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April is Stress Awareness Month

When we are stressed, nervous or excited our Solar Plexus and Adrenals kick into action, you know those ‘butterflies’ in the tummy feeling, it can feel good or bad, we could feel sweaty, sick, start breathing quicker but shallow and we become aware of our heartbeat quickening.

This is what’s happening:

The Solar Plexus is an area in the abdomen consisting of a bundle of tightly knit nerves – when we suddenly find ourselves in a threatening situation or one where we need to think or act quickly it sends messages to our adrenals to release the adrenaline our bodies need to react.
The ‘butterflies’ when we’re nervous, sad or excited are little vibrations of this nerve bundle.

So what do the Adrenals do?

Adrenals – (we have two, one above each kidney) release a hormone at times of stress commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ reaction.
This is all very well when we need to get out or even through a situation with a little help from a quick flow of adrenaline, when we need to get through a job interview, chase the last train or run away from danger for instance. We need the extra oxygen this produces to get us through whatever that situation is.
Sometimes however when we feel under constant pressure, when the stress is prolonged, it can lead to anxiety, it begins to affect us in other physical ways and inevitably can lead to our mental and emotional wellbeing and health being affected.
This is because when the adrenals get overworked they become fatigued themselves, at risk from burnout.

I know many of us at this strange and difficult time may have already started or are beginning to feel pretty anxious and confused with the situation and it’s not a nice state to be in.

What can I do?

I am currently trying to think of ways in which we could all help ourselves and each other and one of the things I want to pass on to you is a really simple Reflexology technique we can all use to stimulate a few areas which are coming under fire at the moment.
These can be tried on one another in your household but it is also possible to treat yourself.

In Reflexology we stimulate different areas of the body by massage and thumb or finger pressure to corresponding areas of the feet or hands – in other words we think of the feet being a mirror of the body.

Try these points on the feet or hands to help calm the adrenals and reduce tension.
Use finger or thumb pressure, not too much so that it’s uncomfortable and just hold whilst take a few deep relaxing breaths.
And don’t worry about getting it wrong – you can’t!
Whatever you stimulate, as long as it feels good will be good for your body.

Helen x