I’ve heard it many times before, and experienced it myself. Out of seemingly nowhere, there’s a shift; something in the body tightens, the stomach turns, fatigue may set in. The manifestation comes in many varieties, but the impact is shared - discomfort and uncertainty. What just happened? Research demonstrates that our body tracks and stores out-of-the-ordinary, stressful experiences in a different way. 

When we encounter an especially stressful or unsettling event such as a trauma, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis kicks into a higher gear. The HPA axis is where our nervous system and endocrine system meet one another. When stressed, the body releases the chemical cortisol and our body adapts in the way that it believes to serve us best. When this happens repeatedly, or without time for recovery, the body can become backlogged with stress. 

When animals experience a jarring event, they shake. They move this energy and hormone surge around in their body until they are able to dispel it. We, as humans, typically do not utilize this processing tool. We hold, we bury, we move on…but our body doesn’t. It will bring us back to that experience again, like a wound struggling to heal. It may be the same time of year annually, a spot on our body, or a particular smell that is the catalyst for our return and it often catches us off guard. 

So what do we do?

Unlocking and processing these difficult events is the key. Psychotherapy, meditation, yoga, and other physical activities are proven to be effective in releasing emotional stress and healing. 

The next time you have a moment of intense stress, stand up, shake your body around, and then take a deep breath. Check in with how you feel; it may seem silly at first, but I guarantee that things will settle in a new way.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: PWCB will be hosting monthly community events, kicking off next week 11/1 with a walk at Wonderland Lake. Learn more here.

This article was written by Marley Miller, MA, LPCC. Marley is a staff psychotherapist at PWCB and supports parental mental health with a specialty in reproductive and pregnancy related mental health prevention, support and treatment. She also has unique training in wilderness therapy.