Stress Management

Stress. There is no shortage of it these days as we move through our fast-paced lives, and it comes at us from all angles. Stress can be physical, psychologic, or a combination of both. As we all march forward in our hectic, technology fueled world we hope to provide you not only with some insight into helping understand stress, but also on how to manage it.

When unchecked, stress can wreak havoc on us and contribute to many chronic illnesses. But what exactly is stress doing to our bodies?

What is Happening During a Stress Response?

We’ve all heard how stress can affect our bodies in negative ways. We know that stress can increase our blood pressure, increase our blood sugar, weaken our immune system, and disrupt our sleep. Most of us know what it feels like to be stressed out, but let’s break down what is going on inside our bodies during periods of stress.

During times of stress, we activate a very primitive part of our brain called the Amygdala. Some refer to it as the “lizard brain” or “reptilian brain”. Activation of this part of our brain triggers a cascade of physiologic responses that were originally designed to help get us out of potentially dangerous situations. These are driven by something called the sympathetic nervous system.

Imagine for a moment…

Let’s pretend we are one of our primitive ancestors five thousand years ago and we’ve come across a tiger (or a sasquatch for our PNW folks). We are faced with two options: fight or flight. Most people wouldn’t like their odds of fighting a tiger, so the natural instinct is to run away. To aid this process, the body does a few different things very quickly. Cue the Amygdala!

One of the first things that happens is the release of two hormones called Adrenaline and Cortisol. Adrenaline gives us a surge of energy, increases our heart rate, raises our blood pressure, and heightens our anxiety, all of which gears us up for our escape and survival. Our muscles need fuel in order to function properly while we run away, so cortisol stimulates your liver to release a hefty amount of much needed sugar into the blood stream.

Do you think that if there is a tiger chasing you, your body is going to prioritize a healthy immune system? Certainly not. During times of stress our immune system is downregulated by the excess cortisol, as devoting energy to our immune system does not help ensure our immediate survival in those moments.

An ancient brain in modern times:

Historically, these amygdala-fueled mechanisms no doubt helped us escape dangerous situations. Our hyperglycemic, hypertensive, anxious ancestor was well equipped in those moments to sprint away and survive. While helpful back then, most of us don’t encounter predators routinely in our daily lives. So, what are we left with? We are left with all of the same physiologic changes outlined above, but instead of running from a tiger we are forced to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours.

Modern Stressors and Chronic Disease

We now face very different stressors than our ancestors did. Job deadlines, traffic jams, relationships, family disagreements, shift work, finances, and many more everyday things all serve as potent activators of our stress response. Our response to stress is exactly the same as it was 5000 years ago, but instead of saving our lives it is now serving as a driver of chronic and preventable diseases.

In fact, chronic stress is linked to many of the most common conditions we collectively suffer from today. Remember that increase in blood sugar that fueled our ancestor’s muscles to run away? Over time, repeated elevations in blood sugar leave us at very high risk for diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Wondering how common this is? Recent estimates are that nearly 50% of the US population is either prediabetic or diabetic.

How about that spike in blood pressure? High blood pressure is not only the top reason patients go to the doctor but is one of the most influential factors contributing to heart disease and strokes. Nearly half of adults in the United States today have high blood pressure.

Chronic stress also throws off the balance of our neurotransmitters. This leaves us feeling anxious and down, makes it harder to focus, and results in that hard to describe “brain fog” that many of us have.

Trouble sleeping? Chronic stress is highly correlated with insomnia.

We could go on, but we think you get our point. Chronic stress is bad and serves us little purpose in today’s world.

Hope is not lost:

As much as we would like to be able to snap our fingers and make your stress disappear, it seems like we are all stuck with stress in one form or another. That said, we have some potent tools at our disposal to make ourselves a little more resistant to the stressors life throws at us.

So, What Can We Do?

Learn how to recognize our stress:

While things like blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure are easy to measure, there are no reliable ways to objectively measure stress in real time. This is why it is important to frequently check in with ourselves and pay attention to how we are feeling.

Over time, you will learn to recognize your telltale signs that you are experiencing stress. Be very deliberate in how you check in with yourself, as the more details you notice about your physical and mental state, the more easily you will be able to identify stress, and the better equipped you will be to fight back.

Try to identify the cause of your stress:

As simple as this may seem, many times folks are not aware of what is stressing them out. They know they feel stressed, but they can’t quite put their finger on what the cause is. This is where counseling can come into play. If you are dealing with chronic stress, we highly recommend you talk to a licensed counselor or therapist as they are experts at helping you dive into the complex layers of your life.

If you can identify the cause of your stress, this often empowers you to go out and address it.

Take steps to shift yourself out of fight or flight mode:

When “fight or flight” becomes the predominant state you live in, it is vitally important to try and pull yourself back towards balance. This means engaging your “rest and digest” state, otherwise known as your parasympathetic nervous system. This can be a tricky task for a lot of people, but we hope to share with you some of the best tips and tricks we have learned over the years. Buckle up! There is a lot to talk about here.

Tools to Shift us out of Fight or Flight

Below you will read in detail about 8 different tools to help shift your body from a state of chronic stress into a calmer, more relaxed state. Learning to find tools that resonate with you can result in a much improved physical and mental state during those stressful times.

Bonus: By controlling your stress, you are less likely to acquire chronic illnesses as you age.