The Upside of Pandemic Stress and How to Embrace It
I write about stress quite a bit. Why chronic stress is horrible for you, tangible ways to manage your stress, mindfulness hacks to reduce anxiety, etc., etc., you get the idea…
And it’s because I believe, wholeheartedly, that if you don’t manage the short-lived stress - which is mostly good for us - it takes away from your ability to perform as an athlete and becomes chronic. And it’s this negative chronic stress that sets the stage for illness and dis-ease.
Not just the type of disease that attacks your biological body but the lack of ease you feel in your mental body - the chronic uneasiness, dis-ease, that negatively impacts your mood and relationships - and interferes with your ability to be a full participant in your own life.
I work with my students and clients to help them find their own tangible methods to reduce stress - whether that be through healthier eating, meditation, yoga movement, goal setting or otherwise - because each person is unique and one method doesn’t work for everyone. FYI, keep scrolling and skip ahead to read my chronic stress tips.
But what I don’t talk much about is the upside of stress, because there is one - and right now, we could use a silver lining to stressful scenarios and dark times.
So is there really a positive aspect to stress and specifically, stress caused by the pandemic?
Neuroscientist, David Eagleman, seems to think so and speaks to the positive benefits for the brain.
“This is the one silver lining of Covid. It knocks us all off our hamster wheels, of doing things in a particular way, and forces everyone to think of new ways of doing things.
Which is actually, cognitively, quite good for you. In that sense, all our brains are forced to be more exercised than normal. Challenging your brain with novelty appears to provide cognitive protection.”
In short, you’ve been forced to turn off auto-pilot and go manual. This means that you’re asking your brain to step-up and work harder to adapt and survive. You’re building cognitive skills.
And in this process of doing so, according to Harvard, you’re building cognitive protection and a cognitive reserve, which is a fancy way of saying that your brain’s adapting and finding alternative ways to get things done.
Why does it matter to have a cognitive reserve? Well, having a solid cognitive reserve means you and your brain can function better for longer, reducing your chances of memory loss, dementia and alzheimer’s disease!
Because when you're exposed to unexpected life events, such as stress, a pandemic, surgery, or toxins in the environment, you’re building up your reserve to prevent future disease and illness.
So, friends, there is some good happening in all of this, which doesn’t take away from the terrible parts, but it’s important to see the light in the darkness. What other choice do you have?
And with that..
Tangible ways to balance your stress load and avoid chronic buildup:
Breathing exercises:
Paying attention to how you’re breathing is one of the simplest ways to change your mood and come back to the present moment. Sit quietly and breathe in for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. Repeat this 6-12 times.
Nourish your body with whole, fresh foods:
Aim to eat less things that come from a package or box and more foods that come in their natural, whole form. The following questions can help you eat more consciously and drastically improve your mood and energy levels - because the mind and body undeniably influence each other.
So what are you eating to keep your body running efficiently?
If you asked yourself, “is this good for me” before each meal what would be the truthful answer?
How does what you eat make you feel?
Take a walk in nature.
Intuitively you may know that getting fresh air is a powerful method to reset your mood and attitude. Checkout this article on “forest bathing”, an ancient practice in Japan that explores the positive effects on the human psyche. Then get outside!
Schedule “do nothing” and rest time into your day.
Just as you would schedule an important meeting on your calendar, where CAN you make the time to lie down, put your feet up and simply do nothing.
If you truly want to find more balance and harmony in your life, you must balance the doing and action part of our day with rest and doing nothing.
In summary, stress isn’t the enemy, it’s a natural part of our human experience. Yet how we approach it can drastically impact whether it turns chronic and harmful, or we use it for good to prolong a healthy, vibrant life.
You CAN and ARE building strength with each stressful challenge you overcome, and I’m guessing that you’re handling multiple right now. But each day that you wake up and take a step forward, you’re making a choice to become resilient and courageous.
So, keep doing the work, friend, your courage shines through and brings a much needed light into this world.
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