Managing Chronic Stress In Grief and Loss
There is no escaping stress completely. It is a normal part of life, but when stress levels increase it can take a toll on our physical and mental health. Grief and loss stress is one such time. So managing chronic stress in grief and loss is crucial in an effort to move through grieving in the best way we can.
In general stress is a normal response of the body.It is in response to a perceived threat that allows the body to deal with a fight or flight situation. But when chronic stress become a problem it can lead to serious health conditions.
Why Chronic Stress Occurs in Grief and Loss
Suffering a loss can be overwhelming. It can disrupt your life on multiple levels. There are this to do, decisions to make and sometimes we are not in a place to do anything. At best we might do things on auto pilot. All of these things along with dealing with grief will eventually build up and turn to chronic stress.
What is Chronic Stress in a Nutshell
When you’re stressed, the body releases cortisol, which is your stress hormone. The increase in cortisol causes an imbalance with your other ‘feel-good’ hormones and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. Eventually cortisol takes over. And it can reduce your immune system, make you anxious, lead to physical pain and it can lead to depression. But there are a few thigs you can do to help manage chronic stress in grief and loss.
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Your Chronic Stress
To help you deal with stress, start making some lifestyle changes and healthy choices. You will find that the changes you can make are also the changes needed to prevent many lifestyle diseases. Changing your habits will help y9our body, mind and spirit in times of coping with grief and loss.
Exercise to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body
I cannot over emphasise the power of exercise. After the death of my son, I was I the depths of dealing with chronic, deep and sever stress. Exercise was the one way I could get out of my mind and get back in touch with my physical self. And I highly recommend it, even if you don’t feel like it.
Exercise is a great way to manage stress and prevent depression. It elevates the mood by stimulating the production of serotonin and endorphins, boosts self-confidence and self-esteem, and helps you sleep better.
If you are underweight or overweight, it undermines your confidence and you don’t feel good about yourself. Unhealthy weight leads to various problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Maintaining your weight at the normal level makes you feel less stressed, boosts your mood, and improves your confidence.
Don’t Emotionally Binge Eat or Drink
Of course, it’s hard to be healthy without eating the right food, and without eating mindfully. Don’t sit down and gorge on a whole tub of ice cream because you are feeling stressed. Stress eating causes a whole lot of problems and becomes a spiral of overeating and depression, causing more weight gain and more depression. Find ways to relax, and take food out of the equation.
To eat healthy, make sure that you eat gut-friendly foods because most of your happy hormones are produced in the gut. Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole foods. Ensure that you’re getting enough calcium, omega 3 fatty acids, and amino acids. Eat complex carbohydrates, avoid sweetened foods and beverages, and cut down on your caffeine.
As for reducing stress, a glass of wine or two or three won’t help either. Alcohol may let you forget for a little while, but it’s only going to make things worse. It’s not the answer to your stress problems. Instead, you need to address the source of stress head-on.
Be Mindful Of Your Emotional Responses
You can avoid stress by changing your perspective and your emotional responses. Try to focus your attention on the positive aspects of what’s happening around you, not all the negative. Have you heard of this saying?
‘Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.’ – Wayne Dyer
If you think about that for a moment, you may even see changes in your perspective of the different situations you are facing right now. Sometimes you need to quieten your mind and allow yourself to think about your emotions. To help you do that you can try meditation. Yes, meditation is often mentioned as a way to reduce stress, because it works.
Meditation to Help Chronic Stress Related to Grief
Meditation is a good practice to start to help you relax your mind and body. It also enables you to be aware of yourself and manage your thoughts and emotions.
Guided Meditation – You can listen to guided meditations or you can make your own quiet time, where you can focus on your breathing and awareness of your surroundings.
Be Socially Active, But Don’t Forget to Make Time For Yourself
Humans are social animals, and people need to be surrounded occasionally by positive people and supportive family and friends. When you’re sad, it’s best not to isolate yourself. Hanging out with friends and being socially active can reduce loneliness, stress, and depression.
While you need to be socially active, don’t forget to allocate time for yourself. Do something you enjoy and don’t be afraid to embark on new adventures. Sometimes chronic stress stems from feeling stuck in life, but it doesn’t have to be like that! You must practice self-love and care.
Relax Your Mind and Sleep to Manage Chronic Stress in Grief
Make sure that you get seven to eight hours of quality sleep. Have you ever noticed (or the people around you ever noticed), how moody and cranky you are when you are sleep-deprived? You can get irritated and you can’t function well.
Restorative sleep is important for the body to replenish neurotransmitters that influence a good mood. When you get enough sleep it reduces your stress and boosts your mood.
Concluding Managing Chronic Stress in Grief and Loss
Your lifestyle habits and choices determine whether you’ll succumb to stress and depression or be able to stand up and bounce back.
