The “father of stress”, endocrinologist Hans Selye, said stress is “the non-specific response of the body to any demand”. Simply put stress is a person’s reaction to various experiences and events of everyday life. Your stress response was needed for survival long ago when we needed to run away from a predator like a lion or tiger. Unfortunately, in the modern world today so many live in a constant state of stress with little to no relief. This has contributed to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, like using alcohol or scrolling on your phone, to numb the stressors in your life which causes an increased risk of disease. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association in 2017, 80% of Americans reported experiencing at least one symptom of stress over the past month.
Types of Stress
Eustress vs. Distress
Most people view stress as a negative, which it is when it’s in a constant state. But stress can hinder or help you depending on your perception. Eustress is a positive stress. It is the right amount of stimulation and discomfort. For example, running a 5K. There are feelings of excitement and fulfillment. It is beneficial and lasts for a short period of time. Then there is the negative stress, distress. Distress can be short or long term. It is outside of your coping ability which can lead to you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
External & Internal Stressors
You also have external and internal stressors that cause stress and take your body out of homeostasis. Internal stressors are based on past stories and experiences where you have perceived to not be in control. These past stories and experiences create your belief system and your perceptions which contribute to you worrying. On the other hand, external stressors include things like your physical environment, physical pain or injury, finances, relationships, major life changes, professional and household commitments.
Acute & Chronic
There are two types of stress. Acute stress is what was described above for your survival and safety. This lasts for short periods of time and has no long-term health consequences. This eustress can even improve performance and improve resilience. Chronic stress lasts for extended periods of time. And, as previously mentioned, is what most people live in with our fast-paced, highly stimulated life.
How Stress Affects You
Effects of Acute Stress Include an Increase In:
- heart rate
- blood pressure due to adrenaline
- respiration to get more oxygen to the lungs
- muscular tension
- blood flow to the heart and skeletal muscles
- senses and alertness
- immune system releases pro-inflammatory cytokines to fight infection
Effects of Chronic Stress Include:
- altered emotions due to decrease in serotonin
- reproductive problems due to increased cortisol or decreased testosterone
- increase risk of osteoporosis due increase cortisol
- increased insulin resistance due to increased cortisol
- increased cortisol causes weight gain because you crave carbs and your appetite increases
- gastrointestinal issues change your microbiome which can cause ulcers, IBS, bloat, cramps, etc
- inflammation due to release of proinflammatory cytokines from immune cells is inhibited
How Stress Impacts Your Body
When there is a perceived threat, your amygdala signals the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus signals the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to trigger your fight or flight response which overrides the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). If the stressor is still thought of as a threat, then the hypothalamus sends hormones to the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the bloodstream. ACTH goes to the adrenal cortex to release cortisol. Cortisol regulates glucose so your muscles and brain are ready to respond to the stressor. But when you are stressed for a prolonged period, the stress response continues causing the body to continue to release a slow drip of chemicals. This is what causes problems and creates an increased risk for disease and premature mortality.
Other Impacts of Stress
There are several other things that get impacted by stress. Stress can also lead to lack of sleep due to an increase in cortisol levels. The increase causes shortened and disrupted sleep cycles.
Stress can lead to you craving and eating energy dense foods that are processed and high in fat and/or sugar to get that quick boost of energy. It can also lead to a decrease in motivation to eat properly and exercise which can lead to weight gain.
Some people turn to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco when they feel stressed. These things lead to feelings of overwhelm and less control which can create a cycle of use to mask these feelings.
How to Manage Your Stress
1. Change your mindset regarding your stress.
View the stressor as a challenge which will change your body’s physiological response.
2. Be mindful.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction, defines mindfulness as ““paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Being mindful asks for you to be fully present in each moment to what is happening around you and within you. Mindfulness triggers the relaxation response which can help with hypertension, anxiety, IBS and cancer. Two common aspects of things that get the relaxation response are to use repetition (word, prayer, repetitive movement) and passive regard for thoughts as they arise.
3. Use your breath to regulate your nervous system.
The vagus nerve is the main part of the PSNS. It runs from the base of the brain and travels down the spine through the neck, chest, and abdomen. The vagus nerve communicates with the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle the moves up and down as you inhale and exhale. By regulating the motion of the diaphragm and lungs, we can control the vagus nerve and the PSNS. The vagus nerve also sends signals between the gut and the brain (digestion and gut instinct) and sends an anti-inflammatory signal to other parts of the body.
4. Meditate.
Meditation not only helps to decrease your mind chatter, but it also helps to elicit your PSNS, or the rest and digest part of your nervous system. It decreases your oxygen intake by 16-18%, decreases your heart rate by 25%, and lowers your blood pressure. Your meditation practice allows your body to enter a deep state of rest which increases your alertness. With meditation, you can increase your well-being and inner peace.
5. Journal.
A study that focused on Positive Affect Journaling (PAJ), emotion focused self-regulation intervention, used expressive writing as a tool for patients. The study found 40% of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder who wrote about their deepest thoughts and feelings related to an emotional event had significant reductions in depression immediately after writing and over 1 month after. The conclusion of the study showed PAJ:
- Improved psychological well-being among patients with mild to moderate anxiety.
- Associated with higher perceived resilience.
- Associated with better mental health, including anxiety, mental distress, and perceived stress after only 1 month of PAJ.
Sometimes just allowing yourself to acknowledge the feeling by writing it down provides relief. It helps to relieve overwhelming and repetitive thoughts.
6. Move your body.
Exercise increases blood circulation to the brain which affects the limbic system and hippocampus which control your motivation and mood. Endorphins are released. They block pain and increase the sensation of pleasure in the body. Endocannabinoids, a group of transmitters that work with the endorphins, give you a feeling of euphoria that can occur after a hard workout. Some call this the “runner’s high”.
Exercise reduces levels of stress related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. In a 2015 study, a sample of highly trained, sedentary young men found that those who completed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise were much more resilient to acute stressors than those who did not exercise. Yoga elevates a chemical in your brain called gamma-aminobutryic acid (GABA). GABA is a neurotransmitter and known for producing a calming effect. Yoga reduces activity in the limbic system which deals with emotions. This helps improve emotional reactivity in stress related scenarios.
Finally…
Stress can either help you or hinder you. Whatever current state of stress you may be living in at this present moment, I hope you have a better understanding of how it can create short- and long-term effects on your mind, body, and spirit. Practice some of the ways you can elevate or lower your stress levels mentioned above to improve your health.
Much love and health,
Carrie
Resources:
Preiato, Daniel. “Exercise and the Brain: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise”. Healthline, January 31, 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/exercise
Sharma MD, Ashish; Madaan MD, Vishal; Petty MD, PhD, Frederick. “Exercise for Mental Health.” National Library of Medicine, PMC PubMed Central, 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/
Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN. Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2018 Dec 10;5(4):e11290. doi: 10.2196/11290. PMID: 30530460; PMCID: PMC6305886.
Rama, Swami; Ballantine MD, Rudolph; Hymes MD, Alan. Science of Breath. Honesdale, Himalayan Institute, 1996.
Leal, Kristin. Meta Anatomy: Anatomy of a Yogi. USA, 2014.
Judith Ph.D., Anodea. Wheels of Life: The classic guide to the chakra system. Woodbury, MN, Llewllyn Worldwide.