The Cortisol Diaries
It is sometimes said that the best laid plans often go awry. Such is the nature of how this pandemic has altered our lives. We pace, we worry, we stress and we get frustrated with the "new norm." Yes, we have done our therapy and we go for long walks, but in the background, our mind and spirit feel constrained.
Have you ever woken up in the night and found your heart racing? I have... Adrenalin is usually our friend until it alters our ability to respond instead of react. Our fretting becomes incessant and our minds cannot find a quiet space to rest. The only one having a party is our nervous system in overdrive. The more adrenalin we produce, the higher our level of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Cortisol normally has many important functions including the regulation of blood sugar, metabolism, inflammation, memory and blood pressure. But...prolonged elevated cortisol levels can increase your anxiety, sap your energy, and interfere with your body's ability to heal. The key is to shift your body from the stress response to the relaxation response.
OK, here are a few folks having fun. They are definitely not social distancing but they ARE smiling. Oh, for the longing of youth...I digress.
Want to hear a joke if you are still reading?? What did the snail say to the turtle while it was riding on her back? Weeeeee! I digress again...
Let's go over some acupressure points to calm your nervous system down and smile at least on the inside.
Here are some cortisol taming points to try at home:
Massage your ears top to bottom until they feel warm. This not only calms the nervous system but lowers your blood pressure when stressed.
After washing your hands, you can massage the spot between your eyebrows. This is often referred to as the "third eye." It is exceptional for calming the mind.
Massage the bottom of your foot at Kidney 1. This point is located on the top third of the foot. It is in the middle and to the inner side of the ball of the big toe. You should feel an indentation here. Kidney 1 is very helpful for taking worry and fear out of your head and sending that energy to the ground where you can then squish it like a bug. I call this the anti-cootie point for all you boomers.
Thank you for your continued emails and comments and do feel free to ask more questions. I am here to help you as needed and would love to check in. Stay well and stay safe.