In this video, I cover 3 things:

✅   Key signs to help you uncover chronic stress and small-t trauma in your body

✅   Key signs of saftey in your body

✅.  A few things you can do to release tension in your body, so you can feel safer, calmer, and more relaxed.

Rather read the blog?

Here it is…

Have you ever had butterflies in your stomach? Your heart beating fast, pounding in your chest feeling like you’re really hot your hands are sweating too all for no apparent reason at all? 

Perhaps you were suffering with dysregulation of your nervous system. Or small trauma. 

Hi I’m Sarah Gowans  Massage therapist and cranio-sacral therapist at BlossomingMe.

Today I’m talking about early warning signs of your nervous system. When it’s dysregulated. When your body is settling back into its normal after you’ve suffered a dysregulation attack, and three things that you can do to help your body settle for itself. 

Early Warning Signs

Some early warning signs of [a] dysregulated nervous system in your body, or the fight-flight response. Same thing. You might feel emotions like panic, fear, irritation, or even anger. You might even just be simply confused. These are all signs that you could be suffering dysregulation in your nervous system. Physically you might notice messages from your body, like the butterflies in your stomach that I mentioned. Your heart pounding and beating fast in your chest. Your body might be really hot or really cold, your hands might be sweating, pupils dilating and you’re really hypervigilant. Looking at everything for [the] feeling of fear. You might be suffering then with poor sleep. Either you can’t get to sleep, or you keep waking up from sleep. You might even be feeling frozen to the spot. A sense of immobilization, helplessness, even hopelessness. Or simply brain fog and confusion.

Signs Your Body is Feeling Safe and Returning to Normal

Whilst recognising when your body is stressed. When it doesn’t feel safe, and you don’t feel safe in your body. It’s also an important skill especially to know when your body is calming down. Things like your breathing is returning to normal. So pay attention when you feel safe. 

Breathing Slows

When your breathing starts to slow down, get deeper feel more comfortable, and regular. Also your muscles. Noticing tension in your muscles easing. Safety often corresponds with a release of tension. 

Muscles Relax

Relax muscles, particularly around the jaw, the neck, and the shoulders. These are really positive signs that your body is coming back to normal. It’s settling. A stable heart rate, can indicate that you’re becoming calmer. That you’re noticing that your environment may be becoming safer.

Heart Rate

Your heart rate tends to decrease from a heightened state, back down to a low more normal state. The butterflies might disappear. The digestion system is settling down and relaxing. 

Temperature and Perspiration Levels

Also temperature. When you feel safe, your body can return to a normal temperature. That overheating or really cold sensation is coming back to a normal feeling of comfortable and warmth. This can decrease the sweating as well if you were sweating due to stress rather than a hot day. Your body, no longer being in this fight-flight response, is coming back to itself. And settling. And reducing those sensations. 

Grounded and Present

Grounding. Feeling connected to the ground, to the earth. These are signs of safety. You might get a grounded feeling. A feeling of being connected simply to the ground. Where you can notice what’s going on around you, and feel more present, and aware of your body’s connection to its environment. This sense of being grounded or rooted in the present moment is often a really really positive sign. And you might become more centered and less scattered. That can help your thinking to be clearer and you might find it easier to think and make clearer more rational decisions.

Use these to calm your body down

You can use these in reverse, to actually help to calm your body down. You can decrease sweating and normalize your temperature, by dunking your hands into cold water. Splashing some on your face, your arms. This can help to cool your body and bring it back to a normal temperature.

With your breathing, you can focus on that, to normalise your breathing. You can use vibration and breathing exercises. Simple things like humming, [and] singing. This can vibrate your vagus nerve, and that can help to settle your nervous system. Breathing exercises, like Sara Raymond talks about, with “long, low, quiet, and slow breathing”. Where she talks about focusing low breathing, into the bottom of your lungs. Really, really deeply, so that you get a really full breath in, and out. Breathing as slowly and quietly as you can. 

