Tapping to Reduce Stress
Hello everyone! I am writing this post from my couch at the start of week three of self-isolation here in Toronto. As a birth and postpartum doula, not being able to support my clients in person has been really challenging. My heart goes out to all of the parents whose birth plans have gone out the window, the lost baby showers or maternity shoots, those who are grieving the postpartum experience they wish they had, or are struggling in any which way during these unpredictable times. That heavy energy - I feel it in my body especially. Stress is funny that way - it’s an emotion, but also a physical sensation that happens in the body. Chronic stress, in fact, can have a myriad of repercussions in our physical body, not just influence our mindset.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M STRESSED?
When our body senses danger, the amygdala - an almond-shaped part of the brain - activates the sympathetic nervous system. It releases cortisol, the stress hormone, and adrenaline, causing us to go into that fight-or-flight mode. The body responds by turning off non-essential functions to save energy for escaping the threat. Think of an animal in the jungle; a wild dog goes to give birth under a shaded tree, getting nice and comfortable. Then, the dog hears a pack of lions across the plain - so the dog shuts down the natural labour process and begins its attempt to escape.
Our bodies aren’t too different. When we feel fear, our bodies pump all its extra blood to the major muscle groups that would help us escape that threat, pumping blood away from those non-emergency functions. That includes our digestive system, reproductive system, even parts of our brains like our emotional regulation, creativity, and problem-solving centres.
The thing is that so many people in our busy, urban lives spend years in that fight-or-flight mode. Chronic stress can cause severe damage to our health, manifesting in high blood pressure, chronic illness, insomnia, adrenal fatigue - you name it. When we feel exhausted and depleted, we don’t give the best of ourselves to others, harming our relationships with our colleagues at work and our loved ones at home. All of this is to say, we need to find a way to shut off that sympathetic response stat, especially when we’re living in a high-stress global situation like a pandemic.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Quick mindfulness exercises can help the body slow down and enter the parasympathetic nervous system, or the rest-and-digest mode.
Enter the Emotional Freedom Technique. This method utilizes modern psychology and traditional Chinese medicine to rewire how our body responds to specific stressors. We use our fingers to tap along energy meridians while focusing on the feelings that come up when we think about a particular issue we’re facing to enter that rest-and-digest mode even when faced with those uncomfortable thoughts.
HOW DO I DO IT?
1) Find a place to take a distraction-free mindful moment. Get comfy for the next few minutes or so. Turn off your ringer and get ready to do the work.
2) Think of one issue that’s stressing you out. It’s helpful to be specific rather than saying something such as “I’m anxious.” A more specific statement such as “The pandemic changing my birth plan makes me anxious.” Consider the situation - what feelings come up? Does the situation cause fear? Vulnerability? Fragility? Again, be specific in identifying your feelings.
3) Create a positive affirmation from the identified problem. Using the previous example, “even though my plans have to change, I feel confident in the decisions I do have.” In this example, we’re acknowledging the problem we’re addressing and then flipping the script to something positive. Try to do it yourself!
4) Begin tapping! Tap 5-7 times on the areas pictured while repeating the positive affirmations.
5) Once you're done, take a deep breath and think about your initial problem again. How do you feel now? Do you notice any changes in the level of feeling you had earlier? Maybe your anxiety was at a 10 before, where is it now?
For coaching on how to incorporate mindfulness into your pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey, consider virtual doula support.