How to Reduce Stress in a Crisis

As we step into the coming weeks with such uncertainty and change ahead, we are reflecting on what it means to adapt and be resilient on all levels.

Our immune system is the ultimate example of how our bodies are constantly regulating and responding to various levels of threat and environmental changes. Our movement reflects the beautiful interplay of adapting and engaging with the environment as it shifts and requires us to adapt—in order to engage with the world, we must mold and move our bodies in the present moment to accomplish the task at hand.

The brain is plastic, it can change rapidly, and in these times of dramatic shift and change, a massive reorganizing and re-networking is occurring within your brain. This can be stressful and exhausting. Especially if those new networks are organized around fear and survival. Unfortunately, the nature of this pandemic and the stressors you are experiencing will drive your brain into less resilient and unhealthy patterns unless you interrupt the cycle and take time to pause. Care for yourself. Intend on peace and growth. Be mindful of your thoughts. Allow some fear and be fully present to your vulnerability, but do not let it harden or limit your flexibility. In times like this, those that are most flexible and adaptable will be able to change the world and evolve within their own bodies. Let your inner world be a reflection and vessel of the growth and resilience you wish to see in the outer world.

Here are some simple ways to support the resilience of your inner world and reduce stress during this time:

Meditate- Practicing mindfulness during a time like this is vital. Silence and stillness are necessary to process and integrate and find ways to thrive during times like this.

Say NO to sugar – Eating foods filled with processed and added sugars suppresses your immune system.

Get enough sleep – When you don’t get enough sleep, your body is more prone to illness because your immune system then suffers.

Try to reduce stress, and stay calm – You can ask yourself the following each day:

1. What am I grateful for today?

2. Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?

3. What expectations of “normal” am I letting go of today?

4. How am I getting outside today?

5. How am I moving my body today?

6. What beauty am I either creating, cultivating or inviting today?

Eat nutritious and immune-boosting foods – Fresh herbs, garlic, lemons, vegetables, and bone broth are essential to giving your gut and cells the nutrients they need to keep your immune system thriving. 70% of your immunity originates in your gut, so you really want to care for it now!

Take your supplements – When your body is defending itself, it can run through vitamins and nutrients more quickly, so be sure you are compensating for this by being diligent with your supplement intake. Here are some great ones to help boost your immunity.

Most of these can be found in a high-quality multivitamin, so chances are you may have many of them on hand already:

• Selenium

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Magnesium

• Vitamin A

• B complex vitamins

• Vitamin E

• Oregano Oil – 1-2 drops added to water or olive oil in a capsule

• Zinc

Increase your hydration – Getting enough water should be a priority all the time, but especially when you are trying to keep sickness at bay. Adequate hydration helps your body circulate nutrients to your cells and clear out the junk that accumulates. Bump your hydration up a notch by adding a drop of lemon for some antioxidant support for your liver and immunity. Add ginger for your immunity.

 Support your gut with probiotics – Probiotics help your immune system fight from the gut! Your microbiome health is crucial to keeping the rest of your body healthy, so supporting a balanced digestive system is super important when you face sickness. 

Move your body – This will help your lymphatic system drain and keep your blood transporting nutrients where they need to go. For example, try free, at-home yoga or Feldenkrais Lessons. We have a few wonderful lessons on our YouTube Channel.

This is the ideal time to encourage family, friends and colleagues to focus on building a strong immune system through exercise, healthy nutrition, stress reduction, and smoking cessation. Remember, fear only creates stress, which further compromises our immunity. So take this time to learn all that you can to help yourself and your family stay safe and healthy.

This content was adapted from this wonderful blog, we are grateful to share their information and connect you to their website: MegBusiness

Update: Telehealth and E-Visit Sessions now offered to Support You During this Time

We want to extend our warmest thoughts and prayers that you and your loved ones are well and safe as we all navigate the unknown of this Coronavirus health crisis together.

As of 3/16/2020, we paused face-to-face visits and classes at the Wellness Station in order to best protect clients and staff from potential exposure. The situation is dynamic and there is no way to predict the future, but at this point we can say for sure that we will be closed through the end of March. We will keep you updated as our plans change.

We recommend taking a look at the CDC information about Corona virus if you have not yet.

We are dedicated to doing what we can to continue to support your healing and wellness during this stressful time of upheaval. Although we are not physically in the office, we are remotely retrieving telephone messages and emails.
 

We'd like to offer you all some resources in these trying times to assist in bringing your nervous system to a state of balance and greater calm. 
 

Listen to Paul's audio Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson- Comforting Me.

If you click the Video Link above, you will find Feldenkrais inspired movement lessons  that you may find helpful for reducing pain and anxiety.  We recommend starting with Calming the Nervous System.

