The manifestations of stress on the body
Your body is SMART. Like really, really smart. If you are stressed or had a stressful event, your body holds that stress in the tissues so you can get done what needs to get done in order to survive. The only catch is…….. your body will continue to hold onto the stress unless you do something about it.
For example, if a tiger is chasing you (I know real common these days) rather than processing the emotional worry you have about being eaten alive by the tiger, your body will store that emotional stress, so that you can run as fast as you can to get to a safe space. Once you get to the safe space, you will be breathing hard from running faster than you ever knew possible. You will be so relieved that you are safe and then you will go on about your day to get the things done that need to get done.
If you do not come back to how that tiger made you feel, your body will continue to store the emotional stress because it has not had a chance to process it. Some people might store this stress in their jaw. Some might store it in their stomach. Some might store it in their pelvic floor.
Usually, if a person is storing stress in their body, it causes their muscles in that area to tighten. The muscle tightening causes blood flow to be restricted to that area. This can cause headaches, stomach ulcers, painful or urgent bladder, pain with intercourse, the list goes on and on.
While it may be very uncomfortable emotionally, it is important to sit with how that tiger made you feel so your body can let go of it. Some people have super powers and can do this on their own. Other people need some extra guidance. It can be really beneficial to have someone to help you process the stressful event. It can also be beneficial to have someone guide you through how to allow your body to relax around the areas that the stress was held.
If we do not process the stressful event and learn how to release it from our bodies, we can end up storing all of our stress in one area of our body . This in tern, could show up someday as disease or dysfunction. It is much easier from an energy standpoint, to process the stressful events as they come than to wait until your body tells you it has had enough and decides to force you to look at it.
This stress can be from day to day tasks such as not sleeping, or problems with a relationship, or feeling like there is not enough time in your day to get everything done. Or this stress can be from major events such as a birth that did not go as planned, or a sexual assault, or a car accident.
It does not matter why you have stress. Everyone is different and everyone has their own stress. It is important to get the help that you need so your body can release the stress and allow you a healthy, pain-free life.