Relaxing your muscles is another way. Stretching, self-massage, any kind of movement that you enjoy. This can bring you back to a more relaxed, less tense body. It can ease the tension out of your body. Also, by doing it, you are feeling like you are helping yourself, which psychologically, can also help to relieve that tense feeling. And that sense of helplessness, and hopelessness, to disappear. 

A grounded feeling. You can walk in nature, notice the environment around you. Look. What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? And what can you touch? All of these different things can help you come back to the present moment rather than worrying about anything in the future or the past. Come back to right this moment, so that you can feel more safe in your body.

A final note.

It is important to know that everybody experiences these signs differently. Individual responses can vary. Responses to stress, and also responses to safety. So you want to make sure that you know your body, what is going to work for you. So choose one or two of these activities. Find something that feels good for you. 

Developing these mindful and body-focused self-awareness skills, can help you to tune into these signals more effectively. So regular practices, such as deep breathing meditation progressive muscle relaxation and more can all aid in promoting a sense of calm and safety in your body.

Thank you for listening today and if you did get value from this video please like it share it with your friends and of course if you have any questions please comment below.

Namaste

Sarah xx

ps. To help you even more, I’ve just written a Cheat Sheets series, to help you uncover if chronic stress and small-t trauma, may be affecting your body. So you regain your sense of safety, resilience, and well-being.

Would you like a copy?

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

Hungry for more?

Check out our other blogs; send us a question, so we can create content that YOU want to know about… and if you’d like to delve into some of our other topics and talks that may be of interest to you, click here for our recent talks and blogs.

✅ In what ways does chronic stress impact the various systems in your body?

✅ What are the main stress hormones and neurotransmitters involved in your body’s stress response?

✅ What are the roles of the stress hormones in your body, and how does chronic stress affect them?

Rather read the blog?

Here it is…

Hi friend, 

Have you been suffering with symptoms that you just can’t explain? Maybe you’ve had tingling or tightness in the chest? Maybe you’ve had a constant feeling of being on edge. Or headaches, pain, and tension, throughout your whole body that you just can’t account for. Are you having difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep? Or perhaps you’re having constant tiredness even after a good night’s rest.

Hi I’m Sarah Gowans massage, and cranio sacral therapist at BlossomingMe. Today I’m going to share with you about the impact small stresses, often “called small t” trauma, can cause for your physical and emotional well-being.

Chronic Stresses and “Small-t” Trauma

When trauma happens as one event, usually a large, dramatic, event your initial reactions can be clear, and obvious. But what happens when that trauma is small and ongoing? It’s not big enough to register in your mind as a trauma. Yet it reoccurs, stressing you continually, and it might be even inescapable. Like dealing with difficult people, or bullying in the workplace. Or a child at home, who has extra challenges, and extra needs. Maybe they lash out in frustration, and you’re coping with all of that. 

Small stresses can encompass a range of daily life experiences, including ongoing work-related pressures, financial strain, relationship conflicts, and persistent emotional challenges. Unlike acute stress, which is a short-term response to immediate threats and challenges. Chronic stress can develop over an extended period. But when stresses accumulate over time without effective resolution or coping strategies, their cumulative and long-term effects, psychologically and physiologically, their impact can be similar to those associated with acute trauma. And just as significant.

With chronic stresses or “small-t” trauma, your body’s normal healthy activation of its stress response system becomes ongoing and persistent.

The Stress Response:

The stress response is a complex biological process. It involves the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, our fight-flight response, and the release of several stress-related hormones. Including things like adrenaline, epinephrine, and cortisol. When the stress response is prolonged in our body, these stress-related hormones and other chemicals that are released, are active in your body for extended periods of time. This can have a profound physiological effect on your body and lead to increased risk of various health conditions.

Adrenocortical hormone ACT is released by the pituitary gland, in response to stress. So it’s stimulating the release of cortisol from our adrenal glands. The elevated level of this ACT can contribute to the prolonged activation of the stress response itself.

