By Baxter
The Heart Goes from Sugar to Coffee by Kurt Schwitters
I couldn't help but notice how easy it was for me to work with an acute stress event when it showed up at the beginning of this week after a hectic weekend that included holiday parties, a book signing, some late nights, too much junk food, and sweets. My body rebelled by throwing out extra heartbeats a few times a minute and I had an overall feeling of being lightheaded, and un-grounded. Although this was disconcerting, having dealt with similar symptoms earlier in the year, this did not trigger an anxiety attack as had happened to me a couple of times in the past. Recognizing that this was a result of the stressors of the weekend (although “positive” stressors overall), I immediately made some space in my schedule, went to my practice space and did 45 minutes of restorative practice, which immediately helped to drop my heart symptoms down a bit. I also ate healthy, sugar-free meals, took a quiet walk in the neighborhood, and got to bed at an appropriate time. I woke up the next morning with my body and mind back in balance, and my heart back in normal rhythm.I must confess how in the recent past it was much more challenging for me to work with low-level chronic stress. Over the past 15 years I have been talking about the effects of chronic stress, teaching workshops on the subject, and writing about it on the blog. So I certainly had an intellectual understanding of stress and the negative consequences of poor stress management. However, it took a similar acute episode last winter in which I felt like I was having a heart attack or some serious irregular heart rhythm that triggered a panic attack to wake me up to the dismal state of my own stress management. Through conversations with supportive friends, ongoing discussions with my therapist, and self-reflection, I have identified my particular stressors and behaviors that have contributed to my stress: excessively busy work schedules, lack of space for self-reflection and creativity, challenging relationships, the political climate, checking online news outlets too frequently, poor dietary choices (for me it’s sweets and salty savory snacks), too much Netflix, lack of fresh air, and irregular exercise and yoga practice. Some of these things I realized I could directly address, while others not so much.
My prescription for myself that has been quite helpful over the last 12 months includes a more regular yoga and meditation practice, even if only for 10-15 minutes at a time, more regular walks in nature, starting a new tennis routine twice a week for additional exercise, taking mini movement breaks for 2-3 minutes every 20-25 minutes when working at my computer for hours, and more mindful eating and snacking. The most effective yoga tools for me are short restorative practices of three to four restorative poses in a row, holding each for 5-10 minutes, simple breath awareness meditation for 10-15 minutes most mornings first thing, a longer active asana practice in the mornings a few days a week, and pranayama with either 1:2 ratio breathing or alternate nostril breathing. And it has worked pretty well this past year, although my commitment waxes and wanes with time and I still need to be more aware of those times when I am slipping back into old habits.
So with the holiday season upon us, you might want to consider the lesson I learned the hard way: when you’re busy and stressed it may be even more important to take time for your stress management practices, yogic and otherwise! I encourage you to set aside some time every day or so over the next few weeks, even if only 10-15 minutes, to attend to re-balance and quiet yourself amid the hubbub and busyness of the holidays.
See Stress Management for When You're Stressed and 6 Ways to Bust Stress with Yoga for more ideas of what to practice during stressful times.
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