ON STRESS: GET MORE GUSTO BY INCREASING VITAL RESERVE
It is inevitable that as a human we will be exposed to stress in this lifetime. We could argue that we choose our stress, though this isn’t always the case (especially in the event of emotional stressors). And also, not all stress is considered ‘bad’ stress. We need a little nudge to get us moving sometimes, and our system benefits from eustress (aka ‘normal’ stress). For a lot of us, though, stress has moved from normal to chronic. Or, we are on the back end of a highly stressful period, and we are now sitting in the exhaustion zone. To know whether stress is negatively affecting you, have a read of this post. It’s good to catch it before we get to the exhaustion zone.
It is most interesting to see the relationship between stress and energy. It makes sense that we become de-energised after a period of high stress because it is biologically very busy for the body. As in, we need energy to fuel us during high stress periods, right? We also need to consider that we have been running on cortisol and adrenaline to get us through the days, rather than our actual true energy. When the rug of our neurochemicals is pulled from under us (because we are depleted/stressful period is over), we land in a place where we have nothing left. Exhaustion is real. We also become addicted to running on cortisol and adrenaline because it provides us with a false sense of inner gusto, so we might unknowingly create pressure and tension for ourselves. But eventually, our system does become tired from running on these stress chemicals. Herein we will explore an alternate fuel option for us to use and understand how we can actually be leaking energy, which is contributing to our stressed states. Little tweaks can go a long way for supporting us in life, of what is inevitably going to present with periods of stress. Let’s begin with understanding what our vital reserve is.
VITAL RESERVE
Our vital reserve is our ‘banked’ energy. It’s energy the body has cultivated on its own and not something governed by caffeination, adrenaline or other stimulants. I consider our vital reserve to be a sign of our health. If we are waking up and needing caffeine to wink our eyes open or get us motivated, we have a problem. This is indicating that there is a low level of vital reserve and that we are in fact robbing from Peter to pay Paul in terms of our energy. In other words, external means are driving our cortisol and adrenaline production, pushing us forward on ‘fake’ energy, which, in time, can lead to burnout. This can be the need for deadlines, a high stress environment, or that cup of coffee to get us going.
Banking our vital reserve can help buffer the effects of stress on our system and also reduces the number of stressors our system experiences day-to-day. Thing is, we are constantly leaking energy in ways we probably don’t even realise. Stress itself will naturally dwindle down our vital reserve if we aren’t replenishing well (which, let’s be honest, in high stress states this is a likely situation). Additionally, when we are stressed, we have a greater proclivity to leak energy. We are attracted to what keeps us out of balance. And so round and round we go. High stress → addiction to stress chemicals → greater likelihood to forgo self care → more likely to reach for stimulants → further robbing energy and depleting vital reserve → higher stress etc etc. Because we can’t always change the stress in our life, let’s consider the depletion that is coming from our sensory input, which contributes to lowering our vital reserve.
SENSORY INPUT
Our senses are constantly taking in information. Something one of my yoga teachers said to me once was that we ‘leak energy out of our eyeballs’. A funny comment, but it’s something I’ve come to realise is actually so true. We are listening, looking, smelling, tasting, and feeling all day long. Particularly listening and looking. Sensory input is constantly being received, modulated and interpreted by our system. We wake up, hear kids or put on the radio, listen to a podcast or music, flick on our phone, put the news on, drive to work with a podcast going or music blaring, hang out in front of a screen all day, or with customers barking orders at us, or at our kids competing for our attention. We finish the day driving with a poddy, TV time to finalise the evening and then get into bed to further scroll on our phone. Hello, sensory overload!
You know when you just cannot hear another sound? Like, a kid will scream, or a lawn mower will start next door, or something will come into your sensory awareness and it tips you over the edge? It feels like you are full and cannot take in another thing. Aaaaargh! This is a sign of low vital reserve. We are constantly adapting our responses to environmental sensory stimuli. And it takes its toll!
We might perceive some of these stimuli as useful (podcasts) and enjoyable (tv, music), but that doesn’t deny the fact that they are adding to our stress burden. So, whether we are currently bearing the brunt of stress, or whether we are feeling a-okay, reflecting on where we are at with our vital reserve and sensory input can be useful for seeing where we can bank more energy. More energy helps with stress, and less stress feeds back positively into energy. It’s a bidirectional relationship.
The takeaway is this: Take stock on all the competing sensory stimuli that exist in your day. Are these all necessary? Be reasonable with how much information you can take in each day, especially in relationship to your existing stress levels. How can you reduce sensory inputs (aka energy leaks)? And, how can you replenish vital reserve?
Some ideas for reducing energy leaks:
Drive in silence
Leave your phone at home when you go for a walk
Read a book instead of watch tv (much lower on the visual inputs)
Get good at just closing your eyes for a hot second
Create activities that require quiet with the kids
Set boundaries with social media time limits
SOME IDEAS FOR REPLENISHING VITAL RESERVE:
Have a coffee-free day
5 minutes of sunlight exposure early in the AM, take breaks to go and look at the sky every other hour, watch the sunset
Listen to binaural beats (beta waves) to support focus
Ditch the agenda for a full day, or half a day
Take a month off social media apps
Stop listening to podcasts for a period of time
Spend time out in nature
Just by closing our eyes, we cut out a huge chunk of sensory stimuli. We take in a lot through our eyes (leaking from the eyeballs, remember?). Scrolling through an abundance of visual stimuli on social media is a surefire way to rob us of our vital reserves and send us into deeper states of exhaustion. As is listening to podcasts on repeat—no matter how motivational and educational! How can we switch off our eyes and ears more (essentially)?
So, the relationship between stress and vital reserve (our banked energy)? Huge! The helpful mediator is to see where we are leaking energy and how we can replenish. We can make massive changes by reducing sensory stimuli where possible without majorly changing our circumstances (boss, work overload, kids, breakup, sick parents etc). This way you’ll be banking on some energy that helps move you through the stress with more in the tank. Build on vital reserve to move you through life with more ease and grace. Lean into your resistance here. We are attracted to what keeps us out of balance and so to go against the grain takes some inner gusto.
