Into your hands and out of your head

As many of you know, I’m an avid crafter of all things fiber. I enjoy the tactile aspects of different kinds of fiber; I love working with colors; I get absorbed by the creative process; and wearing things that I have made with my hands is gratifying. As you can see, I love my hobby. But there is more—the repetitive action my crafting requires is incredibly calming. I often feel a shift in my nervous system when I sit down to knit, spin, or weave.

Making something with your hands can be a form of meditation. Working on something that requires a bit of focus and is somewhat repetitive calms the mind, shuts off constant worry, and gets us into state of flow. We need these moments in our daily lives to achieve and maintain good mental health.

If knitting isn’t your thing, you have lots of options to choose from: cooking, baking, woodworking, writing, beading, jewelry making, painting, drawing, gardening, sewing, needlepoint, crocheting, basketmaking, soap making, origami, playing an instrument, and more. I find the act of creating something particularly gratifying, but playing chess, doing crosswords. and playing games are also ways of keeping your focus that can be calming to your nervous system. 

I found a few articles that discuss the benefits of crafting on our health:

• Why Crafting is Great for Your Brain: A Neuroscientist Explains, by Sarah McKay, MSc, PhD.

• Craft is the New Meditation!!, by Priyanka Singh 

• Craft your way calm, by Suzan Colon 

• This is your brain on crafting, by Jacque Wilson 

If you’re finding it hard to calm your mind, or you feel worse after an evening of staring idly at a screen, you might consider picking up a craft. I feel like my time watching a show and knitting is time better spent than simply watching the show. I tend to have different kinds of projects for different sorts of situations. There are projects that make a mess and need to be done in a particular location. There are others that require a lot of concentration. And there are some that are very simple and portable, that I can pick up and put down as needed.

I’d love to hear about what kinds of projects you like to work on and how they support your well being.

What is chronic stress?

I’m sure you get a feeling in your body when thinking about chronic stress. You know what it feels like, but what is it exactly? To better understand stress and its effect on the body, first we must understand something about our nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is in charge of all of the automatic functions of our body, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, digestion, and hormonal regulation. It is located in the brain stem and spinal cord.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic portion is sometimes thought of as the “fight or flight” system, but I like to simply think about it as the more active, quick response portion of the autonomic system. The parasympathetic portion can be thought of as the “rest and digest” system.

In our busy, fast-paced world, we spend a lot of time stimulating our sympathetic nervous system. We never shut it off, which takes us out of the much-needed parasympathetic state, where we can rest and recover our energy.

The effects of chronic stress

Chronic stress is when “the stress response becomes more damaging than the stressor itself,” says Robert Sapolsky, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. Sapolsky is featured in a 2008 National Geographic special called “Stress: Portrait of a Killer.” You can watch this short intro video to get a good explanation of the sympathetic nervous system. Thefull, hour-long show is quite interesting as well, and is accessible on YouTube.

Over time, sustained stress levels lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, a compromised immune system, weight gain, digestive disorders, increased pain, headaches, reproductive issues, addiction, and premature aging. It’s not a pretty picture. What can you do?

Stress management

It is becoming more and more difficult to manage chronic stress, but here are some general guidelines:

Do for yourself

• Get enough rest and sleep, set yourself a bedtime and stick to it

• Exercise daily or when you are able to

• Eat a healthy diet or vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and minerals

• Avoid stimulants, sugar and processed food

• Moderate screen time

• Get acupuncture and/or massage

Do for others

• Connect with others

• Care for others

• Take part in community

Just be

• Meditate

• Spend time in nature

• Be positive

• Know your purpose

One last thing to review is the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter article from last fall “Avoiding the straw that broke the camel’s back,” which discusses the use of adaptogenic herbs to help manage chronic stress.

Avoiding the straw that broke the camel’s back

Stress is part of life. We live in a fast-paced world, we place high demands on ourselves, and we have constant challenges with work, family, finances, politics--you name it! Typically we feel “stressed” when we don’t feel we have the energetic resources to match the obstacle we’re faced with.

