Are Ya Stressed?
Unlocking the Power of Self-Care: Navigating Stress and Nurturing Your Nervous System
The concept of self-care has become a buzzword in recent times. We've all heard about its importance, but what does it truly mean? I used to believe self-care was defined as simply “doing things that are relaxing and enjoyable”. So I would do things like go to the nail salon only to be stressed out about the money I had spent and had a headache from all the fumes. I would go out for coffee, and sure that would be fun, only to walk through my front door to be immediately re-triggered and later stress again about the money. I would go party with the girlfriends only to be sleep deprived, socially maxed out and, yes, broke once more. Looking back, my self care choices weren’t really moving the needle in my nervous system.
Over the years, thanks to my Craniosacral training and a lot of experimenting, I have learned how to create self care that does more than temporarily relaxes but actually works towards restoring the Nervous System. Let’s dive into what that looks like.
Let’s talk Nervous System.
In order to start making choices to restore and maintain Nervous System health, let’s get an overview of how the nervous system works.
Think of your Nervous System as the command center of your body, influencing various bodily functions from cognition, memory, digestion, sleep, and movement. It affects pretty much every other system in your body. In other words, it’s a big deal. It comprises the Central Nervous System (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, responsible for transmitting information throughout the body. The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) branches out from the CNS, directing messages to our organs, limbs, fingers, and toes. Within the PNS, we have the Somatic Nervous System (controlling voluntary actions) and the Autonomic Nervous System (managing involuntary functions). The Autonomic Nervous System further branches into the "rest and digest" (Parasympathetic) and "fight, flee, or freeze" (Sympathetic) modes.
So, where does stress come into the picture? The Autonomic Nervous System plays a direct role in our physical response to stress. When we enter the "fight or flight" mode, other bodily functions shut down as our body channels resources to cope with the perceived danger. This response increases inflammation, weakens immunity, and can lead to various issues, including sensory, digestive, libido, and respiratory problems.
In chronic stress situations, the "fight or flight" system can remain activated without the necessary counteraction by the parasympathetic nervous system. What this means is our body can react physically as if it were in danger even if there isn’t any. It can also become harder for our body to “calm down” once it’s worked up. As someone myself who has suffered from chronic stress for years now (life circumstances mixed with PMDD), my personal physical signs when I am upregulated are:
-Shakiness (either a sense of jitters or actual shaking). This can get to a point where even social conversations can trigger it.
-Insomnia
-Brain fog/memory issues
-Fatigue
-Heightened sensory: sounds too loud, don’t like being touched, etc.
-Restless leg sensations
-Startle easily
-Stomach aches and digestion issues
-Hard to take deep breaths
-Head/Neck tension
-Overwhelm
It's important to note that being in "fight or flight" mode isn't inherently negative; it's a crucial survival mechanism. However, the key lies in our ability to smoothly transition back to the "rest and digest" stage. So, let's revisit self-care with newfound understanding.
If you are looking to improve your Nervous System, I’d like to encourage you to do two things:
Think about how you can reduce triggering and stressful events in your life. This gives your body a break from constant regulation and allows it to spend more time in the Parasympathetic system.
Choose activities that don’t just provide temporary relaxation but also work towards healing your Autonomic Nervous System, so when stress does occur (and it inevitably will), your body can navigate it more effectively.
Take, for instance, the habit of scrolling through your smartphone for relaxation. It definitely does the trick in the moment. Our body gets a little dopamine hit and we feel good. We get to check out from our stressful lives and enjoy some entertainment.
However, it's crucial to consider the impact of this experience on your Nervous System. We could be experiencing Dopamine overload. The more hits we get, our dopamine production decreases and then we can feel worse after, craving more and more dopamine hits. The EMF’s from the device we are using has been proven to be damaging to our Nervous Systems and brain cognitive function. And what if we come across something that triggers us? Not just a traumatic event but it could be as simple as a bad case of FOMO or jealousy of someone else’s looks and lifestyle.
Scrolling provides an interesting example of how there are many things out there that can provide a relaxing, temporary experience but doesn’t actually restore your nervous system and can even damage it. While completely abstaining from social media may not be feasible for everyone, you can curate your online experience by unfollowing accounts that trigger negative emotions and following those that inspire, motivate, educate, or simply make you laugh.
