How I am managing the stress from running a business, raising kids, and training for a half marathon with the help of the Apollo wearable.
To put it simply, life has been a little crazy lately. In late 2022 I decided to start my own pelvic floor physical therapy practice and I am quickly learning that there is a lot that goes into running a business. I have big goals and every day I strive to improve my business so I can help more women receive the help and care that they deserve. To be blunt, it is a lot and I find that having boundaries between work life and home life is pretty challenging.
Speaking of home life, while trying to get my business off the ground and running I’m also doing my best to raise three kids ages five and under. It’s not news to anyone that parenthood is not for the faint of heart. On an average day my mood fluctuates from pure adoration, to frustration, to overwhelm, and back to absolute joy. Phew, motherhood is a trip.
One thing I have been doing that’s just for me is training for a half marathon. I find that challenging myself physically is a way to channel some of my physical and mental stress. And while I chose to sign up for a half marathon, sometimes finding the time to fit in longer runs can be a bit stressful. I want to make sure my body is prepared and ready to run 13.1 miles come race day.
How This Affects My Mental Health
Needless to say, all of this has an impact on my mental health and stress level. Some days I can feel myself sitting with a baseline resting anxiety. My mind is constantly circulating between what I’m currently doing and what needs to be done. I try taking some deep breaths or repeating positive mantras but sometimes the anxiety remains.
I often feel like I’m constantly racing from one thing to the next. Get up, rush to exercise, race to get the kids ready and drop them off at school, run to get to work, and rush back home for the night time routine, and repeat. I know that during times like this my central nervous system fight or flight response is elevated. Falling asleep at night can feel challenging because the “rest and digest” part of my nervous system is having a hard time kicking on.
And I know, I am not alone in these experiences. As a pelvic health physical therapist I work with numerous women and mothers who experience these same things. In fact research has shown that those experiencing pelvic pain or other pelvic floor dysfunctions may have an upregulated central nervous system. There are strong indications that women hold stress and tension within their pelvic floor muscles.
The Central Nervous System and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
I spend a lot of time working with these individuals teaching strategies to down regulate the central nervous system and specifically, the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS controls the body’s automatic functions, like digestion, breathing, reproduction, immunity as well as survival. The ANS works tirelessly to maintain balance in the face of changing conditions within our bodies and the environment. At every moment, the two central branches exert opposing functions on the body: one stimulates action toward survival, while the other calms us down. It is important that people improve their ability to balance these branches and recover from stressors encountered in everyday life.
One way to measure central nervous system regulation is through the measurement of heart rate variability. Heart rate variability (HRV) is how much our heart rate changes over time that can be used to understand how our bodies are recovering from stress throughout the day. HRV is not only our most accurate measure of how recovered we are, it’s also a measure of adaptability, our ability to adapt to changes in our environment and bounce back from things that try to knock us down. An even more straightforward definition is that HRV is a gauge of our well-being.
The Apollo Wearable
Because I experience these feelings too, I can speak from personal experience on what works and what doesn’t. Lately, I’ve been using the Apollo wearable. Apollo is a wellness wearable that actively improves your body’s resilience to stress, so you can relax, sleep, focus, recover, and feel better. It’s like a wearable hug for your nervous system that helps you be a calmer, more mindful version of yourself.
Worn on the wrist, ankle, or as a clip attached to your clothing, the Apollo device works by engaging with your sense of touch, delivering silent, soothing vibrations that help you feel safe and in control. Apollo Neuro’s scientifically validated technology uses silent, soothing touch therapy to rebalance and strengthen your nervous system, helping you go from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest”.
Use the Apollo Neuro app to transition through your day and night, with modes to help you relax, fall asleep, focus, recover, and stay calm and present. Like a workout for your nervous system, consistency is key. The more you use it, the better it works.
You simply choose a desired setting from your app on your phone and the wearable does the rest. Personally, I find the soothing vibrations grounding but not distracting. The Apollo seemed to help keep me in the moment instead of letting my mind wander to stress and anxiety about all the things on my to-do list. While using the Apollo I have found it easier to transition between work life and home life. I also like using it to help settle down at night when trying to fall asleep or when I am finishing up a more intense workout or long distance run. It’s simple to use and can easily be integrated into your day.
How to Get Your Apollo Wearable
Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, the Apollo wearable has been tested in multiple clinical trials and real-world studies, and is proven to improve heart rate variability (HRV), a key biometric of stress resilience. It’s safe, non-invasive, and appropriate for both adults and children.
Over time, your body learns to recover from stress more quickly, so you can relax, sleep better, and find deep, meaningful focus, anytime and anywhere.
Stress is a normal response to being a human. We all have stress. But it’s how you respond to stressors (environmental, physical, psychological or otherwise) that matters. Other helpful ways to manage our autonomic nervous system include diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, meditation, aromatherapy, spending time in nature or massage. The Apollo device works by engaging with your sense of touch through soothing vibrations. It’s easy to integrate into your everyday lie.
I found that consistency is key when using the Apollo and the more I utilized the various settings on the device the better I was able to adapt to stressors whether it was coming down from a quick run or transitioning from work to home life.
Get yours today by heading to their website. After you give it a try I’d love to hear what you think.
What other strategies do you use to manage stress? Leave a comment below!
-Dr. Monica
The hip flexors are the muscles that lie on the front of the hip. They play important roles in both core stability and gait. These muscles help support the low back and hips. The hip flexors connect the low back to the legs and counterbalance muscles that run along your backside. They assist you in taking forward steps. Due to changing postures and core weakness these muscles often become tight and weak during pregnancy. This can lead to pain or compensations made by other muscles. One of the best ways to prevent these changes is to strengthen the hip flexors.
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The core is one area of the body that will inevitably go through significant change before and after pregnancy. A diastasis recti, or separation of the abdominals, happens in most pregnancies. Nevertheless, continuing to strengthen the muscles of the core and work the abdominal muscles and fascia throughout pregnancy’s will keep these tissues healthy and strong. 