There are many ways to manage our lives to decrease stress. We might compromise income for a less stressful job, for example. We can also try to live a healthier lifestyle, so that we can improve our body’s ability to cope with stress. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are a great start. Practicing yoga or meditating can also help to put the world on pause for a moment. 

It is very important to build stress management tools into our daily lives, because there is no magic bullet to give us endless energy and help us keep our cool no matter the circumstance. We are humans, not robots. That said, there is a category of herbs called adaptogens, that can support us during times of stress. 

These herbs are known as adaptogens because they help to adjust the body’s stress response, much like a thermostat adjusts the temperature. There are many herbs in this category with a variety of specific effects, but they all help the body to better handle stress. Eleuthero (a.k.a. Siberian ginseng), ashwagandha, rhodiola, licorice, ginseng, holy basil, cordyceps, reishi, and maitake are all examples of these subtle, yet powerful herbs. 

Much of the early research on adaptogens was done in the Soviet Union to help astronauts and Olympic athletes better cope with stress, thereby increasing stamina and improving performance. Many studies were also performed in China and Korea, most notably on the effects of ginseng.  

In my practice, I don’t put everybody on adaptogens at all times, but I definitely find that my clients benefit from their use during higher stress times, hormonal transitions, and seasonal changes, among other reasons. They have the effect of normalizing energy, improving sleep and mood, strengthening immunity, and balancing hormones. All in all, they help the body to function better. My favorites include eleuthero, ashwagandha, rhodiola (more on those below), licorice, and medicinal mushroom blends. 

If you’re in good health, but feel like one more thing might take you down, exploring the world of adaptogenic herbs might help. They may even give you enough energy to make it to a yoga class and cook a healthy meal.

My three top adaptogen picks

Eleuthero

Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng, left) is perfect for someone who is overstressed, not sleeping enough, not getting enough exercise, and is eating too much unhealthy foods. It strengthens the immune system, decreases inflammation and improves physical and cognitive performance.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is great for nervous exhaustion. It is calming, it improves sleep, and it reduces anxiety. It is also anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is a rejuvenating tonic. It improves energy and cognitive function. It is especially helpful in treating depression and anxiety.

What’s keeping you up at night?

Good, sound sleep can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, the hours spent trying to sleep can be incredibly frustrating.

I have many tools to help people experience improved sleep, but I find that order to get the most out of acupuncture or Nutrition Response Testing treatment, the various factors that influence sleep should be considered and addressed first. These factors include bedroom environment, evening routine, diet, and stress management.

Bedroom environment

To create the perfect environment for sleep, one must consider the Goldilocks principle: everything must be “just right” for an individual to sleep well. The bed should be comfortable and the room temperature shouldn’t be too cool or too warm. The temperature should be on the cooler side (60-73 F, depending on the season) to bring about sleepiness and help maintain a comfortable body temperature throughout the night. The room should be as dark as possible. Blackout shades or an eye mask are useful Avoid lighted alarm clocks and nightlights. Quiet is also important. Earplugs and white noise machines come in very handy.

Finally, a lesser-known environmental factor is exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). We are surrounded by EMFs from things like cell phones, wi-fi routers, microwaves, smart meters, television, computer screens, fitness tracking devices, smart watches, cordless telephones, and power lines. EMFs that are given off can cause disorder in our nervous systems. Some people are more sensitive than others to these frequencies.

If you sleep with your phone by the bed, your smartwatch/Fitbit on your wrist or you leave your wi-fi router on during the night, your sleep may well be affected. The simplest thing to do is to keep electronics out of the bedroom or at least turned off. Also, switch off the wi-fi router at bedtime when nobody should be using it anyway. You can also invest in a few EMF protection products like harmonizing stickers for your devices, anti-radiation laptop mat, blanket, etc., that can absorb EMF radiation surrounding you to reduce its side effects on your body.

For those who are super-sensitive, there are devices that can help protect your body from these harmful frequencies. The one that has helped me the most is the Vivobase Home and the Vivobase Mobile. It was an investment, but now I wouldn’t be without it.

Evening routine

Sleep is regulated by circadian rhythms, and just as the phrase implies, a consistent sleep rhythm is important. Do your best to go to bed at the same time every night, and allow for 8 hours of sleep. There are people who need less sleep, but be sure to give yourself enough time to get the amount of sleep you need. Science also shows that it is best if you can get to bed before midnight to achieve the most restful sleep.

