Taming Chronic Stress with Micro-wins

It is essential for kids to learn about chronic stress in their early years. Unfortunately, this low vibration of stress creeps into childhood and intentionally addressing it can possibly keep it at bay as long as possible. Let me be clear, when I talk about stress, I am not talking about discomfort or growing pains. I am talking about all the input that comes from everywhere at all times asking for kids to meet a certain standard. When each task is complete, there is another task waiting in the wings. I believe that young students never get a true break and a real experience to recharge, be quiet, be creative, not have something lingering in their to-do list of the mind. 

As much as we can change the external and try to delay this pressure, but it seems to be here to stay. Micro-wins, simple joys, nourishing your nervous system, and planning really well are the  answer and the antidote to this chronic stress wave that is waiting to ramp up. 

Micro-wins and simple joys

Why this works:

Training your brain to recognize positive experiences strengthens the pathways associated with joy and well being. Over time, this rewiring reduces anxiety and fosters emotional resilience. Science shows that acknowledging these wins, even for just a few seconds, strengthens the positive neural pathways in your brain. It's like creating tiny happiness shortcuts that become more automatic over time

Systems to remind us:

Nightly mantra: What is in my pile of good? 

Good things happen all the time- make a list in the notes section of your phone

Schedule in time to stand outside and see pretty things

Try to compliment someone each day. Being kind boosts serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters in the brain that give you feelings of satisfaction and well-being and cause the pleasure/reward centers in your brain to light up. 

Documenting the moments: For me… Mootsh, Dear Ruby, Dear Hux, Happy moment jar

Nourishing the Nervous System

Cortisol helps your body respond to stress by increasing glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream, providing more energy for a "fight or flight" response. It also helps to suppress functions that are not immediately needed in a stressful situation, like digestion and reproduction. It's often referred to as the "stress hormone" because its levels increase in response to stress.

Cortisol is a special chemical in your body that helps you deal with stressful situations, like when you're nervous before a big test or if you trip and fall. It's like your body’s superhero that gets you ready to act quickly when you need to. When something stressful happens, cortisol gives you more energy to deal with it.

For example, if you're running away from a scary animal in a story, cortisol helps you run faster. But after everything is calm again, your body stops making so much cortisol so you can relax and feel better.

But if your body makes too much cortisol all the time, like if you’re always worried or stressed, it can make you feel tired or upset. It can even make it harder to sleep or stay healthy. So, it’s important to give your body time to rest and feel calm so it can balance out the cortisol and keep you feeling good.

Everyone needs daily physical habits of emotional resilience. 

For me….

Supplements, Meditation and mindfulness, Physical activity breaks up built up tension, Journaling, Nutrition, Sleep, Prana mat, Green juice, Hydration, Sunlight

Planning really well

Your brain is a shelf. We all have what is called “working memory.” By definition, it is a cognitive process that allows individuals to temporarily hold and manipulate information in their minds, enabling them to engage in complex tasks like reasoning, language comprehension, and problem-solving. It acts as a mental "workbench" for thoughts and ideas, facilitating the use of information for immediate use. This workbench or shelf, can only hold so much information. A simple example is going to the store without a list. If you need to get ten things, the chances of you remembering those ten things is slim; however, the chances go up if you have a list! You also will be less stressed walking around the store because you don’t have to continuously repeat the list in your head. You have externalized the heavy lifting. Apply this to your weekly tasks. Think about how many things that need to be done in a week. Some of these things are the same every week and some change each week. 

What will be your workbench? Will you have a white board to write everything down? A paper planner? An excel document? 

Once you have it written down, how will you follow through? Setting out your vitamins by your toothbrush? Setting reminders on your phone? Packing food the night before?

And how will you celebrate yourself each week for all that you have done right? Not that you didn’t make mistakes or have everything going perfectly… that you did a lot of things right and you did a lot of good!

Lastly, holding the keys to a calm and mentally healthy life should not be kept from kids. Especially pre-teens and teens need to hear that stress is common, not something they should be ashamed of, and that they have many ways to change/control how it impacts them. Knowledge of how our brain and body react to stress, hormonal changes, and the demands of life is essential for us to understand ourselves and problem solve. As a bonus, if we understand the complexity of the brain beyond the binary black and white of successful or not successful or stressed and not stressed, we are more likely to have patience and empathy for other people and their lived experience. Little drops in the bucket of teaching these skills as essential will hopefully form a wave of change for the next generation and minimize the long lasting harmful effects of a life trapped in a stress bubble.