Three Ayurvedic Tools to Help You Reduce Stress
Stress is an inevitable facet of life, particularly noteworthy in today’s era of constant stimulation, given its profound impact on human health. Since 1992, April has been dedicated as Stress Awareness Month, aiming to shed light on this condition often underlying numerous ailments.
The nationwide initiative of Stress Awareness Month strives to raise consciousness about the adverse effects of stress, disseminate effective coping mechanisms, and dispel prevalent misconceptions surrounding stress.
Approximately 80% of primary healthcare visits stem from stress-related ailments, with nearly one million individuals absent from work daily due to stress-related disorders. Among teenagers and preteens, stress levels have surged due to prolonged exposure to screens, video games, and reduced outdoor activity, with around 45% of teens and 26% of preteens reporting daily anxiety.
Let’s explore the physiological and psychological shifts that occur when under stress, and discover strategies to cultivate enduring mental, physical, and spiritual resilience, thus preventing stress from dictating our lives.
What is Stress?
Anything that stimulates the fight or flight response in the body is stress. Any stimuli, whether it is real, perceived, psychological, or physical has the same response i.e., glucocorticoid production.
Every system in the body is impacted by stress. Right from your digestive fire (Agni) to metabolic functions to your immune system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and even your heart–all the systems that are responsible for making sure that your body continues to function smoothly–are adversely influenced by excess stress.
When the body perceives a stress, the body gets kicked into a flight or fight response which is governed by the sympathetic nervous system. The body equates a normal day of deadline stress into a situation where you’re chased by a predator. Blood flow to the extremities is fast, heart rate increases, and glucose use is redirected to help you fight stress. Thus, overactivation of the fight or flight response leads to decreased immunity and increased inflammation.
On the other hand, when you sit around the campfire or spend time with your loved ones your body also realizes that it is a safe space. The parasympathetic nervous system then stimulates digestion, encourages nutrient absorption, regulates sleep, and stimulates sex organs, enhances fertility and libido.
The Good Kind of Stress
Stress is an inevitable aspect of life, yet not always negative. According to Ayurveda, certain stressors can be beneficial for the mind, body, and soul.
A certain level of stress is essential, with its suitability dependent on individual dosha type and body constitution:
- Vata individuals thrive on physical activity and luxury, avoiding stressors.
- Pitta types require mental stimulation from work to feel accomplished.
- Kapha personalities benefit from both physical and mental stimulation for productivity and energy.
Insufficient stress levels result in boredom and fatigue, leading to unhappiness and restlessness, rendering the body susceptible to illness. Optimal stress levels, both mental and physical, foster mental resilience and bolster the body’s immunity.
Excessive stress, however, leads to burnout, mental and physical exhaustion, accompanied by feelings of overwhelm and irritability, increasing susceptibility to illness.
The right amount of stress engenders productivity, energy, happiness, creativity, and overall health. Systematic stress, where one anticipates and prepares for stressors, allows the mind and body to adapt and cope effectively.
Contemporary society’s omnipresent stressors necessitate strategies for stress reduction. Studies demonstrate a correlation between stress and weight, highlighting the efficacy of workplace stress management programs in weight reduction compared to dietary changes.
How to Reduce Stress
Proven and simple tools that Ayurveda has shown to reduce stress.
1. Spending time in nature, especially grounding & earthing
Research demonstrates that immersing oneself in nature yields remarkable benefits for mental well-being. As individuals composed of nature’s elements—fire, earth, water, and air—connecting with the natural world enables us to reestablish a bond with the universe and embrace our authentic essence.
From a physiological standpoint, spending time outdoors, particularly during daylight hours and at sunrise, triggers the release of serotonin in our bodies—the “happiness hormone.” This natural antidepressant effectively wards off anxiety, promoting a sense of well-being.
Incorporating outdoor time into your daily routine, ideally during both sunrise and sunset as part of your dinacharya, not only provides essential physical activity leading to the release of endorphins but also aids in lowering cortisol levels.
Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, typically peaks between 6 to 8 a.m. and ideally fluctuates throughout the day, following a natural rhythm. However, in today’s fast-paced world characterized by perpetual stressors, cortisol levels remain elevated at irregular intervals, contributing to a state of chronic stress.
2. Abhyanga
Abhyanga, a form of Snehana therapy in Ayurveda, embodies the essence of self-love. Engaging in self-massage not only constitutes an expression of self-care but also serves as a means of anchoring oneself in the present reality. Integrate this practice into your daily routine, preferably before your morning shower, to equip your body better in facing the day’s stressors.
When confronted with stressors, allowing your mind and body to reconnect with this sense of self-love and groundedness can aid in sustaining the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system, even amidst the activation of the fight-or-flight response by the sympathetic nervous system.
3. Primordial Sound Meditation
Primordial Sound Meditation offers a path to self-healing through the silent repetition of a personalized mantra derived from the time, date, and place of your birth. This unique mantra serves as a gateway to deeper realms of consciousness beyond ordinary awareness.
By engaging in this form of meditation, you can cultivate an understanding that you are interconnected with something greater than yourself—the vast universe. With regular mindfulness practice, the stressors that impede your daily progress can diminish into trivial challenges.
Even when unable to alter the source of stress, you retain the power to select your response, thereby reshaping your perspective on stress and its impact on your life.