Health Spotlight

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Toxic Stress - How to Keep Stress From Ruining Your Day (and Life)

There’s no more delightful way to end the day than a long, lingering massage, soothing the strained muscles that have kept you going for the last 10 or 12 hours. Everyone loves a good massage, and it’s no wonder that babies do, too. The loving touch of a parent’s hands has the power to console a crying baby, resolve the discomfort of colic and gas, strengthen a tiny body and build trusted relationships.

“Infant massage is an ancient tradition in a lot of countries and has been around for as long as parents have been taking care of children,” says JoAnn Lewis, a licensed massage therapist in Ashland who is certified as an infant massage educator by Infant Massage USA. “This is about improving and helping babies to grow well and to feel loved and respected and cared for.”

Cuddling a baby comes naturally to most parents, but infant massage is more thoughtful and planned. “There’s a series of strokes that you learn, that are very specific as to direction, and what parts of the body and how they’re done,” Lewis explains. “Long strokes, for instance, from the ankle to the hip; kneading strokes, more like a hug and glide.”

Smooth strokes, light pressure and gentle manipulation can all help to improve a child’s muscle tone and develop a sense of well-being. And, according to the International Association of Infant Massage, massage helps the infant learn about their muscles and right and left coordination; it also stimulates brain development and sensory awareness.

The best time to massage a baby is when they want to be touched, often right before sleep or when they first wake up—that’s when many infants are most relaxed and receptive. Warm plant oils to smooth the strokes, muted sounds and soft lighting will help keep the parent focused and the baby attentive.

“Everyone benefits from the caring touch,” says Lewis—babies learn about their bodies and parents learn about their babies, with the added bonus of increased relaxation. “When you give a massage, you have to be pretty relaxed to do it, you have to put yourself into a frame of mind.”

The exercise can also help new parents gain confidence in handling their child while learning the cues that babies use to communicate—facial expressions, body language and small sounds.

When babies come to expect patterns and behaviors that make them feel safe—such as massage—the loving bond of touch and trust is fortified. And when parents come to understand the deep language of touch, says Lewis, “they understand their baby better.”

Learning More about Infant Massage

When searching for a health professional who provides instruction in infant massage, look for a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) licensed by the State of Oregon. Also keep an eye out for further certification and training in infant massage to be sure you’ll be learning from qualified practitioners.

Two organizations offering certification in infant massage include Infant Massage USA, the United States Chapter of the International Association of Infant Massage (www.InfantMassageUSA.org) and Loving Touch (www.LovingTouch.com), headquartered in Portland, Oregon. These organizations maintain rosters of certified trainers.

JoAnn Lewis, LMT, CEIM teaches infant massage classes at Ashland Community Hospital to parents of babies under one year old. Contact the hospital at 541-201-4210 to find out when the next 10-week series is offered; classes are $50 and scholarships are available. Some hospitals also include infant massage as part of their parenting programs. c

The body has built-in stress regulator glands that produce hormones/chemicals that help your body react quickly when you find yourself in danger. These trusty little stress hormones, produced by the adrenal glands, are called cortisol and adrenaline. Their purpose is to pump you up enough to get away from a bad or dangerous situation. The bad news is…if you are unable to “get away” from the danger, or you find yourself under constant stress, you may be churning out a toxic dump full of stress hormone into your system everyday!

Stressful situations come in all sorts of packages and may include the following: getting up late, rushing from one event to the next, deadlines at work, not getting sleep at night, constant emotional burdens, anger producing situations, an alarming diagnosis from your medical provider for you or a family member, your husband skipping town, or just trying to get through a day that’s filled with too many things to do and not enough time to do them.

Stress hormones released into your system in noxious amounts create a rather unique physical presentation. The body just seems to go into a supercharged state: heart rate elevates, pupils dilate, blood rushes to large organs and away from the gut, blood pressure rises and sweating occurs. You are ready for action. If stress hormones continue their production, you will eventually find yourself with a rundown system. Over time, the body immune system becomes faulty, memory and concentration go out the window, emotional stability is shot, and the body begins accelerated aging and stores fat around the middle like no tomorrow! Yes, stress can do that and more!

So with all of that said, let us talk about what to do to prevent stress hormone overload.

We know that it is not possible to avoid stress, but we can gain power over it by changing how we react to it physically and emotionally. I do believe that there may be a few things we can do to reduce stress around us everyday! Below are suggestions for how to get a handle on stress and calm your body gradually.

1. Stop saying you are stressed out. Instead, tell yourself that you are “in control,” “feeling good,” “loving life” and “in the game.”
2. Start everyday with a healthy balanced breakfast, including things like eggs and oatmeal, a healthy protein smoothie or high fiber/protein cereal (low sugar).
3. Eat every three to four hours if you are “stressed.” Save yourself from a blood sugar crash!
4. Have your stress hormone levels checked; the level that you may be releasing could be problematic for your health!
5. Breathe! Take a deep breath in to the count of six, hold it for the count of three and release it slowly to the count of six. Try this at least 10 times every day. You can do this anywhere!
6. Chill pills: Try the STRESS BOX (www.balancedocs.com). This box is a "stress kit" that includes a book on stress; a CD for relaxation, calmness and focus; and a supplement to increase daytime energy and a supplement to take at night to turn your brain off and sleep deep! This is all about resetting your cortisol rhythm so that you can physically-mentally-emotionally handle stress better!
7. Sleep like a baby. You need more sleep when you are under increased stress, so that means at least eight hours per night.
8. Get yourself relaxed in the evening with a hot bath, massage, lavender oil and a cup of chamomile tea.
9. Stop worrying. It will kill you and it does not help you one bit!

Stay on your wellness journey—I promise it will be worth the ride!

SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE

Health Spotlight