Dr. Jon Repole

Understanding Stress: The General Adaptation Syndrome

Stress is a universal experience that impacts everyone at various points in their lives. To manage stress effectively, it is crucial to understand its underlying mechanisms. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), developed by Hans Selye, provides a foundational model for understanding stress responses. GAS comprises three stages:

1. Alarm Reaction (Wired): This initial stage is characterized by the body's immediate response to a stressor, triggering the "fight-or-flight" reaction. In this stage it's all high-octane adrenaline and cortisol. 
2. Resistance (Wired and Tired): During this stage, the body attempts to adapt to the ongoing stress. Although some energy is conserved, the body remains on high alert. In this stage, more and more energy drinks, coffee, and stimulants are needed to "keep you going." 
3. Exhaustion (Tired): Prolonged exposure to chronic low-grade stress depletes the body's resources, leading to burnout, fatigue, and diminished immunity. In this stage, the adrenal glands are completely depleted and there is a global decrease in all hormones along with physiological catabolism (breakdown). 

Balance vs. Coherence

Traditional views of stress management often emphasize balance—maintaining equal and opposite forces in life. However, balance can be an elusive and often unrealistic goal, akin to chasing the horizon. A more practical and achievable aim is coherence and fulfillment.

Balance:

• Equal and opposite forces.
• Relies on quantity. 
• Almost always unachievable and leaves you forever chasing the horizon.
• Example: Trying to balance work and personal life in a perfect proportion. 

Coherence and Fulfillment 

• Harmonious functioning of various systems most notably brain, heart, and respiratory waves.
• The synergistic harmony of unity between all the parts in a system. It can be likened to the beautiful music manifested by individual musicians in an orchestra playing in sync and complementing one another. In doing so, they create a kind of wholeness, unity, or blending of their individual talents that can’t be achieved by one alone. Thus, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. 
• Relies on quality. States of inner peace, tranquility, and equanimity can be achieved regardless of the time spent. 
• Achievable through simple, immediate actions like taking a deep breath, expressing love, forgiving, and staying present. 

Redefining the Nervous System: A Quadrant Approach

The outdated dichotomy of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-flight) being bad and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-digest) being good needs revision. A more nuanced, quadratic approach recognizes both positive and negative aspects or valences within each system:

1. Sympathetic Good: Positive activation (passion, exercise).
2. Sympathetic Bad: Negative overactivation (stress, feeling wired and overspent).
3. Parasympathetic Good: Restorative, calm, and befriending (inner peace, relaxation, connection).
4. Parasympathetic Bad: Negative underactivation (apathy, lack of motivation).

Individualization: Tailoring Practices to Your Needs

The most effective stress management techniques are those that resonate with you and suit the current situation.

Step 1: Recognize the Quadrant and Choose Practices to Bring Coherence

Understanding which quadrant of the stress response you are experiencing is the first step:

• Sympathetic Good: You feel energized and passionate. Continue engaging in stimulating activities.
• Sympathetic Bad: You feel stressed and overstimulated. Engage in grounding activities, breathwork, and meditation. 
• Parasympathetic Good: You feel calm and at peace. Maintain this state with relaxing practices.
• Parasympathetic Bad: You feel apathetic and unmotivated. Choose energizing activities like exercise rather than passive ones like meditation. 

Step 2: Choose the Practice That Most Resonates with You

Select a stress management technique that you personally enjoy and feel comfortable with in the moment based on your energies, motivation, intuition, and interest:

• If you dislike meditation, opt for a brisk walk or physical activity.
• If you enjoy quiet reflection, choose deep breathing or meditation practices.

Step 3: Choose the Practice That Is Appropriate for the Environment You Are In

Consider where you are and what is feasible in that environment:

• At Work or in a Classroom: Deep diaphragmatic breathing or silently repeating a mantra may be more appropriate than physical exercise.
• At Home or in a Private Space: You have more freedom to engage in activities like yoga, meditation, or vigorous exercise.

Ideas for Your Stress Toolbox 

Create your very own stress toolbox and choose 3-5 techniques that resonate with you. The art is to match the tool to your subjective resonance, quadrant, and situation or environment.

