SOMETIMES IT IS NO VACATION: 5 Ways You Can Lower Stress and Give Your Gut a Happy Holiday
SOMETIMES IT IS NO VACATION:
5 Ways You Can Lower Stress and Give Your Gut a Happy Holiday
By James E. “Jed” Foster, Jr., MA, LMFT
Ah, the holidays. A time for peace, love, giving, and reflecting, right? It’s time to get the whole family together one more time for a series of hassle-free, agreeable dinners and holiday parties to close out the year. While that may be true for some, others find the holiday experience to be stressful. REALLY stressful. Like Clark Griswold ‘Christmas Vacation’ meltdown stressful…but instead of shouting, “where’s the Tylenol?,” many find themselves reaching for the antacids and anti-diarrheal medications. That’s because stress can wreak havoc on our digestive system; especially when served in heavy doses.
Cortisol, the much-maligned but necessary “stress hormone” can turn a happy gut into – as Clark would say – “a full-blown four-alarm holiday emergency.” Cortisol in short bursts gets our body and mind ready for action, boosting the immune system; however, long periods of high cortisol exposure can increase inflammation and throw off the balance of the microbiome. The microbiome is the collective bacteria that live in your gut which play roles in everything from digestion, to mood, to communication between the gut and the brain. Chronic stress directly affects changes in the microbiome that can exacerbate existing GI symptoms and bring on new ones at the same time.
Here are 5 ways you can lower stress over the holidays and keep your gut functioning well and contributing to your overall well-being.
- GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. You’re a human. Give yourself permission to be human and find a way to take a breather. Offer to run to the store for more eggnog (don’t forget the moose mugs). Take the dog for a walk and enjoy some crisp air and some “you time.” When we’re “on” for extended periods of time, it can be taxing both mentally and physically. If your body senses you’re being stressed and releases more cortisol into your system to help you rise to the occasion (which is a healthy and normal response), it becomes problematic and adversely affects the mind-gut axis.
- GET CREATIVE. A 2016 Drexel University study found that just 45 minutes of artful creation can significantly lower cortisol levels. So grab some paint, some colored pencils, or better yet, some frosting!!! Decorate some sugar cookies and gingerbread houses, but go easy on the sugar intake, because too much sugar can upset the balance in the gut microbiome, leading to worsening symptoms. https://drexel.edu/now/archive/2016/June/Art_Hormone_Levels_Lower/
- DON’T STRESS OVER STRESS. This isn’t easy. It’s been drilled into our brains for most of our lives that stress is bad for our mental and physical health. As it turns out, the way we feel about stress is major part of the equation. Stanford health psychologist and mind-body connection guru Kelly McGonigal, PhD, has a TED talk with over 15 million views where she explains that research has shown that stress is more harmful and taxing on the human body for people that believe it is bad for their health. As a result, she has changed her approach from promoting a fear of stress and now works toward getting people to view stress as friend and ally. By changing the way we view stress, we can change the effect it has on our bodies. So when cousin Eddie shows up in his RV, go ahead and feel the stress, but don’t give it the power to affect changes in your body. Try to see it for what it is: a normal and necessary human condition that actually helps us focus on challenges and reach out to others for help. https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en
- KEEP IT SIMPLE. If you know that holidays stress you out, then use simplicity as strategy. Make it as easy on yourself as possible. Plan ahead. Do some of the cooking ahead of time. Don’t wait until the last minute to shop for gifts. Order what you can online and have it gift wrapped. It sure beats looking for parking in clogged mall lots.
- DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Delegate. You’re surrounded by family. Why not ask them for help? Too often, the host does all of the work. You want your guests to feel like guests, but at what expense? If you’re doing all of the work, enlist some family members to lighten the load. Company can make work feel less like work and helps them take some ownership of the process, as well as the accolades. Raise the flag, ask for help, and have happier, healthier holiday season.
If you are in need of the next level of personalized assistance to impact the effect of stress on your GI tract, please call 224.407.4400 or visit www.compgihealth.com to schedule an appointment.