ARE THE HOLIDAYS CAUSING A PAIN IN THE NECK?
We often think of the holiday season as a festive time full of joy and celebration. But let's be honest...with all the obligations, late nights, running around, shopping, family dynamics, jam packed schedules, it can be one of the most stressful times of year.
We all know stress can affect our mood. Did you know that it can also cause a very distinct chain reaction in our bodies?
Stress can literally cause a "Pain in the neck."
Holiday stress, or any type of stress, isn’t just in your head. It can trigger physical responses in all sorts of ways. For example, it can alter your posture and cause significant pain.
Why?
The body will automatically react to stress by protecting itself from danger. These physical reactions can lead to postural changes down the road.
Here’s How:
When we are stressed, we naturally curl inward. This is the bodies way of protecting our vital organs. We instinctively round our shoulders forward and tuck in our ribcage. We tend to lean our head forward and grit our teeth. We tilt our pelvis forward to protect our groin area. These are all automatic body responses to stress. There are many more automatic body responses. I’m just calling out a few, specifically in relation to our posture.
Here's the domino effect:
These shifts start to trickle into other areas. Here’s how it works. The change on head position, upper back and pelvis area, will change how our legs function. This can cause our knees to turn toward one another, which then can cause the arches of our feet to collapse.
So, sustaining these protective postural patterns for long periods of time can lead to shifts in our gait, significant muscle tension and even pain.
Here’s what we can do:
Become aware of our posture. If you catch yourself tensing your shoulders, rounding your shoulders forward in a hunching type of position, clenching your jaw, or feel stiffness in your back, remind yourself that it just might be your body trying to protect you.
Notice your posture. Take a deep breath, realign your body and give yourself PERMISSION to relax.
Here’s 2 easy tips to help realign body posture:
1. The Tennis Ball Roll (or Golf ball)
Gently roll the bottom of each foot with a tennis or golf ball. Pause on any sore spots, allowing them to release. Roll each foot daily for 1-2 minutes per day.
Why Do We Want To Do This?
Stress can cause a physical shift on posture, which can cause the feet to collapse inward. This is called overpronating and can cause chronic strain in the arches of the feet. Massaging this area can help reduce foot tension. Reducing tension in this area, will have a positive effect on the rest of the body. Also, the Solar Plexus point in reflexology is located in the center of the foot, just below the ball of the foot. This is linked to the diaphragm and the body’s emotional center. Applying pressure on this point is associated with relaxation and release of emotional tension.
2. Foam Roll The Upper Back
Lay back on the foam roller with your head supported by your hands. Tuck your pelvis to keep a neutral spine. Be mindful not to arch your back while doing this. Roll from the mid back up to the shoulders. Also, be mindful not to hold your breath while doing this. Do this daily for 2-3 minutes.
Why Do We Want To Do This?
The upper back, chest and shoulders hold a lot of tension and stress. Releasing tension in these areas can help reduce headaches, neck pain, and improve posture affected by stress. Chronic suppression of emotions such as anger or shame, can often manifest as a physical sensation of the chest feeling tight. This can restrict breathing and trigger a feeling of being trapped or constricted in this area. The trickle down of this can be the body in a state of continuous anxiety.
So, let's take a moment to observe how we walk and how we stand. Notice how we feel in these positions. Observe our feet, our hips, our neck and our shoulders. What's happening in all of these areas? PAUSE...and ask yourself....IS STRESS affecting my physical body?
This is a great daily practice of self-observation!
Happy Observing!!
Happy Holidays!