Here are some practical how-to's for effective stress management tools:

Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing

Most people take short chest breaths. Throughout the day, simply pause and “deepen” the breath by taking diaphragmatic or belly breaths. Aim to make your exhalation longer than your inhalation to activate the pathways of the parasympathetic nervous system. You can intentionally control your respiratory musculature:

1. Sit or lie down comfortably.
2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
3. Breathe in deeply through your nose (e.g., 5 seconds), allowing your abdomen to rise.
4. Expand your chest first and then your belly, on the inhale.
5. Exhale slowly through pursed lips (e.g., 10 seconds), letting your abdomen fall.
6. Gradually contract the abdomen and deflate the chest, on the exhale.
7. Repeat for 2-5 minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of your abdomen.

Heart Coherence (from HeartMath Institute)

1. Begin with awareness and conscious breathing, neither slowing nor speeding your breath.
2. Place both hands, palm facing into your chest, over your heart.
3. Breathe in and out at a controlled, comfortable, and slow pace allowing your focus, attention, and breath to converge at your heart center. Connect here for five to ten breaths.
4. Next, keep one hand over your heart and place the other on your forehead.
5. Breathe in and out at a controlled, comfortable, and slow pace allowing your focus, attention, and breath to converge in an expanded space between your heart and head. Connect here for five to ten breaths.
6. Throughout your practice, try to recall and embody a nourishing, positive, or meaningful memory or experience. Savor, amplify, and drink in the positive associative emotions, feelings, and mental pictures.

Flavors:

• Eyes can remain open or closed.
• Hand placement is optional.
• Can stay with the heart the entire time.
• Use of eye patterns to integrate right and left-brain hemispheres, such as eye gazing (moving your eyes, not your head) to the right and left during intermittent breathing cycles.
• Add the sentiment of love and benevolence to yourself and others. This is a type of scripting based on the Buddhist Metta or Loving Kindness meditation practice. These mantras can be added at any time to the practice above. Repeat the words below, starting with yourself, as you connect to your breath and heart space. Next, extend this loving mantra to your inner circle, friends, and family, then to strangers, people with whom you experience difficulty, humanity, all beings, and, finally, all of manifestation.

Loving Kindness Mantra:

• May I be filled with love
• May I be peaceful
• May I be safe and secure
• May I be healthy
• May I stay connected with love

Music

Select soft and inspirational music to enhance parasympathetic good activity or counteract excessive sympathetic bad responses. Opt for loud and vigorous music to boost sympathetic good activity or mitigate excessive parasympathetic bad effects.

Grounding or Earthing

1. Walk barefoot on natural surfaces (grass, sand, soil).
2. Spend time in nature, connecting physically with the earth.
3. Sit or lie on the ground for 20-30 minutes, feeling the connection with the earth.

Affirmations and Mantras

1. Choose positive statements or phrases that resonate with you.
2. Repeat them silently or aloud, especially during stressful moments.
3. Write them down and place them where you can see them daily.

Exercise/Walking

1. Engage in physical activities that you enjoy, such as walking, jogging, or yoga.
2. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
3. Focus on consistency rather than intensity to maintain regular physical activity.

Activities that Inspire and Create Flow

1. Identify hobbies or tasks that fully engage you, such as painting, playing an instrument, or gardening.
2. Set aside time regularly to immerse yourself in these activities.
3. Notice how these activities make you lose track of time and feel fully present.

Energizing Breath

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight.
2. Breathe in sharply through your nose for a count of 2.
3. Exhale forcefully through your mouth for a count of 2.
4. Repeat this cycle rapidly for 1-2 minutes.

Balance and Concentration Breath

1. Sit comfortably with a straight back.
2. Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in deeply through your left nostril.
3. Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril.
4. Inhale through your right nostril, close it with your thumb, and exhale through your left nostril.
5. Continue this alternate nostril breathing for 5-10 minutes.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

1. Engage in activities like humming, singing, or gargling to stimulate the vagus nerve.
2. Practice slow, deep breathing exercises.
3. Try cold exposure, such as splashing your face with cold water or taking a cold shower.

