UP- Stress: How to actually control distress
Welcome to part 2 of Stress, Stop the Madness., and the 3rd blog UP - STRESS: HOW TO ACTUALLY CONTROL DISTRESS of this FREE 3 month mini series.
Last week we talked about distress. This week is about eustress, or hormetic stress a.k.a good stress.
JUMPING IN WITH BOTH FEET - GREAT NEWS!
Hormetic stress (Good stress) is essential to life. It is a fact of human life.
When one is feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, angry… STOP. Drop down and plank. Perform 10 power squats. Push ups against a wall. Do a wall sit. Take a cold shower. Go bare foot in nature. Take deep breaths, release slowly.
Are you getting my point?
I don't care how busy you tell yourself. EVERYONEhas time for mini breaks. I hear the lying brain of those with excuses all the time. When you take back over your “out of control” brain using your body, you will note big changes. This won’t be long. Results can be quick.
These are great baby steps that will bring you to the most powerful force of your being. Using temperature smartly. Contrast Therapy is indeed something challenging. So it is smart to seek Certified Thermalist ®, to understand HOW, WHY and WHAT before you practice.
IT IS VERY SIMPLE - SO, WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID?
It really isn’t more complicated than this. But such difficulties lie within humans and their comforts. This is posing immense trouble for mass amounts of humans. For some reason humans have become complacent with listening to their natural instincts. Avoiding important requirements of these hormetic stressors:
Resistance Training
Breathing Practices
Contrast Therapy
Cold Exposure
Fasting
There isn’t a magic pill. There is you. And this is enough.
Great news, we all can utilize states of hormesis no matter your age, gender, or health condition. Adapting a consistent practice allows for quality of life by keeping to your own power, without medications by white coats, and allowing a far easier life. You will find your strength and power within, as well as a calmer mind, less anxiety, lower/ absent depressive thoughts, and the fears of life dissipate. Your world grows. You notice more space around you. And your health becomes strong. Confidence soars.
HOW TO BE FREE FROM “ WHITE COATS”
Regardless of your current state of health, everyone can practice states of hormesis. The only caveat is the baseline from where you are starting. This is where I come in, helping you begin practices by smartly habituating and adapting to a new healthier lifestyle. In my practice as a Certified Thermalist ®, I have seen the range - from young people up to 90’s, from extremely poor health to top level athletes. I have also witnessed those with different types of cancers, beat it, or in the very least, contain it. (plenty of science to back this up, as well as case studies). Anything is possible, if you want to put in the work. **
Further: Prevention of illnesses, helping beat distress, weight training for nervous system and body, is always better than waiting for complete breakdown of the vessel. We know this. Everyone knows this. So why aren’t more people doing the work?
BECAUSE FOR MOST, IT IS HARD TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY.
NOTE: This sounds simple. It will get easier once you get into a rhythm. Getting into a flow using your inner tools, along with a positive mindset. Finding that momentum and sticking to it, can be tough at times. But, what I help clients understand is how to find that balance, in the shortest doses that will work when more time is unattainable.
STRESS, ANXIETY AND FEARS ARE TOXINS
Would you like to get rid of the “Symptoms of Society” , all the nasty signs and symptoms? You must understand how they got there… who allowed them in. It is the occupant, you. This is a tough idea to swallow. But it is the truth… and it is not blaming. Playing victim does not help, so stop that.
Don’t forget that what you read, see, feel, eat, breathe and hear, can pile up inside the body. (somatic attachment). The ever constant attacks on the human body and mind, from diet to external influences that forges a disconnection between body and mind.
WHAT IS IN THE NUTSHELL?
Humans have become sedentary, abusive towards one’s own body and psyche, thusly, driving a lack of knowledge of what you are feeling when the body is screaming at you for help. It is called the “pile on”. When we feel bad about ourselves, we add to it with vices, with bad talk, and the attempts at escapism or avoidant behaviours occur. I know first hand. I was there. I allowed myself to enter this trap years ago. But, I dug myself out, and still to this day, I continue my work.
Now, I find it fun, exciting, and I love how it makes me feel. It really isn’t complicated, and the power of knowing I have control of my health is priceless. I rely on myself. I listen to my body when she speaks. I take notes on all the daily tasks I do or when I have pushed myself too hard, or some days, not hard enough. You will learn this. Integral part of living.
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP?
Acceptance of responsibility for your actions by believing in yourself.
Using hormetic stress is not about the mind, it’s using the BODY. Removing the toxin loads that have built up over time.
WHAT IS YOUR BODY TELLING YOU?
Thermal alignment starts with happy, healthy skin. By the time you see or feel or have skin issues… the internal duress: metabolic misalignment and/ or destruction with inflammation, allergies and toxin overload that has your lymphatic system clogged to shit. Which means that you have poor vascular and cellular health. The thermoregulation system is a beautiful part of a human vessel. Do you suffer from the following problems?
Rashes, itchiness, hives, acne, poor ability to heal wounds
Cold hands
Cold feet
Hot feet at night when sleeping
Losing hair
Incredibly dry skin
Too oily skin
Seasonal sensitivities
sneezing/ coughing
Sensitive to cold weather - have to cover hands or wear heavy layers
Overly sweat when you do the slightest movement, or workout
Overheat for no reason or hard to be comfortable in the heat of summer
Can’t get warm enough in the winter months
Are you clammy
Are you cold and clammy
*What I have learned and understand is the heavy toxin load causes major distresses. Our body is trying its best to release the old and new stores in the body. At the same time our thermal regulatory system is way off, unable to go into homeostasis.
WHAT DO WE DO TO COMBAT THESE ISSUES?
Typically, you run to the white coats, or to the pharmacies for immediate bandaid solutions, instead of asking “what lifestyle measures can I do to repair this ?” Our human body is incredible with natural healing properties. It is always wanting to go back to balance. When you STOP with the fake foods,the processed foods - use FASTING or EXERCISE or BREATHINGinstead - stop or decrease the vices, the toxin loading by using all or part of HORMETIC STRESS, the need for these horrible toxins decreases. Yes, it works. These toxins destroy our body and mind.
EQUATION: Hormetic stressors - used at the highest intensity, for the shortest amount of time, calmly, intently, for the greatest benefit. This is the wise practice of their use.
PROVIDING THE RIGHT DOSE FOR YOU
FACTORS of INFLUENCE:
habituation - adaptation to one or more of the hormetic stressors
consistency is key - I help you create a routine best suited for you.
age, current health state, gender… and geographical location is not one. No matter where you live, we all need to incorporate all five hormetic stressors.
My passion is helping you understand the power you have. Prevention of illnesses, better quality of, even the hereditary ones, so you are not a walking personal pharmacy full of dependencies.
Our health care system is our back up, not our primary. Should we have accidents, or emergencies that warrant help for survival, yes please. It is our personal responsibility to prevent most if not all metabolic problems, which are caused by current lifestyles.
NEXT WEEK: We’ll discuss THERMOREGULATION…using hormetic stress of CONTRAST THERAPY, AND COLD….
Written by
Denise Tompkins
Certified Thermalist ®, / owner Element Outdoor Sauna
