Stress is a natural response but becomes harmful when it becomes prolonged and chronic. In this post, registered dietitian nutritionist introduces the nature of the stress response and its effects on our bodies. Delong explains the physical mechanisms involved in the stress response, such as adrenaline, increased heart rate and blood pressure, glucose production, muscle tension, and changes in vision and skin. She highlights that acute and moderate levels of stress can have positive impacts, for example being more alert, focused, and resilient. However, chronic stress, which is often experienced in modern-day life due to various stressors like work, family, and financial pressures, can lead to negative physical and mental health effects.
73% of people experience stress that impacts their mental health. - The American Institute of Stress
The American Institute of Stress states that about a third of people feel extreme stress, 73% of people experience stress that impacts their mental health, and even more people experience stress that impacts their physical health. Chronic stress disrupts our nervous system balance, which can manifest in various ways in our everyday lives, impacting both our physical and mental well-being.
Some common physical symptoms of chronic stress include:
- Fatigue
- Low energy
- Difficulties falling asleep at night
- Muscle tension and tightness
- Digestive issues
- Skin problems
- Headaches
- Vision issues
- Shakiness
These physical symptoms can have detrimental effects on various body systems, which can lead to longer term health problems, such as inflammation, poor gut health, joint pain, weakened eyes and lungs, and circulation problems.
In terms of mental well-being, chronic stress can manifest as:
- Excessive worrying
- Indecisiveness
- Negative thinking
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Impaired memory and judgment
- Lower self-confidence
- Anger and irritability
- Trouble regulating emotions
- Loneliness
These symptoms can also have longer term impacts, leading to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Coping with chronic stress can be extremely challenging, and some people turn to behaviors like substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, smoking), excessive screen time, emotional eating, and isolation from social activities. Unfortunately, these behaviors often further perpetuate the stress cycle.
Stress is inevitable, and avoiding it completely is not possible or desirable. While stress is not always detrimental, chronic stress can have profound physical, mental, and behavioral effects. DeLong provides an analogy of a “stress bucket” that depicts our individual tolerance for stress. Each person’s stress bucket has mechanisms to prevent it from overflowing - a leak, which prevents us from going into a state of chronic stress, and a valve, which are our coping strategies. What’s most important, DeLong says, is that each person’s stress bucket is a different size and we must be honest with ourselves about the amount of stress we can individually tolerate before our stress bucket overflows. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of chronic stress allows us to prioritize self-care, adopt effective coping strategies, and break free from the negative feedback loops that perpetuate its impact on our lives.
Though the amount of stress in your life is often outside your control, we can use coping strategies that help us to release stress through our ‘valve’ and avoid that ‘overflowing’ bucket. These strategies can be useful anytime you start to recognize stress triggers in your life and/or a feeling of stress overflow.
Some positive coping strategies include:
- Physical activity
- Spending time in nature
- Journaling or talking with others to process emotions
- Practicing deep breathing
- Listening to music
- Engaging in hobbies and activities that bring joy
- Spending time with loved ones
- Practicing self-care through nutrition, sleep, and hydration
- Using relaxation techniques like the five senses grounding technique and box breathing
And, it’s important to avoid false stress relief methods like excessive inactivity, ignoring emotions or using substances or other methods of numbing like scrolling on social media. Another great tool is resources such as this that allow us to educate ourselves on the role of stress in our lives and provide tools for stress management. With WellSet, you can enjoy a whole digital studio of holistic health classes that can provide you with the necessary dose of body and emotional self-care; helping to bring you into balance and avoid the negative effects of chronic stress.
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