To ask how I can make myself/my body more resilient to stress?

[springflorals]

I am quite an anxious person but I find that when life gets a bit more stressful my body gets really rundown and I get physical symptoms that I find can last for months after the stressful situation has dissipated.

Like during a stressful time last year I had a twitching eyelid (which lasted for two months after the stressful time had ended) as well as a random rash develop that my doctor couldn't pinpoint a cause for that I had to go on medication for.

During another stressful period last year I had constant ringing in my eyes which lasted for around 6 weeks after the stress had ended. I also had an acne spot get infected which required antibiotics and then had a boil on my leg (something I have never had before).

Right now I am stressed and I can feel that I am getting a cold, my ears have started ringing and I have a (TMI) boil coming up on my thigh.

Does anyone else experience this or know how to reduce the effects of stress on the body? I feel like I can calm my mind down but cannot do anything to limit these reactions. It is frustrating having, for example, ringing ears or a twitching eyelid last for 1-2 months after the stressful situation has ended.

Do you get enough rest - sleep more than 6 hours a night/have time for yourself/massages/etc?

How much do you look after yourself with your diet/supplements?

B Vitamins
Magnesium
Micro-nutrients
Herbs, spices, etc

@KellyHall I sleep well, at least 8 hours every night.

My diet is quite poor though, in fact recently it has been really poor. I do not take any supplements but probably should, especially vitamin D and B12 as I am a vegetarian.

Have you had you b12 checked? That's can all be symptoms of deficiency. I would suggest meditation daily. Start of with a simple phrase like ''Ham sa'. Breathe in saying 'ham' and out saying 'sa' Giving your brain something to focus on makes meditation much easier. Build up to 10 min per day. It will make a huge difference.

Can only say I know how you feel. Every time I have a stressful period in my life or have to work really hard, I get sick. Usually a bad cold, I have a bad hip that acts up massively, a rash and terrible acne. My hormones go all over the place, my periods are unbearable. It feels like that’s the moment I’m supposed to focus and work but my body lets me down completely.

@Thislittlefinger I haven't had them checked but I am pretty sure I should take supplements as aside from a splash of milk in my coffee and the occasional bit of cheese I don't really consume dairy let alone being a vegetarian. I probably eat an egg once a week, if that.

I had never really linked my poor nutrition with these symptoms because they are always associated with stress, but I guess nutrient deficiencies would make my body more vulnerable to stress.

I also wear high SPF everyday and keep myself covered when in the sun so I must be vitamin D deficient too, it would be a miracle if I wasn't.

@foodandwine89 My periods also get a lot worse too, much more painful and I get cramps for a whole week leading up to my period too. I find it all frustrating because I can tell my mind to calm down by breathing deeper etc but my body just acts of its own accord. Sometimes I don't even realise how stressed I am/have been until I get all these physical symptoms.

If b12 is very low you many need a course of injections to bring you back to normal levels. Also you may need 'intrinsic factor' tested incase you can't actually absorb the b12 in which case supplements wouldn't work. This would also affect your periods.

Download a mindfulness app? Do some restorative yoga?

I've been off these for a year and it's had a huge impact on mental health

The thing that has really helped me is exposure to cold water. It sounds extreme, but there is a growing amount of decent scientific evidence that it can help. I started with a brief cold dip in the bath every day and now make sure I spend at least 10 mins in cold water.

I have a lot more energy, have been able to reduce my antidepressant dose (after many years of dose increases and antidepressant resistance) and I'm so much less anxious.

Give it a google!

Oh, yes - definitely get those supplements down yourself, too.

Exercise- jogging is great- it's really hard to start with and so it's hard to focus on anything but the running so I find it's a good way to take your mind off everything else.... I started couch to 5k three years ago and run twice a week - if for some reason I can't go for a jog I feel my stress levels rising and really miss the feel good endorphins at the end of the run - also good to be out in the open air

NHS advises that everyone should take a vitamin d supplement.

I take multivitamins and iron pill, plus a vitamin d one.

I came on to say B vitamins, and vitamin D, but I see they've been covered. Make sure you cover all the B vits, not just B12 - lots of people aren't clinically deficient but still have symptoms.

Also - have you had your iron levels checked, and your thyroid?

Too much vitamin D can be toxic so be careful!
I had a hair strand test which identified calcium levels that were too high.
This impacted by the high vitamin D vitamins I was taking!
I would advise getting tests before supplementation.
Everyone needs magnesium though and it's a great anti stress supplement.

Sleep, exercise, diet, avoid alcohol and long working hours.

I feel you. Stress gave me IBS which will not go away no matter what I do. I'm not even stressed and I still have it.

Try TRE. Like a reset button for stress. Easy to do. don't know if link will work. David Berceli on YouTube will tell you all about it

I know it sounds wanky, but meditation really helped me. I use guided meditations on the Calm app, but you can do it on your own too. Being able to pause and focus on the breath genuinely stops the physical symptoms of my stress, which I didn't expect. It's really good to do before bed too, to help get a good sleep - I think most of my physical stress issues were caused by poor sleep.

You know the answers - diet, regular exercise, less alcohol, more water. Take care of yourself xx

OP I can totally sympathise. If I get tired and stressed I get some kind of throat infection every single time. I get this hideous brown hairy tongue to go with it, and whatever else I do it doesn't go away until I've had a proper chance to rest. My tonsils get infected, or my wisdom teeth. They take it in turns and sometimes set each other off.

I also sometimes don't even know I'm run down until all this happens.

Totally sucks.

I love watching this when I feel the need to slow myself down....

Breathe in first, then out. It is mesmeric.

Might help someone...

Wow lots of amazing advice here, thank you so much I really appreciate it. I will definitely go to Boots this weekend to get some supplements starting with vitamin D, magnesium and the B vitamins. If anyone has any advice or suggestions of specific brands they recommend I would really appreciate it.

@HavelockVetinari No, the last time I had a blood test was 10 years ago as I thought I was anaemic but I wasn't. My doctor told me at the time you can tell if you're anaemic by seeing if when you pull your undereye area down whether it is pale but mine is red/pink so I think I am fine? I may try supplements and eating healthier and getting more exercise and sunlight and if I still feel the same I will definitely go to my doctor.

In case of trouble absorbing B12, a good supplement that is bioavailable is Jarrows Methylfolate and Methylcolbamin b12. You can get on Amazon. Was a game changer for me.