For me, when I was going through my divorce I customized my entire social media platform to follow relationship experts and it honestly had a huge positive impact on my life. This approach isn't about whether you should have be on social media but rather about becoming more attuned to your Nervous System and continuously evaluating whether the activities you engage in support or harm it.
For example
Is your super healthy diet truly nourishing your soul, or does it leave you burdened with feelings of guilt, shame, and failure?
Does the way you go out and spend money cause temporary fun but leave you stressed after?
Does your exercise routine support your wellness goals or drain you? For instance, I used to watch a friend suffer through HIT workouts during her period and then talk about how weak she was. This raised the question whether she was choosing activities that supported her body because hormonally HIT workouts are best closer to ovulation. There are times you push hard and there are times not to.
It’s A Two Way Street
We’ve talked a little bit about how mental/emotional stress can cause an array of physical symptoms. But it’s important to note that the relationship between the mental and physical is a two way street.
Let’s say you were in an accident or you sit at your desk all day and you’ve developed head/neck and even stomach tension. Or maybe you’ve partied a little too much this week and now your exhausted and sleep cycles are off. Maybe the alcohol irritated your gut. These physical stressors can encourage an upregulated nervous system and before you know it, you can be feeling stressed even if nothing major has happened to you.
This relationship means that sometimes working on your mental/emotional health can relieve your physical symptoms and sometimes working to release your physical symptoms can improve your mental/emotional well being. In my opinion, both approaches to healing are necessary.
The Role of Craniosacral Therapy in Self-Care and Stress Management
Craniosacral therapy is a holistic bodywork technique designed to repair and restore the nervous system. A significant aspect of this therapy involves enhancing the Cerebral Spinal Fluid Production System, which is essential for nerve health. Cerebral Spinal Fluid lubricates all the nerves, removes toxins and brings nutrients to the nervous system. Many individuals have restrictions that impede the flow of this vital fluid, and stress is one of the contributing factors.
Craniosacral therapy can help reduce stress by:
Mobilizing fascia
Promoting proper alignment
Decompressing the spine and cranium
Releasing and processing emotional stress
Individuals who improve their Craniosacral System often report benefits such as a sense of feeling grounded, better sleep, reduced stress, decreased pain, relief from headaches, and improved cognitive clarity.bZooming out from Craniosacral alone, the best approach to self-care I have found involves a combination of strategies:
Organizing Your Personal Wellness Schedule
The ultimate goal is to discover what works best for you. Here's how I personally structure my self-care:
Periodic; professional bodywork sessions (1-4 times a month), encompassing Craniosacral therapy, chiropractic care, massage, or other fascial release techniques.
Engagement in consistent wellness classes (At least 1x a week) like yoga, somatic breathwork, or other activities that resonate with my well-being.
Embracing daily at-home self-care practices like meditation, journaling, stretching, exercise, etc.
Mindset Shift: Learning how to make mindful decisions, throughout the day, to nurture my mind, body, and soul. Simply, when I am deciding what to do, eat, or who to spend time with, I take just a few seconds to turn inward and ask my body if that is what is going to work towards or away from restoration.
I highly recommend, when you go home, make a game plan for yourself about how you can structure your self care routines and put as much as you can in the calendar so you stick with it.
Integrating At-Home Craniosacral Therapy
In the theme of Craniosacral Therapy I want to share with you truly restorative activities you can do in the comfort of your own home.
My Favorite Brain Tool
I'd like to introduce you to a tool that has become a daily essential for both me and many of my clients – the Still Point Inducer. A still point is a technique that CST practitioners use during their sessions. Still points create a moment of homeostasis in the body that promotes self correction. When placed at the back of your head, it swiftly induces profound relaxation. Imagine achieving a meditative state in just one minute! One note, if you try this out and find it to be actually quit uncomfortable, it might be a good sign to get checked out by a professional. Sometimes, when there is a lot your body wants to self-correct, the major shifts can feel uncomfortable.
Still Points can benefit by:
Calming, balancing, and reorganizing the overall Central Nervous System.
