Stress Is Pervasive and Destructive, But It Can Be Curbed

<p>It seems like every time a health issue comes up, one of the things your doctor tells you to watch is your stress level. It’ll mess up your digestion; raise that blood pressure; impact your immune system; flare up skin problems; supercharge depression and anxiety; tense up muscular pain; and a million more issues besides.</p> <p>None of this is to say the science is nonsense; the connection between stress and health is very real. The problem is that the whole issue can seem somewhat nebulous, like throwaway health advice. But its effects are deadly serious, and solutions should be sought if yours is haywire.</p> <p>Stress is a problem the world over. There’s the acute kind, like getting into a tiff on the road with some less-than-savory character; acute episodic, which means regularly stressful events like work deadlines; and chronic stress, which is pervasive and persistent owing to debilitating life events like trauma, drug abuse, or interpersonal conflict. You may experience one or all types.</p> <p>Stress provokes the body into sparking its fight-or-flight response, no matter whether the perceived threat is real or not. This response floods the body with potent hormones that trigger rapid reactions: blood and oxygen rush to cells, the heart rate amps up, and the mind becomes alert. </p> <figure><img alt="Stress vs. Rest | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/NAlpe7cNAr/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Stress vs Rest. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>This was an excellent survival tool in ages long gone by when predators jumping out of the bush required a quick response to escape. In the modern era, the same response is provoked in non-life-threatening conditions all the time, which can be nightmarish for our health. </p> <p>It all starts with the hypothalamus setting off a chain reaction through the body via the autonomic nervous system. Signals reach the adrenal glands above the kidney, telling them to release adrenaline into the blood.</p> <p>If the stress persists, another hormone called cortisol comes into the situation, which releases more glucose for the brain to consume. As the body focuses on the stress response, other systems become muted, such as reproduction and digestion.</p> <figure><img alt="Stress Causes Psychological Problems | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/RA8xp8t9A9/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Stress Causes Psychological Problems. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>These alarming hormones don’t subside until the stress itself does. If the stress doesn’t go away, your nervous system will continue to elicit physical reactions that promote inflammation and damage cells. </p> <p>That argument in traffic, the acute stress, is fleeting, and your hormones should chill out eventually. Not so with acute episodic or chronic stress, whose hormone flooding persists and contributes to health issues. </p> <p>Inflammation in the cardiovascular system, especially the coronary arteries, is one way in which stress is linked to heart attacks. Stressful working environments, those with high demands and little decision-making power, are associated with a heightened risk of coronary disease. </p> <figure><img alt="Stress Harms the Heart & Blood Vessels | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/rA31B0u4dM/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Stress Harms the Heart & Blood Vessels. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Your stress response may also influence cholesterol levels, and your immune system may be weakened by it, making it more difficult for you to recover from disease.</p> <p>Chronic stress can be brutal on the body, not only through the damage it does to your system but also through the mechanisms people use to cope with it. Binge eating, drinking, smoking, and other bad habits are common short-term antidotes used to counteract it.</p> <h2>Tips for handling stress</h2> <h3>Regular exercise </h3> <p>You might not want to hear it, but exercise is at least part of the solution to myriad health issues, stress not least of all. Exercise lowers blood pressure and stress hormone levels. It improves overall health, boosting your outlook and how you feel. </p> <p>Endorphins (those feel-good chemicals) hit the body after a tough workout, particularly aerobic-based exercise like a run, hike, or a game of tennis. Aerobic exercise helps oxygen to reach cells throughout the body, reducing tension in muscles including your heart.</p> <p>Exercise provides a target for your focus, helping to shift your attention away from the day’s stressful events and into a present state of awareness. It has been described as “meditation in motion” for this reason.</p> <figure><img alt="Stress management | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/koXNlMhEq8/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Beat Stress with Exercise. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>Healthy diet and sleep</h3> <p>And now for the other one you always hear about: healthy food. A clean and balanced diet supports a healthy immune system and repairs damaged cells. It puts you in a better position to deal with stressful events, and certain foods like omega-3 fats (walnuts, flax seed, and fish oil) may help to regulate cortisol levels.</p> <p>“But I’m busy!”, you say. We get it: shopping, prepping, and cooking take time and effort, but with meal planning and batch cooking, you can save time by being organized, allowing you to skip the fast food you use as mid-week filler. This will help to prevent weight gain, something that’s only going to compound your stress.</p> <p>Fruit and vegetables should be the costars of your recipes. Both contain vital vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body. They help to eliminate harmful molecules expressed when your body is under stress.</p> <figure><img alt="Beat Stress with Healthier Foods | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/WdxENwfeq2/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Beat Stress with Healthier Foods. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Getting enough fiber is also important. It makes for a more robust digestive system but also makes you more alert and less vulnerable to perceived stress. Oatmeal, nuts, and beans are all great sources.</p> <p>Caffeine is the vice almost everyone is partial to, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of sleep or mental wellbeing during the day. Too much of the stuff may make you anxious. Taken too late in the day, it may also interfere with sleep, which should be sacrosanct in the pursuit of your Zen self.</p> <figure><img alt="Sleep Helps Control Stress | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/lAWwj4hnAO/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Sleep Helps Control Stress. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>Meditation and deep breathing</h3> <p>Thankfully, we now live in an era where these practices are increasingly backed by evidence and less subject to woo-woo dismissiveness. </p> <p>Have you ever noticed how you breathe when stressed or anxious? It’s fast and shallow, which causes muscles and your heart to seize up. Slow and deep breaths can disarm the tension and calm the mind. Focusing on and controlling each breath allows you to engage your parasympathetic nervous system, the counter to the fight-or-flight one.</p> <figure><img alt="Managing Stress with a 3-minute meditation | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/Kq2mKrCLd5/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Managing Stress With a 3-Minute Meditation. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>Talk therapy</h3> <p>Not all stress comes down to your lifestyle or habits, but how you think and feel as well. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, talking to a licensed mental health professional can do wonders for managing your stress effectively. There may be particular scenarios or behaviors that are empowering your chronic stress, and your therapist can help to identify and handle them.</p> <p>Tying into this is carving out a proper work–life balance and a fulfilling schedule for your week that includes hobbies.</p> <figure><img alt="Beat Stress with Mindful Awareness | Source: TheVisualMD" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/RdaZNXSXql/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Beat Stress with Mindful Awareness. <em>Source: TheVisualMD</em></figcaption> </figure> <h2>More on Stress</h2><ul><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/mr7bqb5czj-chronic-stress" target="_blank">How Chronic Stress Affects Your Health</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/j68bx22izm-stress-management" target="_blank">How to Prevent and Manage Stress</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/jar2zezf4m-wellness-and-stress-reduce-chronic-stress" target="_blank">Reduce Chronic Stress</a></li></ul>