What stress is
At its core, stress is simply a physiological response designed to help us meet the challenges of survival. For early humans, that consisted mostly of finding food and not becoming food. Today, it’s a little more complicated, and includes paying bills, maintaining a home, going to work, raising children, and more. While we have an easier time finding food today, and most of us are unlikely to ever have to avoid being eaten, our challenges are a bit more persistent and require different strategies. A little bit of stress is actually helpful, as it can help improve motivation and focus. Too much can lead to depression and anxiety, and can even make you sick.
Effects of stress
In dangerous situations, the brain triggers the thyroid and adrenal glands to release certain hormones. These hormones increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and energy, as well as improving the brain’s use of glucose. This helps you focus and improves speed, strength, and reaction time. This is great for emergency situations, such as if your child is about to run into the street, or when another driver cuts you off in traffic. This is great when dealing with an attacker or emergency situation. It’s not as helpful when dealing with a large workload, trying to make ends meet, maintaining a household, and taking care of your family, yet your body responds to these challenges in the same way as when faced with a hungry predator.
Stress hormones essentially send the body into overdrive just long enough to deal with a challenge. But when the challenges are always present, the body stays in a state of overdrive indefinitely. This can lead to weakened immune system, cravings for foods high in fat and sugar, insomnia, inability to relax, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, weight gain, problems with memory and concentration, and even increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
6 Ways to manage stress
Managing your stress can improve your health and prolong your life. There are many strategies to help you do this.
- Avoid stimulants - They may help you focus, but can make you jittery and nervous.
- Exercise - Physical activity helps your body metabolize stress hormones to help you think more clearly.
- Relax - Stress can make it hard to relax, but the more you practice, the easier it will become. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine to help you wind down. Be sure to include things that help you prepare for the next day. This could include reviewing your calendar to be sure you know what to expect for the day ahead or planning what to wear and gathering all items you’ll need in one place so you know you won’t have to look for them.
- Meditate - No one meditation technique works the same for everyone, but there are plenty to choose from. Experiment with a few to see which ones work for you.
- Problem solve - Situations that seem out of control are some of the most stressful. Take some time to develop strategies for resolving these situations. There may be nothing you can actually do about the situation, but perhaps you can find ways to insulate yourself from them so their impact is diminished.
- Express yourself - Talking to a friend can help you vent some of the aggravations, but talking to a professional like the psychologists at Chiropractic and Allied Health can provide you with effective tools to manage your stressful situations. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone, keeping a journal and writing it out can also help.
To get help with stress or any other injuries you might be carrying, call one of our practices now.