Catecholamines, including adrenaline and noradrenaline, neurotransmitters and hormones that are released into our bodies in response to stress. They play a critical role in the regulation of various physiological processes. Including our cardiovascular system, our metabolism, and our immune function as well. So prolonged elevation of these chemical levels can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disorders metabolic imbalances and further immune dysfunction. 

Vasopressin, also known as antidiuretic hormone, or ADH, is released by the hypothalamus. This plays a crucial role in regulating our balance of water and blood pressure. During periods of stress, vasopress levels may increase leading to water retention and vasoconstriction as can contribute to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular complications over time.

Stress can also influence the secretion of growth hormone which plays an important role in regulating our metabolism, body composition, and tissue repair. Disruption here can contribute to metabolic disorders and impaired immune function.

Are you getting a feeling here that we’ve got some immune challenges going on? 

Here’s how these physical challenges can lead to the symptoms that you might have noticed in your own body:

Persistent physical pain. It’s one of the key indicators of trauma in our body for a long period of time. That physical persistence of pain, that can often include tension headaches, chronic back pain, and unexplained muscle aches. From the perspective of small trauma, the increased muscle tension might be the result of sustained activation of the sympathetic nervous system itself. The continuous muscle tension can lead to muscle fatigue, stiffness, and discomfort. Additionally, the release of stress hormones such as cortisol can exacerbate inflammation and also sensitisation of pain receptors. Amplifying the experience of the physical pain.

Hypertension and cardiovascular disease. When your body is chronically under stress,  the adrenal glands, which release adrenaline and noradrenaline, are working over time. This overproduction can lead to increased heart rate, vasoconstriction, and then that can cause high blood pressure. And potentially that can contribute to hypertension as well [as] cardiovascular complications. Further the prolonged elevation of other stress hormones such as cortisol; and catecholamines, can also lead to the buildup of plaque in our arteries, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes can also come about. Stress can influence the blood sugar levels. Cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline, these stimulate the release of glucose into the bloodstream so that we can have access to more immediate energy for that fight-flight response. That’s fine in the short term, but complicated when it’s prolonged. That can lead to persistent elevated blood sugar levels, and that can potentially influence your insulin resistance, and increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Other gastrointestinal disorders from chronic stress that can disrupt the normal function of our digestive system. Think about it for a second. When we are in fight-flight mode, running away from something, we don’t want energy going into our digestive system. We want it to go into our muscles, so that we can run away, or fight, either or. But when it’s prolonged, reducing the blood flow to the digestive organs can lead to symptoms such as stomach ache, indigestion, reflux, stomach ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome. Additionally, chronic stress can alter the balance of our gut microbiota. These play a crucial role in maintaining your gastrointestinal health, so ultimately persistent stress can compromise your body’s ability to absorb nutrients needed for your well-being.

Compromised immune function. As I’ve been alluding to over this talk, while acute stress can enhance immune function temporarily, prolonged activation of our stress response can suppress our immune system. Making your body more susceptible to infections and illness. Cortisol in particular plays a significant role in regulating the immune response. High levels of cortisol then can hinder the production of cytokines, the immune system’s messenges. Altering the balance of the production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. This can also lead to a decrease in your immune cell activity and the production of white blood cells. [Ultimately], this can weaken the immune response and compromise your body’s defense against pathogens. [And] increases the risk of immune-related disorders and diseases.

Sleep disorders are another indicator. Persistent stress can disrupt your sleep patterns because you’re on hyper-alert. It can lead to difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving a restful sleep. Even when you do get to sleep. Inadequate sleep can further exacerbate your body’s stress response. One builds on the other. So you’re just not getting the rest that you need. The release of stress hormones, like cortisol, can disrupt the natural circadian rhythm, further contributing to sleep disturbances. 

Additionally, psychological distress and intrusive thoughts related to trauma can lead to conditions such as insomnia, nightmares, and sleep-rated anxiety. All of which obviously, significantly impact your sleep patterns.

Emotional and mental health. Chronic stress can also contribute to the development of emotional and mental health issues. Including anxiety, depression,  irritability, and symptoms of emotional exhaustion; reduced motivation, and diminished sense of well-being.

