I like illustrations. So let’s start with one. One that involves stress. I am stealing this illustration from the terrific film The Princess Bride.
There is a scene where Wesley, our hero, is having a battle of wits with the Sicilian villain, Vizzini, while the Princess Bride is sitting nearby blind folded, listening to the exchange. Two cups of wine sit on a table between them and Wesley suggests putting Iocane powder, a fictional deadly poison, into one of them and then challenging his rival to pick a cup and drink. One will live and one will die. The banter that follows is hilarious and eventually the villain chooses a cup, after distracting Wesley and switching the cups. The villain then drinks from it and promptly falls over dead. The hero, Wesley, then confesses to the Princess that both cups had poison. Then he adds that he has been ingesting small portions of the poison beforehand to create an immunity to it.
This is an example of hormesis! This is stress in action!
What is hormesis? Hold the above story in mind and let me set the stage as we define hormesis, this all important biological process. Hormesis is the biological reality that a small, short-lived amount of stress applied to a living system will make the living system stronger. The key, however, is the amount and duration of the stress. Too much stress applied for too long will result in sickness, or injury, or death. The right amount of stress, however, will make you healthier and stronger.
Get it?
Basically what doesn’t kill you (or injure you or make you sick) makes you stronger. And every living system needs, depends really, on times of discomfort to grow stronger, to reproduce, to thrive, to adapt.
Stress applied correctly, intentionally, creates adaptations that make you stronger.
And adaptation, the ability to adapt, is at the heart of health and wellness.
If you have read the last few blogs about adaptation, {Training for Life: one, two and three} you have heard me talking about adaptation. But as I thought about it, adaptation is too vague. So, let me give a little review on using stress as a tool (hormesis), and how stress can be used to encourage adaptation, and ultimately more resilience, vitality, and wellness.
Think of short-term, intentional stress as a tool for promoting adaptation. Remember Wesley?
So…am I saying you should seek out stress?
Exactly. Let me give you a brief primer on the two types of stress we encounter in life and then let me give you five easy ways to use stress to your advantage.
People yak about “stress” and “being stressed” and “carrying stress” all the time. Like it is some badge of honor that life is being taken seriously. It’s not. Really this type of stress gets all the press and it is not good press either. Chronic, unending stress, is slowly killing you through years of depletion. When we are chronically stressed, our bodies use all of the vital reserves, the vitamins and minerals and energy reserves, that keep us thriving. Chronic stress, emotional, psychological and physical (because they really are the same thing), will make your life miserable and very unhealthy.
There is a better way. We can use (manipulate) stress to make us stronger. This can be done by challenging your body on a regular basis. Here are five easy positive stressors that will boost your vitality. Remember the amount and duration of the stressor is critical. Don’t over do it!
Weight lifting: If done correctly, this forces your body to get stronger. If done incorrectly (too much/too long), we break down, you get injured, and you won't grow muscle, which is the purpose. We have a perfect five exercise plan in the office that will do the trick. 20 minutes 2x a week. So, join a gym and then call us!
Caloric restriction/intermittent fasting: Simply cut back on your caloric intake once or twice a week. Skip a meal and don’t go crazy on the next meal. (For more specific help, schedule a consultation with Abbey.)
Breathing: Sit still and practice low and slow breathing. Reducing your respiration rate produces the effect of improved CO2 tolerance. Improving CO2 tolerance has a huge host of benefits. {I have reviewed two books on this subject: Breath and The Oxygen Advantage} We can help get your started on this one too.
Heat/Cold exposure: Don’t hide in your house! Go for a walk in the cold AND in the heat. Expose yourself to the elements. Get uncomfortable!
Go somewhere, anywhere, without your phone: Don’t just turn it off, leave it at your home! This will drive some of you nuts! But it will pay in mental health dollars once you adapt! Dopamine is addictive for sure and pushing your brain to thrive without the constant stimulus is priceless. I have done it and yes it is a stressor. Pretty pathetic, I know. Try it!
There you have it, five simple ways to improve your health and wellness.
Try them all! If you are stuck, we are here to help.
Cheers,
Dr. Swaim
{The scene: Iocane Powder}
Image by An Le from Pixabay