It is important to limit nighttime screen time. The blue light given off by electronics can interfere with your circadian rhythm, and depress production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Avoid eating late meals, because a full belly can interfere with good sleep, as well as cause acid reflux. It is also important to avoid high-carbohydrate snacks late at night. The spike in blood sugar increases energy, making it difficult to fall asleep. It can also cause you to wake up hungry during the night. Nighttime snacks should include some protein and/or complex carbohydrates to help keep the blood sugar at a constant level.

Exercise late in the evening can also disrupt a normal sleep cycle. Morning is the best time for intense exercise. Soothing activities like restorative or yin yoga, stretching, or meditation is better suited for the evening and help prepare for sleep.

Diet

We already discussed blood sugar levels at night, but sometimes it is important to consider your blood sugar stability throughout the day. If your body struggles to maintain a good balance, then you may consider giving up sugar and high-carbohydrate foods altogether. Believe it or not, this can have a huge impact on the quality of sleep. If insulin production is abnormally high, the regulation of all hormones in the body will be off. Hormone balance is key to quality sleep.

Caffeine is another thing that we consume that can affect sleep. Caffeinated tea and coffee should be avoided after noon. Caution should also be extended to chocolate. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, but it is important to test this schedule, because you might be more sensitive than you think. Complete avoidance may be helpful with caffeine as well, because caffeine triggers cortisol production, which, like insulin, affects hormone balance.

Alcohol can hijack sleep. It makes us feel sleepy, but it affects the quality of sleep, not to mention blood sugar. Try unwinding with a cup of chamomile tea rather than a cocktail, and see what happens.

Stress management

Stress is part of life, but when it’s out of control, it can wreak havoc with our health. If you are under excess stress, it is imperative that you find a way to manage it in general, but especially before bed. Avoid doing work before bed. Try taking a warm bath or meditating in the evening to relax the body and mind. Drink some calming herbal tea (teas that include chamomile, peppermint, passionflower, linden blossom, lemon balm, valerian and/or lavender) or use calming essential oils (lavender, sandalwood, cedar, geranium, ylang ylang, to name a few) to help prepare yourself for sleep. Even positive things like creative thinking and planning right before bed can cause energy to increase, thereby disrupting sleep.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when trying to improve your sleep. If you’ve addressed most of these issues and still can’t sleep, I would love to work with you. There are many more factors that we may need to address to get you the sleep you need. 

If your heath is complicated by a condition such as sleep apnea, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, pain, restless leg syndrome, asthma, or the need for medications, it may require the joint effort of my services and your medical doctor.

Is there a bug in your software?

Do you ever have the feeling that the program in charge of the automatic functions in your body has a bug in it? Does your heart race for no reason? Is your digestion off kilter? Do you have trouble sleeping? It can sometimes be tricky to get to the bottom of these deep-seated issues, but there may be a way to begin debugging your software.

The autonomic nervous system

First we must understand a little bit more about our nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that is in charge of all of the automatic functions mentioned above, and many more. It is located in the brain stem and spinal cord.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic portion is sometimes thought of as the “fight or flight” system, but I like to simply think about it as the more active, quick response portion of the autonomic system. The parasympathetic portion can be thought of as the “rest and digest” system.

In our busy, fast-paced world, we spend a lot of time stimulating our sympathetic nervous system. This takes us out of the much-needed parasympathetic state, where we can rest and recover our energy. If we don’t rest enough, we are bugging our system unintentionally.

The cranial nerves help us perceive the world…friend or foe?

The twelve cranial nerves, originating mostly in the brain stem, are involved in many important functions, including bringing information from the sensory organs (the eyes, ears, nose and tongue) to the brain; autonomic functions such as breathing, digestion and heart rate; and controlling muscles and reflexes.

We perceive the world through our senses and cranial nerves. The cranial nerves’ programming makes them always alert to danger. An incoming danger signal is viewed as a threat, and reflexes are triggered to save our life.

