Now it’s time to talk about the “After” pillar, the first element of which is the completion of the stress response cycle. In this cycle, first is the circumstance, or the trigger. Information enters our brains through our senses, and then we make an internal assessment of whether we are safe or not. From there, a physiological stress response is triggered throughout the body.
In nature, animals literally shake off the stress from their bodies afterward. In modern stressors, we often instead wait for the next stressor. We don’t complete the stress cycle and the response is in chronic activation. As a result, there are serious physical, mental, and emotional consequences including heart disease, digestion problems, anxiety, and depression, just to name a few.
I’m not trying to scare you into taking care of yourself. Just remember, that doing one little thing is much better than doing nothing. Here are some evidence-based strategies to try:
Physical activity
Deep breathing
Laughing
Crying
Physical affection
Creativity
The book I’m referencing here is:
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