How stress triggers our internal smoke detector

Because these two nervous systems offset each other, they help maintain balance in your body. However, feeling stressed on a frequent basis triggers the brain and body to respond in a continuous panicked mode. Our SNS doesn’t have a low gear and when unmonitored we can experience chronic effects of stress including high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, poor digestion and low immune function.

Activating our PSNS is achieved with breathing techniques, nature walks, meditative practices and laughing, to name a few.

Smoke detectors are designed to sound an alarm whether a smouldering fire threatens your safety or toast is burning. Our amygdala – the brain’s emotional centre – is similar to a smoke detector. It can’t tell the difference between real and perceived stress.

When working with clients I help them understand the functions of the nervous system and identify when their internal smoke detector responds to faulty information. Sometimes heightened anxiety disguises the truth of the situation – it creates a ‘smoke screen’ which triggers our inbuilt alarm system. When we recognise what alerted our brain’s response we can learn how to manage stress.

You may be familiar with the terms ‘fight, flight, freeze’ which refers to how the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) reacts to the perceived presence of physical or psychological threats. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) returns the body to a relaxed state – this is the crucial ‘rest, digest and repair’ response to stress.

Living a stress-free life is unattainable. We experience good stress, eustress, to succeed at certain tasks. Eustress motivates us to work toward our goals, take up a new hobby and begin new relationships. It's a stress response that benefits us.

Balancing our SNS and PSNS systems is attainable when we understand how our body serves us and how to avoid ‘distress’. Our brains can be retrained to respond to stress in a healthy way.

The presence of smoke does not always indicate a fire. When you feel that quickened heartbeat or brain fog in a stressful moment, just pause and ask yourself, ‘Am I remembering to breathe? What is a calming technique I can use right now?’

Your well-being will thank you; mind, body, and soul.

Trish Beauchamp | Life Coach

https://www.trishbeauchamp.com/