I came across the incredible work of Dr Lissa Rankin a little while back and I just can’t get enough of her 🙂
Her book is called Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself
Lissa provides such an enlightening view of a very whole health approach and what happens to us when we are stressed and how we can provide the relaxation antidote.
She discusses the terms The Stress Response (first named by Walter Cannon at Harvard) and The Relaxation Response (from Doctor Herbert Benson).
The point is, Lissa explains clearly how The Stress Response invites the fight or flight response and we feel associated physical symptoms like our heart rate and blood pressure going up and blood flowing to the large muscle groups so we can run for our life 🙂 Unfortunately, this response is stimulated far too often in our everyday lives and so we find ourselves releasing far too much of the hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, which can in turn fatigue the adrenals and cause a host of ongoing issues.
We would much rather be in The Relaxation Response where Lissa explains that we release hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, nitric oxide and endorphins; all amazing hormones that help the body to heal.
We really need to spend time in that relaxation response as much as we can, and get out of that stress response. And so, it is really up to us to choose the kind of life that will promote the Relaxation Response and to do the things that we enjoy and that calm us down.
Lissa makes the point that when are in the stress response we are in our sympathetic nervous system and when we are in the relaxation response we are in our parasympathetic nervous system.
I often use the term “calm your nervous system” to get yourself into the parasympathetic nervous system and the wonderful opportunity to release the hormones mentioned above.
How about a little meditating, getting out in nature, spending more time with your pet, what do you enjoy – do that and do it often!!! And while you’re at it, time to release those unhealthy relationships, bring in the friends who uplift and inspire you, and get working on that new creative venture you’ve always wanted to do.
Lissa’s work is so in alignment with the healing from burnout message and I would highly encourage you to check out her book.
Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself
I Would love to hear what you get out of her message.
Until soon, stay relaxed, get in that relaxation response.
Love Lisa