Understanding the roles of these stress hormones provides a more comprehensive picture physiologically, of the changes that occur during chronic stress and small trauma. The interplay between these hormones and their effects on your organs and the systems in your body highlights the importance of managing your stress effectively so that you can maintain your overall health and well-being.

So thank you for joining me today. If you did get value from this video please like it, share it, and ask any questions in the comments below. So that we can answer them and help you even further.

And now that you are aware of some of the signs of small trauma, and the effects that that can have, join us next time as we look at some ways that you can resolve these issues, and reduce those effects for yourself.

Till then, thanks again.

Namaste

Sarah xx

ps. To help you even more, I’ve just created a Checklist, to help you Recognise Signs of Chronic Stress and Small Trauma in your body.

Would you like a copy?

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

Hungry for more?

Check out our other blogs; send us a question, so we can create content that YOU want to know about… and if you’d like to delve into some of our other topics and talks that may be of interest to you, click here for our recent talks and blogs.

In this video, I cover 3 tips to help you have more clarity, courage, and confidence for the next challenge in your life.

✅ Gallbladder 20 acupressure point

✅ Liver 3 acupressure point

✅ Gallbladder Meridian Flush

Rather read the blog?

Here it is…

Hi friend,

Whether it’s spring that has you leaping forward in courage, or just your exams, clearing and balancing your liver and gallbladder meridian channels can help. 

Hi, I’m Sarah Gowans. Massage and Cranio-Sacral therapist at BlossomingMe. In this short video, I’ll share some ideas with you that you can use to balance your liver and gallbladder meridian channels so that you can clear your mental and emotional clutter, increase your mental clarity, decision-making ability, your courage, and your self-confidence. 

Because a calm focused mind can better absorb and process information and your mental clarity and emotional stability go hand in hand with that, then creating a calm, mind-clearing, and balancing your liver and gallbladder meridian channels, can be helpful.

The Gallbladder Meridian:

The Gallbladder meridian is connected with decision-making and courage. Making it instrumental in boosting confidence and focus. While the Liver meridian plays a key role in regulating your energy and your emotions. That can improve your emotional stability, your mental clarity, and enhance your concentration. Helping you make clear decisions, calming your mind, alleviating stress, and reducing any anxiety.

That’s located on both sides of the spine, just where your neck meets your skull, at the top of the neck, on either side of the tendons, connected to the trapezius muscle that runs down from there. 

The Gallbladder Meridian Flush:

And the third thing that you can do, is a mindfulness exercise. It’s an exercise where you’re visualizing the gallbladder meridian channel, and tracing it with your mind. You can trace it with your fingers as I’m about to do as well. But that will help get the energy flowing easily and smoothly through the length of this meridian channel. So that you can feel stronger, more courageous, and have more belief in yourself. The Gallbladder visualization exercise is an imagination exercise. It’s about imagining the energy flowing easily, and smoothly through the length of this meridian channel. So I’ll run that through with you, and I’ll leave a diagram in the blog as well so that you can follow it for yourself. 

So there you have a gallbladder run, and that can help diminishing your frustration and anger, optimising your physical well-being, increasing your clarity, your confidence, and your courage.

And so …

So balancing your liver and gallbladder meridian channels can enable you to embark on exams, and other life challenges, with a profound sense of calm self-assurance. Knowing that you’re ready, equipped for success.

Thank you for joining me today. If you did find this useful please comment below. Like it, share it. And join us next time when we delve into other topics around supporting your mind and body.

Till then, thanks again.

Namaste

Sarah xx

PS. To help you even more, I’ve just written a Healthy Study Habits Cheat Sheet, to help you stay focused and full of energy, as you concentrate on your studies!

Would you like a copy?

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

Hungry for more?

Check out our other blogs; send us a question, so we can create content that YOU want to know about… and if you’d like to delve into some of our other topics and talks that may be of interest to you, click here for our recent talks and blogs.