Your Cells Are Overwhelmed
When I think about the idea of being overwhelmed, I begin to feel stressed; yet, for some reason, when I talk about stress with other people, I frequently hear: I’m not stressed. I’m amazed at our ability to isolate and compartmentalize particular circumstances throughout life and then claim: they were stressful; however, as for being stressed on an ongoing basis, the majority seems to believe that they’re not. I find this odd given the current state of our economy, global violence parenting concerns or any other personal matter that comes up on a daily basis. Truth be told, I don’t think these people are lying to me; I really believe they don’t feel stressed. In fact, I suspect many of us have learned to override stress and not give it another thought. Why? It’s too much and things have to get done. We can’t afford to be worried about this or freaked out about that; therefore, we bypass it with a little bit of exercise, deep breathing, and / or massage (which are all excellent choices) or possibly with a book, game or, or , or …. essentially, each of us has our way of self-soothing and stepping away.
Again, these are all excellent choices and for those who choose other forms of relief, no blame or judgment here. I totally understand the need to decompress and even escape. I’ve been there and continue to have those days where getting away feels like the only answer. The interesting thing is stress is cumulative and what’s more, we’re told that taking healthier measures to reduce stress is not only healthy, it’s strongly recommended. Frankly, just a few years ago, I really believed this; that was until I came to understand stress on an entirely new level.
Stress is actually a protection mechanism built into our system and the way to activate it is to disturb the system. Keep in mind, the body cannot distinguish the difference between being chased by a vicious dog or an overdue bill ….. upset is upset which signals stress and alters the chemistry accordingly. Now if all we had was mental, emotional and the occasional physical stress, we’d be much better off; however, that’s not the case. Our world, our technology is taxing the body even further which means taking steps to relax is BIGGER than good; although, not enough. Why? Because the cells are overwhelmed on all fronts and working to survive. Why? For all the reasons I’ve mentioned and more……
Not only are we flooding the body with thoughts, feelings, injury and pollution, we’re adding medications, herbs, oils, supplements, environmental microbes and toxins, food additives, nanotechnology (a.k.a. delivery technology), dyes, artificial flavors, and ….. you get the idea. The more we do, the more the body has to process and even though some of these things are good for us; too much is too much and the body will not use it in the way you’d hoped it would.
A good example for this is alcohol. When consumed, alcohol activates the GABA receptors which is why most people feel super relaxed after a drink and why others pass out once they’ve overindulged. The cell receptors are flooded, so to speak, and the body is heavily dosed. However, after a while, that same individual, although drunk, is wide awake. The reason for this is because even though this person had not been drinking for a while, the alcohol continued to affect the cell receptors; so much so that the body actually deactivated the receptors and abruptly stopped the flow of GABA, resulting in a wakeful state. Now tell me the body isn’t working to keep us safe?!
In all honesty, between the body’s reaction to alcohol and what I’ve uncovered with regards to cellular stress, I’m convinced that our attempts to help the body are actually backfiring. Take a moment and think about what happens when you haven’t prioritized your day and your head is flooded with all that needs to get done. You might also consider: as above so below or the idea that the microcosm is simply a reflection of the macrocosm or vice versa. The point I’m getting at is if our heads can be overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions, the cells can and are being overwhelmed with information in the form of chemicals. So what do we do? It’s time we take the pressure off of the cells and begin to use and take fewer things; or at the very least, slow down on the frequency. In fact, besides medications, there is no need to use everything every day. It’s ok to give the body a break; there’s nothing wrong with allowing the cells to rest and do what they’re designed to do. If you don’t, the body will see to it that it get what it needs. This is why we often get sick after a stressful time. I mean, if the body is turning off the GABA receptors in the presence of too much alcohol, imagine what else it’s deactivating when it comes to everything else we’re consuming. And please know, I realize that the intentions are to care for the body; however, these products contain far more than just the basic vitamins and minerals and even those can trigger problems i.e. too much vitamin C or magnesium equals diarrhea.
Therefore, apply what you know. How do you clear your head of overwhelm? Do you do one thing at a time? Do you prioritize? Whatever your strategy is for clearing the mind and emotions, I invite you to give your cells the same consideration; at the same time, I promise you will be pleased and healthier for it.