Stress + The Pandemic: Tips For More Ease During Challenging Times
Stress kills. The World Health Organization determined that stress was the most prominent health epidemic of the century a few years back. Dr. Richard Fulton, Grand Junction local since 1975, agrees. He says stress is having invisible impact during this current pandemic. After decades of researching the effects of stress on the body and how to combat it, he believes it’s more important now than ever before to share his findings.
“Science was fascinating to me as a child and medicine was the perfect vehicle to impact the lives of others directly by contributing to their health and well-being,” Fulton shares.
He discovered that it is impossible to be stressed and relaxed at the same time, so relaxing is a good means to combat stress.
Relaxation that combats stress does so by activating one’s parasympathetic (relax, recover, restore) nervous system that is necessary to balance the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system, according to Fulton.
“The unknowns and uncertainties of the pandemic are certainly stress-provoking. Working remotely, social isolation, homeschooling kids, staying safe and the political chaos are all additional stressors that have not been present in a normal year. Many of these are beyond our control, which is also stress provoking,” he says. “We need to identify those items we can control, direct our focus and attention to those, and accept those we cannot control or change.”
Fulton stresses how temporary this all is, and that the pandemic will be over at some point. “We need to recognize that it will be with us for a protracted period and be proactive about those items under our control in the meantime,” he emphasizes.
He says the first priority is to stay safe and utilize all of the widely-circulated preventive measures as best as possible, including wearing masks, as is now mandated by law in Colorado. The second priority should be bolstering our immune systems with simple, time-efficient and convenient lifestyle changes.
All it takes is a bit of motivation. “Healthy routines are the keys to a more enjoyable life. We are wired and programmed to thrive better with routines, and we are more effective, productive and gratified by doing so,” he says.
“My hope is that people realize that this period in history is an ideal time to take that step onto the path to being better than their former selves, to improve their overall health and to enjoy life more by doing so,” he exclaims.
Sitting in a mountain forest next to a stream with no external sounds other than the water, the birds and the forest, embracing gratitude — that’s Fulton’s favorite way to relax.
Fulton founded MyRelaxer in 2019 to promote everyday wellness through a device that physically releases stress from users’ bodies in under a minute. He calls the one-minute physiological maneuver “yoga for the brain” and believes it has the potential to address the stress epidemic.
The device is small and portable, and can be used at any time of day. Users place the tip of the MyRelaxer on top of the lower front teeth and gently press downward to stretch their jaw muscles. The idea is to hold and breathe for one minute to let the stress-release magic unfold.
The device engages one’s parasympathetic nervous system (similar to yoga), provides a relaxing stretch to the jaw muscles where a lot of tension is carried, and disengages one momentarily from the stressors of the moment.
While the device is a great way to relieve stress in the moment, improving one’s resilience to stress long-term greatly improves one’s immune system and sense of well-being. Thus, Dr. Fulton infused “The Four Pillars of Wellbeing” into his stress-fighting curriculum, and found that a combination of the device and the wellness protocol leads to positive outcomes.
The four basic foundational pillars are adequate sleep, attitude/gratitude, moving frequently and eating to feel better. He says these foundational components need to be addressed before tackling specific stressors in our lives. And, optimally, they need to be attended to in a convenient manner.
Fulton shares important lifestyle changes inspired by the four pillars in his 21-day Feel Better series. Visit myrelaxer.com to learn more.
Tips for a Positive Attitude
BY DR. RICHARD FULTON
So, how do you implement positive attitude and gratitude into your life easily and in a time-efficient manner without spending any money? Simple. Here are some tips to help you keep your chin up and your smile bright:
When someone asks how you are, simply answer in a positive upbeat mode. Instead of responding, “Okay” or even “Good,” go ahead just blurt out, “Fantastic.” Our actions influence our thoughts and feelings and our behavior actually changes our attitudes. Repeat: Our behavior changes our attitude.
At first, it may feel a bit delusional to respond that positively, especially when stresses keep piling up and the specter of a migraine or other attack looms. However, since there is no downside to this delusion, embrace it. Get into the simple habit of responding “Fantastic” or “Wonderful” and you will migrate towards a positive attitude and all of the positive benefits it has, including reducing the stress that is probably contributing to your anxiety, stressed out feeling, headache or stress-related facial pain.
Practice gratitude. We’ve turned gratitude and thanksgiving into a national holiday, but gratitude is something we should practice more than once a year. “The quality of being thankful, or readiness to show appreciation for and to return the kindness,” is a trait that should penetrate every single day. Research shows that an attitude of gratitude will improve our psychological, physical and social health.
One proven, fail-safe method: Record three to four things you are grateful for in a notebook prior to turning out the lights. Make this a habit, and even flip back through your lists when feeling anxious or stressed. Research shows that those who record gratitude in a journal for two to three weeks are 25 percent happier. That is huge for a minute or two a day. This works! And studies show you will sleep better too!
Get the notebook, get a pencil, put both by your bed, record every evening before lights out.
Even more powerful: Think of one person you are grateful for and list three to four reasons you are grateful for that specific person in your life.
Another method: Always say “Thank You,” at any opportunity you may have whether it be to the grocery store clerk, to a waiter, to your spouse, to your peers and to your boss. Again, make it a habit and you’ll make it a fabric of your being.
Originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM