Imagine this scenario: You go to the doctor for your annual physical. While at the appointment, they take a routine x-ray. The doctor finds something suspicious on the x-ray and wants you to have further tests. The tests take time to schedule and then, of course, you have to wait for your next appointment. During this period, you feel nervous and anxious. You start going down the google rabbit hole, which only ignites more anxiety. You stop sleeping well, perhaps stop eating or eating well. In short, you are a nervous wreck. You are STRESSED.
I’m bringing this up because recently, three of my clients had similar situations where something looked suspicious on an initial test. In all three cases, it turned out to be a benign incidental finding. However, regardless of the medical issue, there was a lot of stress and a lot of anxiety.
Periods of stress are corrosive to the body. This is because we are, unfortunately, still operating like cave-people. When we get stressed, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in. This system wants to give our bodies sympathy by helping us when it thinks we need to flight of flee. (The good ole, “fight or flight” response is still with us!) A plethora of physiological changes take place: stress hormones are released, heart rate and blood pressure increase, pupils dilate, breathing rate goes up, blood sugar elevates, fatty acids are released into the blood stream supplying the body with extra energy so we can fight that beast. Only there is no beast to fight. Two million years ago, when there was a beast to kill, the body would return a “normal” state after the fight, because of the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system does just the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system–it slows everything down because the threat is over. When we are constantly stressed, the threat is never over so we wind up staying in this “high-alert” state, which, as you can see, is not healthy place to be. Over time you will have an increase risk for hypertension, stroke or a heart attack. Chronic stress contributes to an increase in inflammation especially in the arteries leading to the heart.
Waiting for test results or getting a medical report that we can’t understand can trigger this same response. Given our current state of technology, it is not far-fetched to think that sooner or later, we will all be faced with something like this happening to us. The best advice that I can offer is to try hard to stay calm, since getting keyed up before you know the facts will not change a thing. I always tell myself that I can fully “freak the F out” when I know something is actually wrong. If it turns out to be nothing, you cannot undo the period of stress that you put yourself under.
To calm your chattering brain, consider using a meditation app, that will guide you along through relaxation. (There are so many good ones out there now! My personal favorite is headspace.) I find just listening to meditation music and breathing deeply works beautifully—especially in the middle of the night if I find myself awake and thinking about things I should not be. Deep breathing awakens your parasympathetic nervous system, which brings your body back to equilibrium.
Bottom line: Stress is not a good state to be in. Of course, we will all feel stressed from time to time but do your best to keep it at bay by staying in the present, calming your chattering mind, and breathing!
Fitness Food and You 