Managing chronic stress, chronic inflammation, and disordered metabolism are essential to the pursuit of health and wellbeing.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
The previous articles have defined and described the concepts of chronic stress, chronic inflammation, and disordered metabolism. The contributors to these conditions, as well as their impact on health and wellbeing and the ability to pursue sustainable high performance was described in detail. With the understanding of these concepts, it becomes possible to develop strategies and tactics to manage chronic stress and chronic inflammation. This is essential in order to limit their impact, thereby allowing for the pursuit of health and wellbeing.
It is important to recognize that chronic stress is not limited to emotional and psychological factors. While the idea of stress in everyday usage typically refers to these elements, there are also strong physiological and environmental contributors to chronic stress. It is important to understand that the final common pathway defining chronic stress is the presence of elevated and persistent levels of cortisol. This can occur in response to cues along the internal, external, and relational pathways. Ultimately chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to chronic and persistent levels of cortisol and, eventually, chronic stress.
It is important to recognize that any trigger or cue along the internal, external, or relational pathway can lead to activation of the sympathetic nervous system. When prolonged and continuous in duration, any of these experiences can initiate chronic stress. It is also important to recognize that the factors which may lead to this process of development of chronic stress for one individual may be different than for those amongst other individuals. The impact of the experiences we encounter along the internal, external, and relational pathways are individual specific. It is also important to acknowledge that we are often, if not regularly, exposed to potential cues towards sympathetic nervous system activation across internal, external, and relational pathway experiences.
Another significant consideration is the interaction between chronic stress and chronic inflammation. As described in the prior article, these are not mutually exclusive considerations. They are intertwined. It is a two-way street between chronic stress and chronic inflammation as one is able to initiate the other. In addition, a vicious cycle is very readily created in which the presence of one factor leads to the development of the other and there is subsequent feedback towards furthering the initial state. As an example, chronic inflammation on account of external factors we may encounter can lead to chronic sympathetic nervous system activation, thereby leading to chronic stress. The metabolic effects of chronic stress can lead to chronic inflammation on account of the effects of chronic elevated levels of cortisol. Shifts in biological state into protective and defensive states are associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activation and can, therefore, lead to chronic inflammation.
The mind-based and body-based skills, strategies, and tactics which are at the core of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete can provide important methods to address chronic stress and chronic inflammation. In addition to the psychological skills and somatic practices themselves, the paradigm of the stress-recovery quadrants, which has been previously discussed, is also essential. When considering the stress-recovery quadrants in order to reduce the frequency and impact of chronic stress and chronic inflammation, it is important to ensure that we spend sufficient time in the high recovery quadrants. This is particularly important following periods of time in which we are exposed to higher degrees of stress across any of the three pathways. This can be brought to life by implementing skills, strategies, and tactics to increase biological state shifts towards anchored and grounded states.
Another important consideration is the role of psychological skills within this paradigm. As has been discussed throughout this article series, mind-based skills provide important strategies and tactics to leverage our biology. These are particularly beneficial in strengthening and maintaining anchored and grounded states. If we do not sufficiently develop these skills, the cognitive response to many of the experiences across the internal, external, and relational pathways can lead to a shift in biological state towards protective and defensive states. Once this shift has occurred, psychological skills are typically not effective in returning to anchored and grounded states. Rather, implementation of body-based skills to restore an element of anchored and grounded state is necessary prior to reintroduction of psychological skills.
The complementary practices to implement the mind-based and body-based skills, at both the systems and cellular level, are essential in order to manage our exposure to chronic stressors across any, and all, of the three pathways. Across all domains of our day-to-day life, it is inevitable that we will experience stressors across these three pathways. These can be magnified within domains of high performance. The framework at the foundation of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete provides important strategies and tactics to manage these inevitable stressors, regardless of whether they are the result of everyday experiences or within domains of high performance.
When we consider stressors across the internal and relational pathways, the mind-based and body-based skills which are at the core of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete are particularly important. These have been discussed throughout this article series. Ultimately, when we are able to effectively develop and implement these various skills when we encounter cues towards sympathetic nervous system activation across internal and relational pathways, we reduce the likelihood of such biological state shifts. When such a shift occurs, as is inevitable, we are better able to shift back into anchored and grounded states. By strengthening our anchored and grounded states at baseline and improving nervous system flexibility, we are able to facilitate this process. In so doing, we spend less time in sympathetic nervous system activation states thereby reducing our exposure to chronic stress and chronic inflammation.
While the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete are equally effective with respect to stressors across the external pathway, there are additional considerations as well. A particularly important example relates to our diet. Our dietary intake can strongly influence chronic inflammation. This occurs in particular in response to high carbohydrate diets, in particular with refined sugars, and consumption of highly processed foods. The impact within our G.I. tract is such that chronic inflammation develops directly in response to the breakdown of these types of foods. Furthermore, there is a direct impact on blood glucose levels which increase and can remain elevated with these types of diets. This leads to insulin resistance and can also be associated ultimately with development of mitochondrial dysfunction. These two effects directly contribute to disordered metabolism, thereby impacting chronic inflammation and chronic stress.
In order to ideally manage the inevitable stressors and cues we will encounter across the internal, external, and relational pathways it is important to have an actionable framework. As discussed above the mind-based and body-based skills, strategies, and tactics within the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete provide such a paradigm. By developing and implementing the various skills, strategies, and tactics there is a direct ability to better manage cues and stressors across each of the three pathways. In addition by adjusting our diet, such that we reduce intake of refined sugars, increase fiber and fermented food consumption, and avoid to the greatest extent possible highly processed foods, we further are able to reduce our potential exposure to chronic stress and chronic inflammation. Exercise has also been discussed in past articles as an important strategy within this framework. While the specific details of an exercise regimen are individual specific and should be developed in conjunction with appropriate professionals, a regular exercise routine incorporating aerobic training, resistance training, and high intensity interval training is optimal. Furthermore, physical activity can be used as an effective body-based tactic to shift away from protective and defensive states and back towards anchored and grounded states.
The above framework can directly lead to benefits in the reduction of chronic stress and chronic inflammation. By implementing these strategies and tactics, there will be reduced sympathetic nervous system activation. As a result, cortisol levels will be reduced. This leads to a decreased likelihood of developing insulin resistance. At the cellular level, these strategies and tactics lead to improved mitochondrial function, directly and indirectly. Through strengthening anchored and grounded states there is direct impact to improve mitochondrial function. Furthermore, by implementing the strategies and tactics described above the reduction in chronic stress and chronic inflammation will alleviate further stressors on the mitochondria, thereby improving their function.
Across all domains of life it is unavoidable that we will be exposed to potential stressors across the internal, external, and relational pathways. Without adequately developing mind-based and body-based skills, strategies, and tactics such exposure will inevitably lead to sympathetic nervous system activation and, depending on the duration, chronic stress and chronic inflammation. By developing and implementing the above described strategies and tactics, we are better able to manage the inevitable stressors we encounter. This will lead to reduced likelihood of chronic stress, chronic inflammation, and disordered metabolism. Ultimately this allows us to pursue health and wellbeing and, where desired, pursue sustainable high performance.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.