You didn’t hear your alarm and now you can’t make it to your 9 AM video conference call – we’re all familiar with this type of situation, resulting in a little bit of worry. What occurs when our reaction to stress does not settle down? Though a small amount of stress can be a positive thing, it’s not unusual for many to go through life in a near-constant state of tension with their adrenal glands working excessively hard.
Dr. Heidi Hanna, who is the Chief Energy Officer of Synergy Brain Fitness, a senior researcher with the Brain Health Initiative, and a fellow and advisory board member for the American Institute of Stress, commented that the majority of individuals experiencing too much stress and not enough nourishment which puts strain on their bodies and diminishes their capacity to handle pressure in a positive manner, and may cause various mental health and behavioral issues such as depression, stress-related exhaustion, and anxiety.
In essence, stress occurs when a person is being asked to expend more energy than they have the ability to provide at the present moment. Though some stress isn’t detrimental, lugging around difficult feelings, trauma, remorse, and animosity has a ruinous effect on our physical health and wellness, which can lead to grave consequences in the long run.
What is stress?
Your body reacts to any kind of pressure or danger by producing stress. When caution is in the air, whether something intimidating is actually present or only perceived, the body’s protective measures switch on quickly in a phenomenon known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response.”
The body’s reaction to stress is what keeps you safe. When functioning correctly, it aids in maintaining concentration, dynamism, and vigilance. In an urgent circumstance, tension can preserve your life– affording you added power to protect yourself, for instance, or motivating you to step on the brakes sharply to avert a car crash.
Tension may also have some positive features, occasionally referred to as “eustress”. For example, it can motivate you to tackle challenges such as remaining attentive during a demonstration in the workplace, making your focus keen when you are trying a decisive free throw, or pressing you to study for an examination when you would rather be watching the television.
However, although not all stress is bad for you, if it surpasses an established amount, it can become unhelpful and will eventually cause extensive harm. Excessive stress can harm one’s physical and mental health, hampering their ability to get things done, straining interpersonal relationships, and ultimately diminishing the enjoyment of life.
If you usually experience stress and exhaustion, it is time to do something to restore harmony in your nervous system. Be proactive in protecting yourself and enhancing how you think and feel by understanding the indicators of prolonged stress, and employing measures to diminish their detrimental influences.
Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
Acute stress, also known as short-term stress, can have positive effects and be beneficial to one’s wellbeing. This technique can be useful for addressing any circumstance that causes you to experience frustration, fear, rage, or anxietysuch as a risky situation or having to meet a time limit.
Hanna states that acute stress has a surprisingly beneficial effect on the body by increasing heart rate, memory, focus, oxygenation, and providing better immunity. Nevertheless, when a danger remains in place or is perceived as real over a period beyond a half hour or if no action is taken to solve it, the chronic stress response mechanism sets in.
Hanna points out that long-term stress is seen by the brain as a constant burden, making the stress that was at first beneficial now hurtful. She explains that we cannot remain in this heightened state of energy production for considerable periods without taking time to relax and be restored.
How stress works: The body’s fight-or-flight response
When you experience a sense of danger, your nervous system reacts by putting out an abundance of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, in order to ready the body for a crisis situation. The rapid beating of your heart, muscles tensing, a rise in blood pressure, a surge of rapid breaths, and an increased alertness of your senses can all be experienced. The body’s physical adaptations make it so that you can become stronger, last longer, and have quicker reflexes and better concentration, allowing you to either fight back or get away quickly in the face of an imminent threat.
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Signs and symptoms of stress overload
Stress has a tendency to accumulate and catch you off guard. You get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You may not be aware of how severely it is impacting you, even though it is taking a lot out of you. It is essential to recognize the common indications and manifestations of excessive stress.
Cognitive symptoms:
- Memory problems
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor judgment
- Seeing only the negative
- Anxious or racing thoughts
- Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms:
- Depression or general unhappiness
- Anxiety and agitation
- Moodiness, irritability, or anger
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Loneliness and isolation
- Other mental or emotional health problems
Physical symptoms:
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Nausea, dizziness
- Chest pain, rapid heart rate
- Loss of sex drive
- Frequent colds or flu
Behavioral symptoms:
- Eating more or less
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Withdrawing from others
- Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
- Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
- Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
Causes of stress
Stressors are the conditions and pressures that bring about feelings of stress. Generally, stressors are considered a bad occurrence, such as a busy work life or tumultuous relationship. No matter what, any situation that places a great amount of strain on you can be a source for stress. This incorporates joyful experiences such as getting hitched, purchasing a home, attending university, or being given a promotion.
Certainly, not every bit of stress is brought on by outside influences. Stress can be caused by one’s own worrying and negative outlook, like when you overthink scenarios that may or may not take place, or have pessimistic thoughts about life.
The ultimate determinant of one’s level of stress is, in part, based upon how they view the situation. People react to situations differently; while one person might find a certain event distressing, another person may not be affected by it at all, even going so far as to enjoy it. Some of us have a fear of presenting in front of a crowd, while others thrive in the limelight. One individual flourishes under stress and carries out top-notch when working with a tight deadline, while another will collapse when obligations become more intense. Although you may find pleasure in looking after your elderly parents, your brothers and sisters might find the tasks of tending to them very demanding and anxiety-inducing.
