Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Stress
Understanding Your Nervous System's Language
Have you ever noticed how your body sends you signals long before you consciously register stress? That tight jaw, shallow breathing, or sudden food craving isn't random—it's your nervous system trying to communicate.
The Body's Communication System
Think of your body as an intricate communication network. Your nervous system acts as the central command centre, constantly monitoring and responding to both external and internal stimuli. When stress arrives, it triggers a cascade of physiological responses:
Your brain releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline
Your heart rate increases to pump more blood to muscles
Your muscles tense in preparation for action
Your blood pressure rises to support quick movement
Your breathing becomes shallow and rapid
This response is perfectly designed for short-term threats—the proverbial tiger in the bush.
The problem? Our modern lives trigger this system dozens of times daily, often without the physical resolution our bodies expect.
The Hidden Impact of Chronic Stress
When stress becomes chronic, changes occur beneath the surface that we often don't connect to their source:
Immune Function: Your immune system is significantly impacted by chronic stress. What appears as frequent colds, slow healing, or flare-ups of existing conditions might actually be your overtaxed system struggling to maintain balance.
Hormone Disruption: Stress hormones are meant to spike and then return to baseline. When they remain elevated, they interfere with everything from thyroid function to reproductive hormones, potentially manifesting as fatigue, weight changes, or mood swings.
Digestive Interference: Ever notice digestive issues during stressful periods? In fight-or-flight mode, your body diverts blood away from digestive organs, reducing nutrient absorption and altering gut bacteria balance. This isn't just uncomfortable—it can significantly impact your overall health.
Sleep Disruption: That racing mind at night isn't just annoying—it's your nervous system stuck in a heightened state, unable to shift into the parasympathetic dominance needed for restorative sleep.
For those with autoimmune conditions, this cascade becomes particularly significant. The body's stress response can trigger inflammatory processes that exacerbate symptoms and potentially lead to flares.
Safety First: The Foundation of Healing
Traditional wellness advice often focuses on pushing through, optimising, and achieving. But what if the most powerful healing approach is actually creating safety for your nervous system?
When your body perceives threat (which can be physical, emotional, or even digital), it prioritizes survival over healing. This evolutionary wisdom means that before any meaningful recovery can occur, your nervous system needs to feel safe.
This explains why so many well-intentioned health practices don't "stick" or produce lasting results—they're being implemented in a system that's still in protection mode.
Learning Your Body's Language
The first step in changing this pattern is developing awareness. Your body has a unique stress "dialect"—learning to recognise your personal signals can help you intervene earlier:
Physical: Where do you feel tension first? Does your breathing change? Do you notice energy shifts?
Emotional: Do you become irritable, anxious, or emotionally numb?
Cognitive: Do thoughts race, focus diminish, or memory feel compromised?
Behavioural: Do sleep patterns, eating habits, or social interactions change?
What are your earliest stress signals? Can you catch them before they escalate?
Practice
Physiological Sigh
When you need an immediate reset, the physiological sigh is remarkably effective. This double-inhale pattern evolved as our body's natural stress regulator:
Breathe in through your nose
Take a second short inhale before exhaling
Exhale slowly through your mouth
What makes this powerful is the science behind it. When stressed, tiny air sacs in your lungs (alveoli) can collapse, increasing CO2 levels in your blood. The second inhale reinflates these sacs, efficiently removing CO2 and signalling your brain to calm down.
Try this 3-5 times whenever you feel overwhelmed. You'll likely notice an immediate shift in your state.
Beyond the Basics: 4-7-8 Breath
For a slightly longer practice, the 4-7-8 breath has been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system:
Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale completely through your mouth for 8 seconds
Repeat for 4 complete cycles
This technique can:
Improve heart rate variability
Reduce anxiety symptoms
Decrease stress hormone levels
Improve sleep onset
Somatic Practices: Engaging the Body Directly
While breathing practices are powerful, sometimes we need to engage the body more directly. Here are two simple somatic practices to try:
Therapeutic Yawning:
Begin with 6-7 "fake" yawns
Eventually, a real yawn will emerge
Continue for 10-12 yawns
Notice sensations: watery eyes, runny nose, relaxation
Yawning stimulates the precuneus—a brain region involved in self-awareness. It helps regulate brain temperature and metabolism while decreasing anxiety.
Self-Havening Touch:
Gently stroke your arms from shoulders to hands
Take slow, deep breaths while visualizing a safe place
Add positive affirmations: "I am safe," "I am calm"
This technique uses soothing touch to regulate the nervous system and can be particularly helpful during moments of acute stress.
Creating Lasting Change
Living with chronic stress—or managing an autoimmune condition—can feel like trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing shape. Traditional approaches often focus on eliminating symptoms rather than addressing the underlying nervous system patterns.
The path forward isn't about adding more to your wellness to-do list. Instead, it's about creating the conditions for your body's natural healing wisdom to emerge:
Safety First: Prioritise practices that help your nervous system feel secure
Slow is Smooth: Gentle, consistent approaches create more lasting change than intense interventions
Connection Matters: The mind-body link is real and powerful
Remember that your body isn't broken—it's responding precisely as it was designed to. With awareness and the right support, you can shift from surviving to thriving.
I invite you to notice your body's signals with curiosity rather than judgment. Each message is an opportunity to respond with care.
An Integrated Wellness Coach, IEMT Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and Certified SSP Provider, I guide clients on their journey to rebuild balance, discover resilience, and reconnect with their true nature.
My own path to wellness began 30 years ago with an Autoimmune Disease diagnosis. Through this challenging time, I discovered Reiki and Somatic practices, which opened the door to profound inner healing and the rebalancing of my body, mind, and spirit.
Want to work together? I offer one-on-one support including IEMT for processing difficult experiences and the Safe and Sound Protocol for building resilience.