Reducing membrane restrictions.
Easing tension in connective tissues.
Normalizing blood pressure.
Alleviating headaches.
Enhancing vitality.
Easing pain, reducing swelling, and lowering fevers.
Reducing congestion within the cerebral region.
Assisting in the removal of metabolic waste.
And much more!
Truly, it's a versatile, all-in-one tool. Whether you're dealing with a headache, stress, insomnia, the early signs of a cold, or even neck pain – this device can be of immense help!
I recommend incorporating it into your daily routine for at least 5-10 minutes before bedtime. However, feel free to use it for longer periods and multiple times throughout the day as needed.
How to Use It:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L99OoU-1IQ
DISCLAIMER Please refrain from using this device if you have concerns about pressure changes in the brain, such as a brain tumor, recent stroke, or brain fracture.
While this tool is really the best at home Cranio treatment you can get, there are more ways you can treat your own nervous system.
At Home Exercises
While it's essential to recognize that some aspects of self-care require professional assistance, there are several at-home activities you can incorporate between your bodywork sessions. Think of these activities at first as another form of meditation. When practiced consistently, they deepen your awareness of your Nervous System, fortify your connection with your body, and promote the release, decompression, and proper alignment of your physical being.
The two exercises we will be using are:
Exercise 1: Frontal Bone
Exercise 2: Jaw
In all of these exercises here are the rules:
Use very light touch
Meld with the body
Set intention (in the form of asking the body)
Wait, listen and follow how your body wants to move.
Exercise #1: Frontal Bone
Many of us were taught in western medicine that the adult cranium is fused together. In reality, the cranium moves, expands at the suture lines to accommodate the pressure that builds with the cerebral spinal fluid production. Many of us have compression at these suture lines. So the goal of this exercise is to encourage the decompression of the frontal bone. Take a look at this image carefully. Examine where the borders of the suture line is and where it joins with the rest of the skull. This visual will help during our exercise.
Gently place your finger on your frontal bone, avoiding exerting pressure.
Visualize your finger melding with the bone.
Invite your frontal bone, whether through visual imagery or silent intention, encouraging it to move forward (if you're lying down, this will be in the direction of the ceiling).
Embrace patience and wait.
If you feel it start to move, follow it while maintaining the intention of where you want the bone to go (forward).
Resist the urge to use force to pull the frontal bone. For some, this exercise will just be 5-10 minutes of holding a position and doing a form of visualization meditation. For some you might start to feel your frontal bone “dance”. Move around as it tries to release itself. It's really magical when you feel it. To witness your own self correcting process. For some you will feel like your whole brain shifts inside. Some feel all of this right away and some it takes consistent practice.
Exercise #2 Jaw
In this exercise we are going to visualize our mandible or jaw. Take a look at this image above and notice how the jaw connects into the temporal bone (ear area) and the Zygoma (cheek) area. Exercise is the same:
Place your fingers gently on the sides of your jaw.
Imagine your fingers merging with your jaw, becoming one with it.
Extend an invitation to your jaw to move downward, towards your feet.
Avoid applying force; instead, focus on inviting and waiting patiently.
Resist the impulse to pull the jaw forcefully, as this could trigger your body's protective response, hindering the desired decompression.
Again, some people will feel nothing but 5 minutes of meditation.
Some will feel the jaw dance as it tries to wiggle its way free.
Some will feel a huge release and some will feel achiness.
Some will feel this right away and some will take a while.
The Profound Benefits of At-Home Craniosacral Therapy Exercises
Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine offers more than just a meditation practice; they foster increased awareness of your Nervous System and foster a deeper connection with your body. Furthermore, they encourage the release of tension, decompression, and proper alignment, all of which contribute to an optimally functioning Nervous System.
In conclusion, self-care extends beyond momentary relaxation; it's about nurturing your nervous system and addressing stress at its core. By making mindful choices in your daily life, considering how activities affect your well-being, and incorporating practices like Craniosacral therapy and at-home exercises, you can embark on a journey towards improved mental and physical health.
Want to get started on your own care journey? Jump start your journey to healing your nervous system but coming in for a full body treatment.
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