Stress in the flesh

[Deleted User]galaxyyes (deleted user)
in General

First, know that the body keeps the score. Your body is a witness to all you have endured and will change accordingly.

Second, I invite you to treat this thread like a longform survey, where everyone submits a response on how their body holds stress. There will be similarities but everyone is different. Please be kind if reacting to another's post.

Third, address some of these prompts in your reply and/or share your personal thoughts and observations. (Feel free to add your own inquiries for others to consider.)

  • How does stress show up in your body? What behavior do you exhibit that tells you you're stressed?
  • What part of your body needs soothing most or frequently?
  • How do you release stress? What eases it?
  • How has cuddling helped? Or, how do you hope cuddling will help?

Lastly, I'll submit my own response in a separate post. This is just what I was mulling over when I became interested in hearing others' perspectives. Thanks in advance for participating!

Comments

  • _marC_marC

    😒Groans in the bones🦴

  • [Deleted User]galaxyyes (deleted user)

    Stress shows up in my chest and eyes. When anxious or worried, I can feel my chest tighten and I unconsciously hold my breath. Frustration and grief make my eyelids heavy and dims my vision.

    I can tell I'm anxious when I'm talking too much. It's that moment where you ask someone if you are, answer your own question then continue, now to explain yourself. It's the same for writing. My uncertainty dives down rabbit holes; sentences get long. What-ifs pile on and seem to swirl about my chest - it's all I can do to get them out.

    Writing helps, of course. Talking too, though the added pressure of sounding not-insane makes communication challenging. Water seems to do wonders for me. A good long shower clears my head enough to make sense of things that were on overwhelming.

    The few cuddles I've had I have fallen into my being the big spoon or cradling my partner to my chest. Their weight forces me to focus on my breathing and allows me to feel it. Cuddling reduces all the words I want to say into a hum or sigh. I think cuddling asleep would give the best rest ever.

    I hide it well, but I've been stressed ever since losing so much of my life and lifestyle to COVID. I didn't get too sick but I didn't change enough to survive the changes it wrought in my career and family. So stress is ever present, making me look more focused and confident than I generally feel.

  • 4cuddles4cuddles

    Appreciate this post, I'm finally listening to the audio version of the body keeps score!

    Stress shows up mostly in my tummy shoulders and back, I tend to hold my breathe or tense up when stressed without meaning to. I get overly focused on things when stressed, tidy more, tend to sleep less, dream more, eat & worry more.

    Stomach, shoulders and back.

    Starting my day slowly with a hot drink has proven to be a really good, practical mindful practice that calms me. Journally & walking. Walking is low demand, the movement releases pressure on my stomach, releases endorphins. Been out, watching others, seeing greenery also gives me a different perspective etc.

    Cuddling can help, there is something relaxing about being close to someone's heartrate or breathing, helps me to relax. Cuddling also releases feel good hormones. I hope cuddling continues to be relaxing & calming which helps me to sleep better.

  • BearBear

    The behavior, my body exhibits when I get stressed is either I eat or it can trigger my IBS.
    So it's either coming or going.

    I was dealing with a lot after my father passed away last year. That's the first time I connected with a pro cuddler. The cuddling helped a lot. Still does when I can.

  • GuyverGordonGuyverGordon

    The only thing I really notice is that my brain slows to an almost crawl when I get stressed. So outwardly I get real quiet; not because I don't want to say anything but because very little is being actively processed. I can get into a cycle of too stressed to talk, but wanting to talk which produces the stress that further makes it hard to talk.

  • marthmarth

    For me, stress makes my eyes heavy and me want to pull out my hair. On some occassions, old injuries I have an emotional connection to like my left shoulder I tore during kickboxing flares up

  • CaramelNotesCaramelNotes
    edited November 2024

    I need to read the book.... The body def. keeps score.

    How does stress show up in your body? What behavior do you exhibit that tells you you're stressed? - I feel tension in certain body parts. Sometimes I feel tension in my arms or I have a headache. Sometimes I'm holding my breath or sitting up right as opposed to sitting in a relaxed state.

    What part of your body needs soothing most or frequently? - Honestly my mind and heart. Physically, my back but I feel stress a lot in my arms.

    How do you release stress? What eases it? - Talking my self through it. Breathing. Resting. Sometimes going for a walk or getting a massage. Having someone there to process stress with.

    How has cuddling helped? Or, how do you hope cuddling will help? - I hope being held and the physical presence of another person will be calming.

  • Mela_BMela_B

    I get massages a LOT, because when I am stressed out, my back hurts.

  • Janelle19Janelle19

    When I'm stressed, which is probably daily, a nice cuddle is a welcome break from the chaos

  • CuddleClimbCuddleClimb

    My stress is because of my blood pressure.

    Or is my blood pressure the cause of my stress?

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972
    edited November 2024

    I read the title of this thread and thought it was talking about some individual 😂

    I know people who could be described as stress incarnate.

  • AuroradreamAuroradream

    @galaxyyes
    Golly nobody talks about how COVID changed their lifestyle and the anxiety and isolation that remains. I felt that one. In my tummy, that's where my stress shows.

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