Making Sense of Chronic Tension: A Stress Relief Kit for Introverts in Healthcare
Drowning in stress and worry?
It’s time for relief.
“Ah. I’m really stressed out.” The thought came with a dose of resignation.
It had just hit me.
Yes, I knew I was busy, had a lot on my mind, and was juggling too many things at once.
Even so, I thought I was coping well. My body was telling me I was wrong.
This isn’t a dramatic story about how I collapsed at work and ended up in the hospital for five days because the stress had become unbearable.
No, this is a story about recognizing the subtlest of cues and course-correcting before the collapse.
They were the whispers before the scream.
Two tiny things:
A twitchy eyelid.
A clogged drain.
That’s it.
My sympathetic nervous system was fired up, and I had wonky muscle contractions and hair loss to prove it.
To this day, when I feel that familiar flutter of an eyelid or notice extra hairs on my comb, I know it’s time to pause, slow down, and pay attention.
You can do the same.
Signs of Stress in the Body
The body’s sympathetic stress response is an amazing, fine-tuned system. But we were never meant to turn on the spigot and let it run until we’re drowning in stress hormones.
That’s what chronic stress does to us.
It leaves us trying to keep our heads above water in a sea of adrenaline, cortisol, and other hormones that feed our stress response.
Most of us are at least vaguely aware of the significant risks of chronic stress. The effects are far-reaching and can impact our cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and immune systems. It even affects our reproductive system.
When the effects of stress have compounded over time, they can be hard to miss. The results can be devastating, as in the setting of a heart attack or stroke.
But what about the subtle signs? Can you recognize them?
You may recall learning about masquerade syndromes in your medical education. They’re the tricky conditions that can show up as almost anything - the zebras that show up as horses.
Catching them requires astute observation. It requires looking at the big picture and appreciating nuance.
Noticing the subtler signs of stress necessitates the same attention to detail. Get to know your body so you can detect when there’s a glitch in the matrix.
Let review some subtle indicators that you’re experiencing the signs and symptoms of stress.
Physical signs of stress you may have missed:
Rashes or hives (including flare-ups of known skin conditions)
Hair loss
Constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain
Headaches
Changes in sleep patterns
Shaking or trembling
Tense or twitching muscles
Excessive sweating or changes in body odor
Increased yawning (even when you’re not tired)
Heightened sensitivity to lights and sounds
Behavior or emotional symptoms of stress that may have slipped under your radar:
Elevated irritability or agitation
Pacing or restlessness
Forgetfulness
Nail-biting
Procrastination
Difficulty concentrating
Overeating or losing interest in food
Increased clumsiness or accidents
Impaired decision-making
Hair pulling
When considered individually, these signs and symptoms could be part of your unique personality or caused by any number of medical conditions, serious or not. That’s why it’s so important to know your own baseline.
You are your best diagnostician when it comes to stress.
Even better, when you know your body, you can use the wisdom of your body to counteract stress.
How to Let Go of Stress Using the Body
Most of us have the good fortune to be blessed with five senses (or more!) that give us access to the world around us. Even if you’ve lost one or more of your senses, you can turn up the dial on what you do have and make it work for you.
Let's tour the senses and learn how to use them to create calm and decrease stress.
(En)Vision a Calmer You
Sight is often one of the first and most attention-getting ways we experience our world, so let’s start with vision in our exploration of using our senses to find relaxation.
Nature can be a great ally for reducing stress and improving your mood. Consider taking time to watch a sunrise or sunset. Or relax under a night sky while appreciating the vast universe as you gaze at the stars.
Close your eyes. Use your mind’s eye to visualize yourself in your happy place, wherever that may be. Get specific and notice all the details, like colors and patterns.
Indulge yourself in beauty. This may mean taking in striking photography, appreciating fine art, or immersing yourself in architecturally beautiful spaces. Only you know what lets you feel free and expansive. Seek it out.
Listen for Soothing Sounds
Interject a little light-heartedness into your day by listening for the sounds of laughter and joy. Small children laugh freely. Let their energy be contagious. Listening to a laugh track can even help you feel a little less serious.
Calming music can let your focus wander from your current stressors as you attune to the instruments and sounds that make up the whole. Guided meditations can help you calm a racing mind.
If you feel overwhelmed by all the sounds or find yourself overly sensitive to subtle sounds in your environment, white noise can create a blank slate and free you from distractions.
Feel Your Way Into Ease
Muscle tightness is one of the most common ways stress shows itself. Use massage to gently loosen the grip of your worries. Self-massage is easy to access and can be as simple as gentle, circular kneading of your temples, jaw, or shoulders.
You can also find comfort in the warmth of touch. Whether it’s a hug from someone who cares about you, petting a beloved animal, or snuggling in your favorite blanket, warmth and touch make for a soothing combination.
Gentle movement is another great way to release tension. Feel how your body moves in space and notice the delicate give and take of the muscles that keep you balanced. Slowly tense and release your muscles. Stretch your arms and legs out to the room's edges to create more physical and mental space.
Stop and Smell the Flowers
Smell may be one of the senses we take most for granted (at least before COVID came along). It can do wonders for creating a feeling of serenity.
Remember and duplicate the smells from happy times. The smell of hot cinnamon rolls always gives me a comfy, cozy feeling.
Take advantage of essential oils to calm or energize you. For example, lavender, sage, and chamomile are often used for relaxation, while citrus oils like bergamot, orange, and lemon can help boost your mood.
And, yes, stop and smell the flowers. Not only are you benefitting from the delightful smells, but you’re signaling to your body that it’s OK to slow down, even if it’s just for a bit.
Taste the Goodness
Although it may not be flashy, you support yourself when you stay hydrated. Infuse your water with citrus or a combination of fruits or veggies with herbs (like cucumber and mint or strawberries and basil) to refresh your body and mind.
Don’t forget the mood-boosting benefits of dark chocolate. (Enough said!)
Remember to slow down while eating rather than rushing from one task to the next. Take time to savor your food and notice all the flavor nuances as you chew. Mindful eating gives you another tool to refocus your attention from stress and worry to pleasure and satisfaction.
When your body starts giving you subtle signals that life has become too turbulent, use these strategies to pull yourself into calmer waters. With a little curiosity and exploration, you can discover which sensory techniques serve you best.
Healthcare professionals are used to persisting through hardship, pushing through challenges, and overcoming struggle.
That dedication comes at a price.
Especially for those in medicine who have been trained to ignore the needs of their body in service of others, we can forget the body acts as a repository for our stress.
Retrain yourself to pay attention. Your body will tell you when it’s time to slow down, rest, and regroup.
Chronic stress tricks our body into a self-harming state. With intention and attention, we can use our senses to help our body rejuvenate and support itself.
Gifting myself care and kindness is much more fun than twitchy eyelids and clogged drains.
Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.