We are currently planning to begin offering telehealth or e-visits to our clients starting Monday, March 23rd. This is a new process for the Wellness Station, and like many small businesses moving to this resource to better serve clients during this health crisis, we are moving quickly to implement this service.

While nothing can replace in-person visits, and we regret the temporary suspension of these services, we recognize that telehealth offers many benefits.

Telehealth sessions will provide an opportunity for you to check in with your clinician, review prior lessons and address any questions you may have.  As well, you can discuss new variations or progressions of your home routine so that you may continue to learn and grow. The goal will be to provide you with the necessary support and guidance through the next few weeks so that you can improve your resilience to stress and take advantage of your time at home as a period of self-care and healing.

Because telehealth is a developing landscape and there is a learning curve involved, it is not yet possible to give you the full picture of how insurance will be reimbursing for telehealth. Right now Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, and some private insurance companies, are changing their rules for reimbursement and details are still emerging. If feasible and practical, we will offer telehealth covered by Medicare and some insurance plans. Right now, because everything is evolving so rapidly, it has been impossible to connect with insurance companies. 

As a consequence, initially we are offering telehealth as a cash self-pay service only. 

When we have certainty about insurance, which should be within a matter of days, we will promptly share that information.

Telehealth sessions are available through the Wellness Station‘s HIPPA compliant client portal.  You must be set up in the Wellness Station client portal to do telehealth sessions!  If you have not already set up an account, please email us at info@thewellnessstation.co and we will send you a link to do so.

Here is a helpful link about using the portal.

Once you have the client portal set up, you will be able to schedule your telehealth appointments online.  As well, you can contact your provider via message through the portal, which is the best way to be in touch. The process is quite simple and straightforward.

CURRENT WELLNESS STATION TELEHEALTH SESSIONS
WITH PAUL MCANDREW AND CAITLIN SCHMITT

Start date:  Monday March 23rd

Sessions are 45 minutes
Cost is $70 per session

Package Deal: 3 sessions (with single practitioner) for $190

Paul’s telehealth hours: 10am-2pm, Mondays & Thursdays

Caitlin's telehealth hours: 10am-2pm, Monday - Friday
 

For patients that are already signed up for the Client Portal:

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE NOW

If you are interested in telehealth sessions, but do not have a client portal login, email us at: INFO@THEWELLNESSSTATION.CO and we will respond with the info you need to set up an account.

We hope you understand that because we are a very small health service business, this crisis creates tremendous challenges for us. We must keep our administrative costs to a minimum during this time when our business is paused. We can send you very explicit guidance for setting up your telehealth appointments, and we can answer questions, but we cannot book telehealth sessions for you.

Take care and be kind, reach out in ways you can, support your local community, and be sure to give your energy and resources available to healthcare providers and those that are vulnerable if you are able.

The Craniosacral Approach: Making The Most of Your Sessions

During the Session

• Invite yourself to be aware, present, and kind with yourself  and your body’s sensations.

• Express your needs very directly with your practitioner. Your sessions are a place to practice advocating for your body whether it be changing position, running to the restroom, getting a blanket,  or having a sip of water. 

• Communicate openly about sensations that capture your attention or seem novel. If there is any discomfort, please let your practitioner know; this can support guiding the session optimally.

• Understand that your body is an active participant guiding the session. The practitioner is there to listen and deeply support your central nervous system and all the structures that protect and nourish it, so the work truly is guided and processed by you. 

• When appropriate, your practitioner will integrate movement, dialogue, and mindfulness techniques. These are particularly vital for integrating your body’s changes into your brain for longer lasting benefit. A little playfulness and being open to these creative approaches will help your brain and body open to deeper and more meaningful changes!

• Build trust your body.

After the Session

• Be aware that your nervous system will continue processing and integrating your session for about 2 days. You will likely feel peaceful and desire a restful night. You may need some alone time. Stimulation, such as loud environments or harsh lights, may seem more bothersome. Just be aware that this is normal and part of the process. If you can make yourself more comfortable or remove some of this stimulation it may help you better integrate the work.

• Drink more water following your session. Fascia (the connective tissue throughout your body) and your central nervous system heal better when they are well hydrated and nourished.

• Prioritize self care (whatever that means to you!) before and after each session in order to support your body’s natural ability to heal and restore balance. Often, people will take a half day at work or come on a day off in order to support this process. 

• Be mindful of your self talk and beliefs about your body after a session. These thoughts can support your wellbeing if you are intentionally compassionate and positive. If you are hard on yourself and negative, you may reduce the benefit and integration of the releases from your session.

• Occasionally, you may experience a headache or a new discomfort in another part of your body. This is very normal when you first receive treatments, it can be part of the process of healing and reducing tension. Don’t be alarmed or worry. Discuss this with your provider.