Common external causes of stress include:
- Major life changes
- Work or school
- Relationship difficulties
- Financial problems
- Being too busy
- Children and family
Common internal causes of stress include:
- Pessimism
- Inability to accept uncertainty
- Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility
- Negative self-talk
- Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism
- All-or-nothing attitude
Where Can Stress Get Stuck In The Body?
Hanna points out that if stress is left unmanaged, it can lead to physical issues such as tightness in the joints, tension, clogged-up arteries, heightened inflammation, digestive problems, a weakened immune system, and other warning signs.
Chronic stress can manifest itself physically in various parts of the body such as the hips and pelvic floor, shoulders and back, jaw and neck, digestive system, and the immune system. It may be helpful in the near future, but it can be detrimental in the long run by putting a strain on the brain and nervous system, forcing them to alter in potentially hazardous ways. Hanna states that our mental processing ability is impacted when the areas of the brain that assist with things such as problem-solving, reasoning, and working with others become weakened and less effective. At the same time, it also bolsters and overstimulates the areas of the brain that are responsible for fear and negative emotional reactions.
How much stress is too much?
It is essential to be aware of your own threshold for stress due to the wide array of harm it can cause. It varies from individual to individual as to how much tension is excessive. Some individuals manage to stay calm and composed in the midst of difficult times, while others have difficulty dealing with even minor problems or irritations. Some folks revel in the thrill of living a fast-paced and pressure-filled lifestyle.
Factors that influence your stress tolerance level include:
Your support network . Having a broad circle of people who provide comfort and support can act as a great source of protection from stress. If you have dependable people in your life, the stresses of life don’t feel as intense. In contrast, the more socially separated and solitary you are, the more significant the chance of you being overwhelmed by stress.
Your sense of control . If you trust yourself, your power to affect outcomes, and your strength to overcome difficulties, it becomes simpler to face stress without getting overwhelmed. If you adopt a mindset that you have no influence over what happens in your life, stress is probably going to keep you from accomplishing your goals.
Your attitude and outlook . The perspective you take towards life and its struggles can significantly influence your capacity to cope with stress. If you have an optimistic outlook and a positive attitude, you will be less susceptible to harm. Individuals who are able to handle stressful situations often welcome difficulties, possess a keen wit, guarantee a greater purpose exists, and acknowledge alteration as a norm.
Your ability to deal with your emotions . If you lack the capability to relax and quiet your feelings when in a state of grief, hostility, or unrest, you will likely become more frazzled and perturbed. Being able to recognize and manage your feelings can make it easier to handle high stress situations and help you recover more quickly from challenging times.
Your knowledge and preparation . Gaining more knowledge about a nerve-wracking circumstances, such as how long it will go on for and what you should anticipate, can make it simpler for you to deal with it. If you have a realistic expectation of what will take place after a surgical procedure, the pain experienced during the later stages of recovery will be less taxing than if there was anticipation of a fast turnaround.
How Do I Relieve Bodily Stress?
It is imperative for us to keep our minds, bodies, and feelings in good shape that we release tension in order to lead a life of good health. The big question is: if it is stuck, how can we get it unstuck? Fortunately, there are many methods for managing physical stress.
Yoga. Yoga provides a secure space to rid stress, as the postures, deliberate inhalation and moving meditation help to slow down both the blood pressure and heart rate. According to Emma Peel, a well-practiced RYT level 2 yoga education with numerous hours of learning and teaching, it is an opportunity to confront and move through difficult moments without pressuring ourselves.
Exercise. Physical activity is the most frequent method used to combat stress and assist in relaxation. Exercise has the ability to lower the amount of stress hormones in the body, like adrenaline and cortisol, while stimulating the production of endorphins which are generally associated with positive emotion.
Hanna suggests that in order to relax our brains, we need to use techniques that allow us to focus on calming our bodies and nervous systems, such as rhythmic breathing and activities that engage our senses. Research has indicated that when breathing is matched to a rate of five seconds inhaling and five to six seconds exhaling, our parasympathetic nervous system, which brings relaxation, can be activated.
Sensory cues. Using different tools such as aromatherapy, hot baths, kneading, hearing the serene noises of the sea, weighted quilts and light exercise can assist in calming the foundation of the mind and nervous system.
Practice mindfulness . Hanna states that inquiring into our own issues, particularly in turbulent periods, can stimulate the inquisitive elements of our brains. When we take the time to explore and ask questions, the feeling of needing to solve something immediately diminishes, and life becomes an opportunity to grow. Examples of helpful inquiries may be: “What am I thankful for today?” or “How can I assist someone else in a straightforward way today?”
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Restful sleep. A perilous spiral of stress and poor sleeping can lead to even greater stress on one’s body, requiring time for recuperation from upsetting circumstances. It is recommended that people who are adults get a minimum of seven to nine hours of calmed, peaceful sleep on a nightly basis.
Even though the world is attempting to remain apart from one another physically and socially, that doesn’t have to signify that we don’t remain connected on a social level. Hanna comments that studies have revealed that social isolation has a more detrimental effect on our physical health than smoking cigarettes. Mentioning that, utilizing tactics that aid us in feeling linked to other individuals can make us feel more cheerful and therefore, lessen stress.
Hanna shares that finding something or someone that one feels grateful for, plus displaying self compassion and gratitude, sending a heartfelt thank you note, and performing nice deeds for those around can prompt a feeling of appreciation, kindness, and compassion in return, and serve to alleviate the stress experienced.
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