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Completing the Stress Cycle

Written by: Jennifer Acker, M.A.
Completing the Stress Cycle

There is no denying we live in a stressful world. Stressors include external things like work, family, finances, friends, discrimination, and societal expectations, as well as internal factors such as self-criticism, identity, memories, the future.

  • Stress is a normal human response to these difficult situations.
  • Stress is a neurological and physiological shift that happens in our bodies when we experience stressors.
  • Stress is not wholly a negative experience. Low to moderate levels of stress motivate us to take actions and perform tasks. However higher levels of stress or difficulty coping with stress can overwhelm us leaving us paralyzed, unable to take action.
  • Stress leads to the activation of the bodies stress response prompting the release of neurotransmitters and hormones that create a kind of energy in our bodies prompting us to act in order to dispel this energy.
  • Stress is cyclical, and so it is important to learn how to complete the Stress Cycle in order to move this energy through our bodies to return to a state of rest and relaxation in preparation for the next stressor.

Sisters Dr. Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski discuss ways to complete the Stress Cycle in their book Burnout: The Secrect to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. They say, one of the most effective ways to complete the Stress Cycle is to move our bodies for about 20-60 minutes a day. Movement can include running, swimming, or dancing. Because we experience stressors every day it is important to intentionally move our bodies daily. Here are other ways to complete the Stress Cycle:

  • Deep Breathing.Taking slow deep breaths relaxes the body, allowing the release of stress. Deep breathing is most effective with low to moderate levels of stress. It is characterized by inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth where the exhale is longer than the inhale.
  • Positive Social Interactions.Casual social interactions with friends and acquaintances help us to see the world as safe. Innocuous chit chat with strangers like telling the grocery store clerk to have a nice day or giving someone a compliment helps us to know that there are sane people in the world.
  • Laughter releases a flood of feel-good chemicals in our brains. Deep belly laughing with others increases our social bonds. When we laugh like this, we realize there is good in this life.
  • When casual social interaction is not enough, we need deep connection from a loving person to help us feel safe and validated. Affection does not have to be physical, although a 20 second hug or a six second kiss can do wonders to release stress. A deep connective empathic conversation also helps us to feel seen and heard thus reducing our stress. Affection can also be spiritual by connecting with our higher power through prayer or meditation we feel closer to a being bigger than ourselves.
  • Crying helps to release pent up emotions leaving us with a sense of relief from the weight of the stressor. Whether you’re on the verge of tears and need to find a quiet place to let them out or you artificially create a situation that will lead to crying like watching your favorite tearjerker movie or pet adoption commercials, crying helps us to complete the Stress Cycle.
  • Creative Expression.Creative outlets encourage big expressions of emotions. From love songs, to dance, to paint and poetry, creative expression is a socially acceptable way to express ourselves without having to adhere to such strict social norms like being “nice” or not creating waves. Creative expressions allow us to process emotions we may not have words for.

In our world today we are constantly being bombarded with stressors. If we do not complete the Stress Cycle, we can experience higher rates of mental and physical health problems that lead to burnout. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By listening to our bodies and giving ourselves permission to intentionally use these skills we can move through the Stress Cycle more quickly to experience the joys of life.