go to bed. We cannot control all life stressors, however we do have control over our body. We have the conscious ability to relax and let go, we must first be aware (hence body checks) of these habits and have the discipline to prioritize our health.
"Little by little, a little becomes a lot". -Tanzanian Proverb
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