by Stephanie MoDavis
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but not all stress is created equal. As someone who has managed chronic illness and has had multiple organ transplants, I have learned a thing or two about stress and it’s impact on our health and life journey. Let me share with you what I have discovered about this dance between stress and our bodies, especially for those of us navigating health issues. I was blessed to couple my illness experience with my career as a yoga and wellness studio owner. It was obvious to me that if our community understood and created their own lifestyle approach surrounding their illness journey, outcomes would be different.
The first point is to understand the distinction between acute and chronic stress. To reduce it, acute stress is a short term burst that we experience when we are faced with a sudden and immediate event. An example often given is the benefit of this mechanism when faced with a lion. Our system kicks into overdrive to get the heck out of dodge. Today that may be simply rushing to give a presentation or to get our kid to school. Either way, our body’s natural “fight or flight" response in small doses can boost our performance and and attention.
But what happens when this response overrides our parasympathetic system of rest, digest, and heal and becomes our primary underlying energy? It’s a fact that persistent chronic stress over time, breaks us down both mentally and physically. This can further fragment and contribute to other breakdowns and issues. For those also facing chronic illness, often we can get caught in worry, which is a precursor this this stress responses. Never-ending medical appointments, issues with insurance, financial strains, and the overall emotional toll this takes on our loved ones and lives, this type of stress will eventually wreak havoc for us and potenially others.
Recent research confirms just how significant the impact of chronic stress can have on our health and well-being. A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet revealed startling statistics about the relationship between chronic stress, our brains fear center (the amygdala), and inflammation in our bodies. The study found that individuals with higher activity in their amygdala indicated higher stress levels - had a 59% higher risk of cardiovascular events over the following 3-7 years.
The same study also associated the increased bone marrow activity and arterial inflammation. In essence our bodies stress response was a triggering cascade of inflammatory reactions, potentially setting up the stage for a host of other healthy issues.
So why is it so crucial for us a patients to properly navigate our emotions, fears, and worries? Because there is a high probability that this will not help us with our long term outcomes. We already are juggling with a compromised immune system as transplant patients and complex medical needs, adding more on top of the obvious often complicates our journey. This eventually will call to be unraveled.
Their job is to manage the illness, not me.
This fact was so minimally addressed and discussed throughout my illness journey within the traditional medical setting. The limits of time, knowledge, and ability to address us more fully as humans living with chronic illness, was just not readily available. Their job is to manage the illness, not me, and I was acutely aware that it was my responsibility to create my lifestyle approach and organize my life around illness.
Some of my strategies I continue to use and share with others that have helped me include:
A commitment to understand the impacts of meditation and mindfulness and daily set time aside to practice
Regular daily movement, tailored to my ability and energy of the day.
Learning about relationships and addressing how relationships impact my stress.
Develop the courage to engage in making changes when necessary no matter how hard.
Regular seeking out creative and new opportunities to learn
Working with a coach or therapist who resonates with me.
Inner self awareness work to truly and deeply know what is my stress and what is another.
Remember, managing stress isn’t about getting rid of it and living is a state of positivity all the time. We are all aware of the detriments of what is called inauthentic or fake positivity. The goals is radical honestly and aligning with a life that is intimately connected to my commitment to live in my authenticity while commited to take care of myself. My lifestyle approach is about managing our journeys with braveness while we truly face the greatest challenges amongst our lives.
As someone who has went deep into my subjective experience for over 2 decades, I can tell you that prioritizing stress management has made a significant difference in my overall well-being and has affected all aspects of my life. There are certainly still days when an event gets the best of me. Let’s be real. But by understanding that my experience lines up with the latest science highlighting the impacts chronics stress has on our minds and bodies, we can now make proper informed choices to support our health and improve the quality of life for our community as a whole.
It is in my firm believe that when we create space for open discourse about the authenticities of our experience in supportive environments while integrating life style approach opportunities by those whom have the lived experience we, we change the game.
*NOT for those addicted to their stress, stories, and have no desire to change and transform.
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