Stress Awareness and Frequently Asked Questions - blog from April 1, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions
STRESS AWARENESS

Dr. Kathryn Hightower - Notes from the Clinic

I don’t have to mention the name of the disease that has shut down the world in order to know that every single one of you reading this is stressed out. I will not relay any more dizzying data. Instead, I would like to offer a counterintuitive piece of stress management advice: don’t take deep breaths.

Okay, that’s an oversimplification. I do want you to take deep breaths - just not when you’re already stressed.

The way to start working on your breath is to practice when you are relatively calm already (and to not take “deep” breaths - stay tuned for a future blog about the components of a Functional Breath).

Here’s the gist: The goal of breath work is to increase resiliency in the face of stressors. More resilience means greater ability to absorb a stressful event and bounce back to yourself.

Now, if you only practice when you are already stressed out, your mind is going to associate the practice with stress. That is the exact opposite of what you are trying to do!

I cannot iterate that enough. You must practice when you are relatively calm.

Over time, you will notice yourself recalling the practice when you are NOT calm. All the sense memories from your calm practice will come flooding back to you and contribute to your sense of peace.

So, if you’re supposed to practice when you’re already calm, what if you’re never calm? I know everyone’s already taxed stress levels have been extremely heightened lately. You may feel like you’re never calm - so how can you ever practice? I did not say, “practice when you’re 100% the calmest you’ve ever been.” I said, “practice when you are relatively calm.”

Choose a time of day and a place in which you feel calmer than at other times. For some folks, that might mean first thing in the morning before your day gets started, or in the evening before bed. Regardless of when and where that is, choose that time and place and give it a try.

I recommend starting with 5 minutes per day, because that is doable for most of us. You’ll want to work your way up to 20 minutes twice per day - that amount of time has been shown in the research to confer the most physiological benefit.

Now, I am a biofeedback-trained practitioner and will be making another blog with more details. For now, just know I can individualize your daily practice to fit your particular way of dealing with stress. In the meantime, here is a practice that can confer benefit for most people: box breathing.

Find a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes or unfocus your gaze.

Inhale 4 counts.

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Hold 4 counts.

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Exhale 4 counts.

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Hold 4 counts.

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Repeat for 5 more minutes. End your practice by thanking yourself for taking this time.

Remember to practice when you are relatively calm and remember: we are all in this together.

Frequently Asked Questions 2

Good Information any time - Particularly in regards to COVID-19

What to do about a fever?

Here is an easy-to-read article about the physiology of fever: Fever Article

Fevers are your body’s way of cooking a pathogen to death. A fever is a good thing as long as you stay hydrated and do not "artificially.bake". You are well hydrated if your urination stays up to 6-8/day.

It is a normal immune response, regulated by the hypothalamus in your brain. The hypothalamus is constantly taking your temperature. If it is too low, your body will get signals telling it to shiver, which engages muscles and releases heat. If it is too high, you sweat. The coolest thing (no pun intended) about the hypothalamus is that it can also adjust your ideal body temperature to be higher – it raises the bar, so to speak. The reason you feel the “chills” when you have a fever, is because your hypothalamus has raised the bar – made your current ideal body temperature higher than usual - but your body hasn’t caught up to that new norm yet. You feel colder than usual, even though your temperature hasn’t changed or may even be warmer. Then, as your body works to elevate your temperature, you stop feeling chilled and probably start sweating – again, your body’s way of releasing heat because now you are extra hot!

Certain drugs, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, stop a fever in its tracks by directly stopping fever signals to the hypothalamus. It will take a 2 day fever and make it a 4 day fever. Although fevers are uncomfortable we have many ways to make it more comfortable and therefore assist the body's natural defense mechanism. In fact, even the conventional medical community has begun to accept that fevers are helpful and normal. Fevers up to 101 degrees in an adult are safe and up to 103 degrees in children under 12 years old, we would like you to contact us in this pandemic if your temperature is 99 degrees. Also an important thing to realize is that our temperature is lowest in the morning and one degree higher in the evening, so a temperature of 99 degrees will be 100 at 5 pm. That is NOT an increase in temperature.

The traditional Wet Sock Treatment works with your body to help bring about a fever more quickly, so you can get over it more quickly. It also increases your parasympathetic nervous system – rest, digest, and heal. You can only heal in parasympathetic mode, and this will bring you there. It’s really easy. Warm your feet up in a bath of hot or warm water. Dry them off. Dip a pair of cotton socks in cold water. Wring them out. Put them on your feet. Put a layer of dry wool socks over that. Bundle up and go to bed. I know it initially sounds awful, but trust us: you will love it. It is so relaxing and again, it will help you mount a healthy fever.

Ask your Emerald City physician if you would like other tips for relieving discomfort in fever. And if your fever has gotten over 101, call the on-call phone so we can give you more urgent support.

What is one thing I can do for my immune system?

Our immune system depends on our white blood cells’ ability to respond. To make appropriate white blood cells, you need to stimulate your flat bones (e.g. sternum and hips), where they are made. This requires that you move. 8,000-10,000 steps a day will do that. The immune system also depends on the lymph system. Lymph is like the immune system’s freeways. The lymph system only moves with exercise (your muscles squeeze the lymph pathways, which lack their own muscles), gentle massage, and hydrotherapy (use of hot and cold). Finish your showers with a cold or cool rinse.