If our nervous system thinks we are in danger, we can’t sleep, we can’t digest, and it feels like our heart is going to jump out of our chest. When our nervous system is in balance, the reflexes are ready, but not engaged. If we are caught in sympathetic mode or trauma, the reflexes are locked on, and we feel we are always in a state of danger.

Things that can cause us to be locked in sympathetic mode

There are many experiences during a normal lifetime that can get us stuck in sympathetic mode. Sometimes it happens at the very beginning, during birth. A C-section birth or the use of Pitocin can cause stress to the infant’s nervous system. Not being breast-fed or a premature birth can also be a cause of stress. Stress this early on can interrupt normal autonomic functioning and development. The ramifications can be life-long.

Later in life, things like surgeries, car accidents, injuries, trauma, and orthodontic work can cause disruptions in our nervous system, leaving us with high anxiety, unable to sleep, disrupted digestion, dizziness, visual disturbances, tight muscles and fascia, inability to swallow, shortness of breath, inability to learn and focus. And the list goes on.

What to do?

A great place to start is with the breath.

I recently attended a seminar with Lois Laney, the founder of Restorative Breathing. We studied her breathing technique and learned, among other approaches,  a dynamic functional cranial nerve assessment to wake up and balance the cranial nerves. Each technique is designed to bring about and restore optimal autonomic nervous system function.

Check out Laney’s introductory video on how to breathe.

Once you get the basic breathing down, add humming and swallowing. Inhale silently. As you exhale, hum. At the end of your exhale, swallow. Then repeat. The humming and swallowing bring you into parasympathetic mode and stabilize your cranial nerves.

If you’ve been in the office recently, you’ve probably experienced several other unusual tactics to balance the nervous system. If you haven’t been in, you’ll have to come in and see for yourself 😉  These are all very simple, yet powerful, treatments. It takes a minimum of 90 to 120 days to reprogram the nervous system, so it does require dedication. Are you ready to debug your software and change your life?

Slowing down … a different kind of New Year’s resolution

Many of us feel exhausted these days. It’s so common in our world of doing more and constantly being available. I know I feel that way of late, so I have decided to write a more personal article this month, because I think you might find yourself in a similar position: always in doing mode, and rarely in quiet mode. What ought we to do? Try to keep up, or make choices to take care of ourselves since no one else will?

I feel grateful to be my own boss, in the position to set my own schedule. That said, it is still a challenge, because I feel compelled to be available as much as possible to my clients. I also need to be able to keep the business, with all its expenses, afloat. Over the years, I have tended to add on more hours to fit people into an already-full calendar. This has brought me great joy, because I’ve been able to offer the right amount of care for each person who trusts me enough to be my client.

I have been able to manage a busy schedule by doing my best to take care of my health. I have had many wonderful treatments: massage, cranial sacral therapy, chiropractic and, of course, acupuncture. I eat very well, and have Nutrition Response Testing checks frequently. I walk 10 miles per week, year-round. I spend my free time doing things I enjoy, with people who I enjoy and care about. All of these things have been a great support and have helped delay my cup from flowing over.…but now I feel that I’m dancing on the edge.

What a conundrum. Keep pushing, as most of us do? Or, slow down a bit. How does one find balance? I’m not sure, but I have decided to try. Starting in January, I will be taking two extra days off per month. My goal is to work four days a week in the near future. I will most likely extend my days a bit, so the number of office hours isn’t decreased overall too much. This is an experiment, and we’ll see how it goes.

Over the past couple of years, to spread out the client load a bit, I have sought out practitioners to work in the clinic. Roberta has been a great addition, offering massage therapy. However, I have so far been unable to find the right person who practices acupuncture or Nutrition Response Testing. I’m still open to this option. Perhaps by making room in the schedule, the right person will come along.

As you can tell, this is a tough decision, and it is an experiment. Please bear with us as we figure out the best possible schedule. We always recommend that you call in advance before stopping by to pick up supplements, as our schedule is by appointment. We will be posting the extra days off in the office to assist with planning, as we have in the past for my travel schedule. (And see below.)

Have you found a good work-life balance? What is your New Year’s resolution? I always enjoy hearing your stories, and invite you to share your ideas, solutions and goals with me. Happy 2018 to all!