Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, friends. Welcome back to Glow in the Chaos. I'm so glad you're here today. This episode is a really important one because we're talking about something that touches all of us who live with chronic illness, stress.
[00:00:13] We have briefly touched on this in another episode, but I wanted to dive really deep into it today.
[00:00:19] Now, I know stress is something that everyone deals with, but when you're chronically ill, it's not just an emotion or a bad mood.
[00:00:27] Stress can literally trigger your body into a flare.
[00:00:31] And if you've ever wondered why or felt frustrated, that stress seems to send your symptoms spiraling. This one's for you.
[00:00:39] So let's start with what stress really does. When you're stressed, your body goes into what we call fight or flight mode. Your brain sends out signals, your adrenal glands pump out cortisol and adrenaline, and suddenly your heart rate is up, you, your muscles are tensed and your body is acting like you're running from a bear. Now, that's fine if you're actually in danger, but when it's day to day stress, like a tough conversation or running late trying to push through work, it's the same response. For those of us with chronic illness, that constant flood of stress hormones pushes our body into overdrive. It weakens our immune systems, ramps up inflation, and just like that, flare up.
[00:01:21] I'll give you an example.
[00:01:23] There are so many times when I will be scrolling through social media or watching the news or just hearing about something that upsets me. And I, when I get upset, I feel very strongly about something, like I have said before. So I can go sometimes on rants or just kind of get myself all worked up and all emotionally involved in things that I have absolutely no control over, which I am working on.
[00:01:53] But using that example, I can go the whole entire day. And after being upset at the end of the day and getting over it and relaxing, I just feel myself.
[00:02:09] I just feel like I've run a marathon or have been hit by a bus, to be honest with you. After all of that, the stress hormone that has been released, released, the adrenaline that has been released. Kind of like after the storm settles, I notice all the damage. So kind of like when there's a humongous storm and everything is just going, going, going, you don't actually notice all the damage that has been done until after everything stops, the storm is over. You walk outside and you can actually see all the damage that has actually been done. So that is kind of how our bodies are with chronic illness. And after we get super Stressed out, we can feel the damage and notice the damage that has been done after the storm has passed.
[00:02:57] And that's when it clicked for me. It wasn't just my illness acting up out of nowhere. It was stress pulling every trigger at once. And that's something that we don't talk about enough. These flare ups are not random. Our bodies are responding to the weight that we carry.
[00:03:13] So how can we break this cycle? Because let's be real that we can't erase stress. Life is always going to bring challenges, but we can build ways to soften its impact.
[00:03:26] For me, one of the biggest things has been learning to pause. Even just 60 seconds of deep breathing can remind my body that it's safe. Setting boundaries has been huge too.
[00:03:38] Learning to say no before I crash.
[00:03:41] And sometimes it's just creative outlets like journaling, coloring, or even just putting on music and letting myself feel whatever I'm feeling.
[00:03:49] Sometimes I like to go into my car and just crank up whatever music I am in the mood for and just let it all out. Sing. Or sometimes I'll cry.
[00:04:05] And yes, sometimes that will flare up the symptoms as well. But honestly, sometimes after I get all of those emotions out and worked through, I feel like ten pounds has just been lifted off of me.
[00:04:19] So truly, finding those outlets that help you, it can be working out. It can be like I said, singing or crying or dancing, whatever that outlet may be for you, finding that and really leaning into it when you feel like you're about to spiral can make all of the difference in the world.
[00:04:39] And of course also leaning on those safe people, those friends, family or communities that just understand. So like hopping onto this podcast and listening and commenting and interacting with other people who know how it feels, who can be there for you and relate to you and not make you feel like you are overreacting.
[00:05:05] Sometimes even just saying out loud, hey, I am really stressed and I can feel it in my body.
[00:05:10] And that takes, takes away some of its power.
[00:05:14] Like you just acknowledging that you know that you're stressed out and you need to calm yourself down will take some of that power away from the intense situation.
[00:05:24] So here's what I want you to take away. If stress makes your symptoms flare, it's not you being weak and it's not all in your head.
[00:05:31] It's literally biology. Your body is doing what it's designed to do. It just doesn't realize that the danger isn't a bear chasing you. It's your inbox or traffic or that pile of laundry that you're staring at be gentle with yourself. Notice the triggers, and find those tiny ways to calm your body before it tips into survival mode.
[00:05:53] I have learned to do counted and mindful breathing, and this is something that has really helped when I am just about to be pushed over the edge.
[00:06:05] So the next time you are feeling like you are being pushed over the edge, I want you to try this, and I actually want you to try this with me right now. This guided breathing technique, what you're going to do is you're going to breathe in for four seconds, and then you're going to hold it for four seconds and then let it out for four seconds. So let's try this for a couple rounds.
[00:06:27] Breathe in.
[00:06:28] 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold it. 1, 2, 3, four.
[00:06:38] Let it go. 1, 2, 3, Four.
[00:06:43] One more time, friends. Breathe in.
[00:06:45] 1, two, three, four.
[00:06:49] Hold it. 1, 2nd, 3, 3, four. Let it all out. 1, 2, 3,4.
[00:06:59] Do you feel like you were just cleansed? Like you just took a humongous breath of fresh air that you have not been able to take in a long time?
[00:07:08] That is what it does for me. It clears my mind, it gives me something to focus on, and it's just like a humongous, literal breath of fresh air. So I want you to try that the next time you get overwhelmed.
[00:07:25] I would love to hear from you. What's one stress trigger that you've noticed sets off your symptoms? And what's one little thing you can do to calm your body back down?
[00:07:33] Share it with me, because I know we can all learn from each other, and that is what this podcast is about.
[00:07:39] So thank you for spending this time with me today. Remember, you're not alone in this, and your worth is not measured by how much stress you can carry. You deserve peace and you deserve healing. Until next. Until next time, friends. Keep glowing in the chaos.
