pounding heart, racing mind,
disruptions to our usual sleep patterns,
and even the way we’re behaving.
“Stress hormones make us more
impulsive and less cognitive, rational
and considered, so during periods of
change it’s really important to look after
ourselves,” says Dr Fraser.
The impacts of stress hormones will
depend on many things, including how
we perceive the changes, and what, if
anything, we do to process the stress
hormones. “During stressful periods of
change, exercise is often the first thing
to drop off or stop, which reduces our
serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline
levels,” says Dr Fraser.
There’s a place for exercise like
gentle yoga and tai chi during stressful
times; they help us breathe slowly
and calmly, practise mindfulness,
strengthen our mind-body connection
and ground ourselves. But Dr Fraser
says the most powerful weapon against
stress hormones is usually getting your
butt into high gear and chasing down
a stress-busting endorphin rush.
“People often talk about the
endorphin rush they get from exercise,
but what they’re usually feeling is just an
absence of adrenalin and cortisol,” says
Dr Fraser. “Any type of high intensity
exercise will really burn off stress
hormones and boost endorphins.” Think
running, boxing, power yoga or high
intensity interval training.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
It’s not just the big changes in life that
can leave us zapped. As a society, we
spend most of our waking hours highly
alert and at least moderately stressed by
a host of rapidly changing work, family,
social and financial pressures.
Dr Fraser says humans are not
naturally wired for this. “The human
body isn’t designed to be in fight or
flight mode all the time,” he says.
“Prolonged periods of stress, change,
uncertainty and decision-making put
the body into a totally unnatural state.
Stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol
are supposed to visit, do their job
and go away, but most people are in
stress constantly.”
YOU NEED SUPPORT
The other thing humans are not
naturally wired for is going through
change and upheaval on their own.
One of the most important things
is having people around you who
can validate what you’re feeling, says
Crouch. “Many people have got the
message that their emotions aren’tokay; it’s not okay to feel sad or
disappointed or frustrated, and you’ve
just got to get on with it.”
Instead, Crouch suggests spending
time with friends, family, mentors,
peers and support networks who
believe it’s a good thing to ask for
help and who can understand and
empathise with why you feel the way
you do.
A little soothing self-talk can
go a long way, too. Crouch never
ceases to be amazed at how tough
and uncompassionate we are towards
ourselves. “One of the most helpful
things you can do during times of
change, or any difficult time, is face
and accept your emotions, but notice
then let go of negative self-talk, like
beating yourself up.”“When we’re trying
to decide and we get
physical reactions,
like fluttering in the
stomach, it’s the fight-
or-flight reaction of
the nervous system.”66 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.au