Managing
Stress
through Self Care “These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.” – Najwa Zebian
By Natasha Kubis
M
ost clients that end up on my treatment table for acupuncture are dealing with some level of stress and its unhealthy impact. Often, “stress” is not listed as their chief complaint, but symptoms like insomnia, body tension, upset stomach, feelings of anxiety, or depression, are of primary concern. In fact, I have never performed a session that did not include acupuncture points for calming the mind. With the average American working 44 hours per week, it can be said that we live in a homo industrious landscape. Chronic stress can result from the challenge of balancing our work and home life, as well as our relationships with family and friends. Prioritizing our own self care rarely makes the cut. This imbalance is a major trigger for ongoing stress accumulation in the body, which can cause or exacerbate serious health problems, including psychological disorders, sleep issues, digestive conditions, a weakened immune system, and cardiovascular issues.
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thesofiamagazine.com | August 2020
The stress response in the body is meant to be an innate survival tactic, reserved for dangerous situations. This response allows the body to prepare to face a threat or flee to safety. In these situations, your pulse quickens, you breathe faster, your muscles tense, and your brain uses more oxygen and increases activity—all functions aimed at survival and in response to stress. In our modern, workaholic society, longterm stress is all too common for most individuals, and as we try to keep up with daily demands, the body never receives a clear signal to return to normal and relaxed functioning. I experienced the impact of chronic stress firsthand while living in NYC. During that time, I was averaging 40 clients a week as a solo practitioner, while traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan to my home visits and offices. I would leave my apartment at 7:30am and get home by 10pm, eating most of my meals on the subway, or inhaling them as I was briskly walk-
ing (which probably looked more like jogging to non-New Yorkers) between appointments. My mind and body felt like they were always running, similar to the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. I was so burnt out from all that rushing around that I would fall into bed from exhaustion only to find myself lying wide awake and unable to sleep at night. It got to the point where feeling both tired and wired was my “normal” state, and I learned to function on 0-4 hours of sleep. I was treating people to help them decompress from their stress, and at the same time, I was running on empty. My insomnia worsened, as did my anxiety, heart palpitations, stomach pains, joint pains, and then voila . . . autoimmune issues came to the surface, and I was down for the count. My body was yelling at me to stop and pay attention to what it needed. My focus was always on the needs of my clients, my family, my business, and my friends. I had reached a moment in my life where I
