I’ve heard it many times, and I’ve experienced it. Out of seemingly nowhere, there is a shift; something in the body tightens, the stomach turns, fatigue can set in. Manifestation comes in many forms, but the effect is shared – discomfort and uncertainty. What happened? Research shows that our body tracks and stores unusual, stressful experiences in a different way.
When we encounter a particularly stressful or distressing event such as a trauma, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis kicks into high gear. The HPA axis is where our nervous system and endocrine system meet each other. When stressed, the body releases the chemical cortisol and our body adapts in a way it believes will serve us best. When this happens repeatedly, or there is no time for recovery, the body can become backlogged with stress.
When animals experience a startling event, they tremble. They transfer this energy and hormone surge through their body until they get rid of it. We, as humans, generally do not use this processing tool. We touch, we bury, we move on…but our body does not. It brings us back to that experience, like a wound struggling to heal. It could be the same time of the year every year, a spot on our body, or a particular smell that keeps us coming back and it often goes unnoticed.
So what do we do?
Unlocking and processing these difficult events is the key. Psychotherapy, meditation, yoga, and other physical activities have proven effective in releasing emotional stress and healing.
The next time you have a moment of extreme stress, stand up, shake your body around, and then take a deep breath. See how you feel; it may seem silly at first, but I guarantee that things will settle in a new way.