Chakra Meditation

1. Root Chakra: Place your attention, intention, and hands over the Root Chakra and ask your soul for protection. State out loud or internally, “I am safe, I am grounded. I am protected.”
2. Sacral Chakra: Place your attention, intention, and hands over the Sacral Chakra. State out loud or internally, “I am free to experience life joyfully and pleasurable. I am free to express and feel my emotions.”
3. Solar Plexus Chakra: Breathe into your Solar Plexus and imagine a warm sun rising and filling you with warmth and strength. State out loud or internally, “I am powerful because the light of God exists in me and humble because it exists in everyone and everything, as well. I reclaim my power. I am enough.”
4. Heart Chakra: Place your attention, intention, and hands over the Heart Chakra and ask to be filled with love. State out loud or internally, “I am loved. I love. I am love.”
5. Throat Chakra: Place your attention, intention, and hands over the Throat Chakra. State out loud or internally, “I will express myself today without self-betrayal.”
6. Third Eye Chakra: Imagine you’re able to see past all the problems of the “world.” State out loud or internally, “I am gifted with spiritual sight. I trust in my intuition. I can see clearly. I can respond rather than react.”
7. Crown Chakra: Breathe in your interconnectedness with all that is. State out loud or internally, “I am not separate. I am part of everything. I am free of fear. My ego is servant to my spirit.”

Simple Meditation Practices

1. Preparation: Find a quiet, comfortable space.
2. Position: Sit comfortably, eyes open or closed.
3. Anchor: Choose a focus (breath, body scan, mantra).
4. Practice: Stay present with your anchor, gently guiding back your mind if it drifts.
5. Integration: Combine with any preferred breathing technique.

See, Hear, Feel Technique

1. See: Look around and name three things you can see. Notice details like colors, shapes, and textures.
2. Hear: Close your eyes and listen. Identify three sounds you can hear, whether they are near or far.
3. Feel: Pay attention to your body. Identify three sensations you can feel, such as the texture of your clothing, the temperature of the air, or the sensation of your feet on the ground.

Shouting and Shaking

Dr. Peter Levine, a renowned trauma expert, advocates for the stress-releasing technique of shouting and shaking, rooted in his extensive research on trauma and the body's natural healing processes. According to Dr. Levine, shouting and shaking help to discharge pent-up energy and stress that accumulate in the body during traumatic experiences. This technique involves allowing oneself to vocalize loudly, which can release emotional tension, while simultaneously shaking the body to promote physical relaxation and a sense of release. By engaging in this practice, individuals can activate their body's natural mechanisms for processing and releasing stress, leading to a calmer and more balanced state. Dr. Levine's approach emphasizes the importance of tuning into the body's innate ability to heal and recover from stress and trauma, offering a powerful tool for managing and alleviating anxiety. So, when appropriate, go ahead and shout at your heart's content! 

Reflections for Inner Peace and Coherence

Serenity Prayer

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time.”

Coherence Questions

1. Be yourself. Is this in harmony with who I am?
2. Be responsible. Am I owning everything I think, say, and do?
3. Be honest. Am I telling my truth and listening to the truth of others? What do I know for sure?
4. Walk your talk. Am I willing to show up, even if it is hard?
5. Follow your heart. Is this what I really want to do?
6. Be at peace. Can I do this without stressing myself out?
7. Stay present. Am I forgiving the past and allowing the future to unfold?

Unconditional Living

1. Unconditional Love: We are called to love unconditionally, an act of love for both ourselves and others. When we establish conditions on love, we experience the conditions, not the love.
2. Unconditional Forgiveness: Make peace with the past. Don’t carry the weight of the past into the present moment.
3. Unconditional Gratitude or Present-Moment Awareness: Show appreciation for what is arising moment to moment. Keep an appreciation list handy: people, places, experiences, activities, animals, etc.
4. Unconditional Future: Cast unconditional, unrestrained, value-driven intentions, goals, and dreams, in alignment with our highest Self, into the ethers of the future for manifestation. Then concentrate on the means rather than the ends or the process rather than the outcomes.

Conclusion

Creating and maintaining a stress toolbox tailored to your needs can profoundly impact your overall well-being. By understanding the quadrants of stress responses and choosing practices that resonate with you, you can effectively manage stress in any situation. Remember, the best tool is the one you use and the one that fits the moment. So, equip yourself with a variety of tools, recognize your needs, and bring coherence into your life for lasting inner peace.