Don't Stress - It's Just 2020

To say that 2020 has been a stressful year is a serious understatement. The threat of COVID-19 has forced us to be cautious about our every move, every minute, everywhere. In addition, we are bombarded by a non-stop news cycle around one of the most vitriolic and polarizing elections in our nation’s history. Our country is trying to heal from the raw wounds of social injustice, and the raging wrathful wildfires on the West Coast have us questioning how much more our environment can take.

People are stressed about being stressed, and some days it feels like there is nothing we can do to calm down.

First, I want you to know that what you are experiencing is normal and can be easily explained. You are feeling "hyper-stressed" because of an over-activation of your fight-or-flight system.

The fight-or-flight system is your body's way of protecting you from danger. It's an ancient system that brings your entire being into action to take on a severe threat quickly. Here’s how it works: Imagine you suddenly came upon a bear in the woods. What would happen? Your heart rate would increase, your vision would narrow, and your blood would be shifted to your working muscles to move you into action.

So, if this is your body’s natural response, what can you do to change it?

To dial back the stress response, you need to tap into the parasympathetic "rest and digest" branch of the nervous system. This system is the twin of the fight-or-flight system. This is where you should spend 95% of your day.

Think back to last Thanksgiving after you polished off that last piece of pie. Your belly was full, and all was right with the world. That feeling of relaxation and contentment you enjoyed is the essence of the rest-and-digest system.

But how can you tap into that system without eating a 500-calorie piece of pecan pie? By engaging in short and long-term strategies to shift back into a state of rest.

Short-term Strategies

1.   Breathing techniques that focus on slowing down respiration and accentuating longer exhalations have been demonstrated to reduce stress and improve relaxation.[1]  Also, breathing with a cadence of six breaths or fewer per minute is more effective than more frequent respiration patterns.

For Example - Two minutes of cadenced breathing using a 2-1-6-1 technique (two-second inhalation – one second hold – six-second exhalation – one-second hold)

2.   The Huberman Lab at Stanford University studies how breathing patterns affect feelings of stress and tranquility. One technique researchers are examining is called a "physiological sigh," a breathing pattern that uses two consecutive inhales through the nose followed by an extended exhale through the mouth. Performing this technique two to four times in a row will create an immediate shift towards a rest-and-digest state.

Long-term Strategies

1.   Restful and fulfilling sleep is one of the primary methods for combating global stress and is directly related to our perception of well-being.[2]

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.[3] The critical thing to keep in mind is that most people overestimate their sleep duration by approximately 20-minutes.[4] Therefore, if you need eight hours, you need to be in bed closer to eight-and-a-half.

2.   The practice of mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce symptoms of worry, stress, depression, and anxiety. There is growing evidence that mindfulness is an effective strategy for improving mental health. Mobile apps and mindfulness scripts are readily available and are excellent resources to begin a mindfulness practice.

Thankfully, the madness of 2020 will soon be behind us, but stress will always have a constant presence in our lives. With the right strategies, you can feel confident that no matter what comes your way, you are prepared to face it head-on, and thrive.

Dr. Erik Korem is a High Performance leader who is on a mission to help people live vibrantly and confidently while pursuing their goals - professionally, personally, and in any domain. He has over 15 years of experience working as a Sports Scientist and High Performance Director in the NFL, and with major college and Olympic athletes.

References

1.Van Diest, I., Verstappen, K., Aubert, A. E., Widjaja, D., Vansteenwegen, D., & Vlemincx, E. (2014). Inhalation/exhalation ratio modulates the effect of slow breathing on heart rate variability and relaxation. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback,39 (3-4), 171-180.

2. Birchler-Pedross, A., Schr?der, C. M., Münch, M., Knoblauch, V., Blatter, K., Schnitzler-Sack, C., ... & Cajochen, C. (2009). Subjective well-being is modulated by circadian phase, sleep pressure, age, and gender. Journal of biological rhythms, 24 (3), 232-242.

3. Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., Albert, S. M., Alessi, C., Bruni, O., DonCarlos, L., ... & Neubauer, D. N. (2015). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep health,1(1), 40-43.

4. Caia, J., Thornton, H. R., Kelly, V. G., Scott, T. J., Halson, S. L., Cupples, B., & Driller, M.W. (2018). Does self-perceived sleep reflect sleep estimated via activity monitors in professional rugby league athletes? Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(13), 1492-1496.

5. Souissi, M., Souissi, Y., Bayoudh, A., Knechtle, B., Nikolaidis, P. T., & Chtourou, H. (2020). Effects of a 30-min nap opportunity on cognitive and short-duration high-intensity performances and mood states after a partial sleep deprivation night. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1-9.