This is Your Body on Stress
By Kate Berry, Clinical Social Work Intern
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines stress as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.”
Stress, then, is an experience that affects the way we think and feel. On one hand, stress can be positive and highly motivating, causing us to do what it takes to overcome a challenge. Stress can also be debilitating and negatively impact our lives. It can make us more short-tempered with people in our lives, reduce our capacity to do things that are usually no big deal, mess with our appetites, and can make us want to take the edge off with our favorite vices.
Have you ever been there before? I know I have.
But there is one important thing that a classic definition of stress leaves out: Stress is more than our mood and resulting behavior. It impacts us physiologically as well. While we are getting frustrated with traffic, snapping at our partners, or foregoing making dinner because we’re just done with the day, there’s even more happening beneath the surface.
When we are under stress, our brain’s alarm system is going off, mobilizing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to prepare us to fight, flee, or freeze. The bad news is that this primitive alarm system hasn’t quite caught up to our modern pace of life, meaning that the part of our brain is wired for survival doesn’t care that we aren’t (necessarily) trying to protect ourselves from a cougar - instead of, say, dealing with road rage as a result of tourists who seem to have forgotten how to drive.
From a physical perspective, stress (and the corresponding release of adrenaline, cortisol, and glucose) impacts our bodies in several ways:
Musculoskeletal: muscle tension, headaches, chronic pain
Respiratory: increased heart rate and blood pressure, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chest pain
Gastrointestinal: “butterflies,” cramps, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, loss or gain in appetite
These physiological reactions alert our body that something is wrong. They can help prime us for a response and spring us into action so that we can make the necessary moves to find or create safety. So, yes, while all of these systems are about survival and keeping us safe, there comes a point where too much stress moves from being adaptive to injurious.
So, knowing this, what can we do to take care of our bodies and minds and protect ourselves from stress?
Find a positive physical outlet. Running, walking, skiing, yoga, boxing, dancing, whatever it is that gets your body moving is helpful. According to the Mayo Clinic, “exercise can provide stress relief for your body while imitating effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response, and helping your body and its systems practice working together through those effects.”
Regulate your nervous system. This is another place where physical movement comes in clutch. If movement doesn’t feel like an option, breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, and massage can help down-regulate your body’s physiological responses to stress. (Be sure to check out our previous blog post for the “Mountain Breathing” exercise!)
Set boundaries. Have you ever heard the statement “‘No’ is a complete sentence”? Being mindful about where you give your time and energy is crucial for maintaining your wellness and keeping your stress levels manageable.
Engage in activities you enjoy. Whether you love spending time with friends or family, listening to music, building, cooking, or snuggling with your pets, engaging in activities that bring joy and meaning to your life can help combat the negative effects of stress.
Have a sense of humor. I think Archbishop Desmond Tutu says it best. Humor, “is something that you can cultivate. Like anything else, it is a skill…so learn to laugh at yourself. It’s really the easiest place to begin. It’s about humility. Don’t be so pompous and serious. If you start looking for humor in life, you will find it. You will stop asking, ‘why me?” and start recognizing that life happens to all of us. It makes everything easier, including your ability to accept others and accept all that life will bring.”