Manage Holiday Stress with ESP: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Poop Well

​It’s important to understand what stress is, where it comes from and how to handle it. A certain amount of stress is normal and necessary. If we didn’t experience positive stress every second of the day, we wouldn’t breathe, our bodies wouldn’t function, our brains would stop working and we’d die.  Unhelpful stress, whether from holiday activities and expectations or year round issues, is any event that interferes with our equilibrium on the physical, mental and emotional levels. It can make your upper lip curl, your stomach sink or your head explode with anger, anxiety fear or shock.  

Unhelpful stress can result from a variety of power sucking sources such as:
 
Behavioral, Medical or Mechanical 

• Inactivity or Repetitive motion  (typing, playing a musical instrument)
• Health Issues
• Structural misalignments (scoliosis, trauma, accidents)

Mental and Emotional

• Money worries
• Marriage and relationships
• Career problems and major life changes

Chemical and Environmental 

• Sugar, caffeine
• Smoking or other addictions
• Pollen, molds, and other allergens

Social and Cultural (being seen as ‘other’)

• Race and gender
• Sexual orientation 
• Poverty & Politics

No matter what unhelpful stress you may be facing, there are ways to manage it’s impact on your life. My suggestion is ESP – Eat Well, Sleep Well, Poop Well. Here are some ways to begin.

Eat Well
We all know (or should) the overall recommendations for eating a healthy balanced diet so no need for a lengthy discussion. I’ll just list a few and add one reminder.


Eat Well to:

• Lose weight or keep a healthy weight
• Reduce cardiovascular risk factors
• Manage chronic health conditions like diabetes

Be Sure to Include:

• Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
• Plenty of water
• Lean meats and fish

Limit: 

• Alcohol
• Sugar
• Processed foods 

Generally speaking, that’s good advice BUT we all need to take our own health, nutrition needs and digestion process into consideration as we make our choices.
I have taken this advice to heart and last year I made an appointment to see a naturopathic physician. I was not surprised to find that I’m lactose intolerant – goodbye dairy -  but shocked to find that cucumber and lettuce were close to the top of the ‘food sensitive’ list. That explained my digestive distress after eating my beloved salads. No worries, though, I just swapped out those two and added others. All is good.

The point is that no one dietary guideline fits all human beings. To learn more about how to manage what you eat and what eats you, during the holidays, see last month’s blog post (https://www.bethgibbs.com/enlightenup/what-we-eat-and-what-eats-us-rest-and-digest)

Sleep Well
The problem of too little sleep and the quest for more of it, is acute. Twenty-seven percent of people in a new Consumer Reports survey of 4,023 U.S. adults said they had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights, and 68 percent—or an estimated 164 million Americans—struggled with sleep at least once a week. Monica LeBaron, a sleep coach, says sleep troubles don’t start in the bedroom; they’re the tip of the iceberg and an indication that something else is ‘off’ in your life. Research gives us a few possibilities. They can include:

• Stress, anxiety and trauma
• Poor sleeping environment
• Lifestyle factors, such as too much time on electronic devices

Because everything starts with the personal, the first step is gaining clarity about the root cause, or causes, of your inability to get enough sleep. Clarity is the foundation for making effective changes, and creating productive sleep habits. You can read more about this and consider Monica’s “5 Easy Steps to Falling Asleep” in her guest post. 

Poop Well
Many of us experience ‘poop’ problems caused by occasional constipation. Given the changes in our daily routines during the holiday season, it’s not surprising. There are social gatherings with family and friends (functional and dysfunctional), changes in diet  - more sugar, alcohol, fat and carbs, a decrease in exercise, along with the time-worn excuses; the gym is closed, the gym is open but I’m too tired, my to-do list is too long, etc. Then there is holiday shopping in crowded malls with loud muzak, and driving in heavy traffic, or dealing with crowded airports and long security lines. 

What exactly is occasional constipation? Occasional constipation is a reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and/or difficulty pooping. If your constipation is chronic, please seek medical advice. Energetically, constipation is considered a cold condition that requires heat to create movement. If you find yourself dealing with occasional constipation, try Seated Spinal Rotations and get in the groove for a smooth move! 

Contraindication. Seated Spinal Rotations are contraindicated for diarrhea.

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Instructions 

1. Sit in a comfortable position on the floor or in a chair with your spine aligned.
2. With your hands on the knees or thighs, begin rotating the torso in circles.
3. You can imagine that you are drawing circles on the ceiling with your upper body. 
4. Your circles can be small and tight or large and loose.
5. Let your breath come and go naturally.
6. Pick a pace that feels comfortable. Go slow, medium or fast.
7. Continue for three minutes in one direction, and three minutes in the opposite direction. Setting a timer is helpful so you don’t have to think about it.
8. Then rest for a few rounds of breath before getting up. 
9. Repeat once or twice (or more) during the day, if needed.

I’ve been teaching this to my yoga students for years, and after trying it on their own, they say things like: 

• “I’ve been blocked for days. Thank you!”
• “It really works.”
• “Did you hear toilets flushing all over town after last night’s class?” 

Here is one last thing to consider. Once you have filled your ESP well, consider helping others. If you donate to non-profit organizations that work to reduce the suffering and inequities in the world, consider adding organizations, like World Central Kitchen, Feeding America, or a local non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that those less fortunate have enough to eat.


Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays!

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