How our sense of touch is heightened during times of stress and how we can use it to relieve stress.
Throughout this blog series, we have come acknowledge that ongoing stress is harmful to our bodies, but our bodies are also amazing creations that use perceived harm or fear as a way to trigger a response that heightens our senses in order to utilize them more adequately so we can be safe.
The sensation of touch is no different than our other senses. When we are stressed, our body produces epinephrine and norepinephrine and these hormones cause our hearts to beat faster and push blood into our organs faster. So, it’s no surprise our sense of touch is heightened, being that our skin is our largest organ. Our sense of touch is mediated by mechanosensory neurons that are embedded in our skin and relay signals to the central nervous system. When we are stressed or in a fight, flight or freeze response, these nerves in our skin are so much more alert because of the amount of blood supplied to our nerves.
Our nerves being more alert also help us utilize ways to calm ourselves. Some of the best ways to use touch in order to calm ourselves is by giving a self-massage. You can choose to massage areas that are sore or areas that are you favorite to receive a massage, however, there are areas that are known to relieve stress when massaged or pressed. Rubbing or pressing “pressure points” are known to have great benefits. Massaging wrists in a firm, circular motion will result in calming a racing heart and rubbing or gently tugging on your earlobes will relieve mental and physical stress.
Another way of utilizing our sense of touch to relieve stress is to take a warm bath. The warmth and motion of the water tends to be soothing. Pay attention to the sensations as you move your limbs in the water. Pay attention to whirling when you lift your arm, slide your toes in and out of the water and feel the sensation of the warmth of the water versus the cool of the air, gently move your hand back and forth throughout the water; is there a warm spot or cool spot? Take note and let your body and mind calm down. One of my favorite ways to ensure I calm down is staying the bath as the water drains. I feel the water line slowly going lower and imagine it taking my stress away with it.
Utilizing cool temperatures is a known way to calm down. Make an ice pack and place it on your chest will relieve stress and anxiety. Not only does the cold help but the weight of it also helps the same way a weighted blanket is known to calm us down. Just make sure you have a cloth barrier to prevent any skin damage.
The change is sensation from different materials can also help us calm down and take our minds off of stress. This idea is the reasoning behing sensory tables. Walk thru sand, or go barefoot on the grass. You can use something soft and gently rub it on your arm and then rub something quite rough across your arm after. Simply the change in texture can be a big stress reliever!
There are so many ways to use our sense of touch and feeling in order to calm down. The best way to calm yourself is to have practiced first. Which idea will you practice first?