“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” - William James
Introduction | How It Functions | Types | Active vs Avoidant | Symptoms | Effects | How to manage stress? | Prevention | Final Thoughts | Takeaway Points | References | Disclaimer
Introduction
Stress exists everywhere in today's society, particularly because of how rapidly our world is changing. We can adapt to those changes that dictate how much stress affects us. For many, it is a part of everyday life, which may have diverse effects on health. Historically, stress was important to our survival. It put us in fight-or-flight mode, was used to help us avoid threats, and was a signal that protected our ancestors from physical harm. However, since the dangers of the 21st century are not the same as those from Paleolithic times, modern-day humanity experiences a form of stress that is not so easy to get over. The challenges of everyday life, such as our financial situation, rising prices, and demanding jobs, can't be solved instantly to provide relief from tension. The fight-or-flight mode we find ourselves in so often can be a prolonged and ongoing experience, which impacts us physically and mentally. According to a study looking at the American population in the years 1990–2010, the amount of stress middle-aged adults experience has gone up.[1] The most common reason for that is the external pressure that we feel and the demands that we are faced with. Those problems can't be resolved quickly and easily to give us a chance to move forward.
How does stress function?
When we are faced with a stressful situation, different parts of our brain, such as the amygdala and the hypothalamus, process that signal and activate our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls not only all the automatic processes in our body, such as breathing or heartbeat, but also our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. In times of stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the fight-or-flight mode in our body. The term fight-or-flight refers to the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which have an instant effect on numerous bodily functions and mobilize our system to respond. This type of response from our body was designed to produce a short-term physical reaction to a sudden stressor.
Types of Stress
There are two types of stress that we might experience in our lives:
acute stress,
chronic stress.
Acute stress is a form of tension that is short-lived and that is resolved quickly, such as an alarm going off, a dispute with a stranger on the street, taking a test, giving a presentation, etc. It takes place in situations where we feel either emotionally, mentally, or physically challenged by our environment. It is also the healthiest form of stress we can experience. Our body is well equipped to deal with it and can move on afterward.
The second form of stress, which is chronic stress, is an unhealthy and undesirable condition that has adverse effects on our mental, emotional, and physical health. Chronic stress can emerge from acute stress if the situation keeps repeating itself.[2] If you have an ongoing fight with your neighbor, work in a toxic environment, or experience unresolved mental trauma, this can cause a persistent condition.
Active Coping vs. Avoidant Coping
The way we cope with stress can be either healthy or unhealthy. We can choose to either solve our problems and move on or remain stuck in stressful circumstances and never learn to overcome them. Based on these practices, we can distinguish between two ways of dealing with stress:
Active coping is a strategy where people affected by stress use all the tools at their disposal to accept and learn to control the stressor[22]. It is based on the concept that we need to take responsibility for resolving our problems.
Avoidant or passive coping is a behavior where we avoid dealing with our stressors rather than trying to face them. The stressor makes us feel helpless, as well as rely on others to handle it. By passively coping, people abdicate control of stressful situations and how they react to them or allow stressful events to adversely affect other aspects of their lives[23]. This form of action is maladaptive and exposes us to prolonged stress, which can be harmful to our health.
Symptoms of Stress
Both acute and chronic stress manifest similar symptoms; however, in the latter, the symptoms become more exaggerated, and due to their persistent nature, they cause health complications for our body and mind.
Acute stress symptoms:
psychological reactions such as poor concentration, anxiety,
physical responses such as racing heart, elevated blood pressure, sweating, stomach ache, nausea,
emotional responses such as low mood and irritability.
Chronic stress symptoms:
psychological reactions such as clouded thinking, poor concentration, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia,
physical responses such as fatigue, low energy, frequent illnesses, headaches, upset stomach, muscular complaints, various pains,
emotional responses such as irritability, a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of being overwhelmed, a feeling of loss of control, and a depressive mood.
How Stress affects our health
As mentioned before, acute stress has short-term effects on our body and mind and usually does not cause any adverse effects on our overall health. Our bodies and minds have been designed to know how to deal with such a form of tension. Chronic stress, on the other hand, can cause a wide variety of health conditions and complaints that we are not well equipped to deal with. Among these, we find:
diseases such as cardiovascular disease[3], hypertension[4], metabolic syndrome[5], obesity[6], arthritis[7] and type 2 diabetes[8],
emotional and psychological disorders such as exhaustion disorder[9], anxiety disorders[10], depression[11],
addictions to food, the internet, alcohol, drugs, nicotine, gambling,
weakening of our immune system[12],
negative changes in our gut microbiome[13]. Prolonged stress exposure diminishes the diversity of gut bacteria and enhances the permeability of the gut lining.
How to manage Stress
Successful stress management can mean different things to different people. Each one of us may use different methods that trigger calmness and relaxation. But efficacious management of stress starts with the proper identification of stressors that impact us. When you track back to the source of tension, stress management and the choice of techniques become easier. Among the most common methods that people find useful in managing stress are:
the practice of mindfulness[14].
physical exercise[15] which can improve sleep quality and impact mood.
proper nutrition impacts your overall well-being, boosts your immune system, and can improve your mood. Additionally, foods rich in antioxidants will protect your cells from oxidative damage, which takes place during stress.
consume enough Vitamin C[16], Magnesium[17] and Omega-3 Fatty Acids[18].
sufficient amount of sleep[19] will boost your overall well-being.
deep breathing[20] techniques such as belly breathing, the 4-7-8 method or roll breathing will help you relax and lower stress.
prioritizing self-care[21] is essential for many different stress factors. You might want to focus on yourself for a little while to successfully deal with your tension.
ask for help if needed.
What to do to prevent Stress
Maintaining a balanced perspective on our lives and our place in the world is fundamental to stress prevention. Awareness of our values, needs, and expectations is essential to properly diffusing stress. Additionally, it isn't something we do once and become skilled at. It takes practice and time to learn how to act and respond to stressors in a way that reduces their effect on us. To become better equipped when facing stress, it is good to know:
what our values are and what needs are truly essential to our well-being. It is not always easy to stick to what we value most in our lives. People and situations frequently cause us to become distracted or under pressure. However, to become more efficient at preventing stress, it is very helpful to take a step back and focus on our core values and things that truly matter to our lives and define who we are.
how to establish healthy boundaries with other people. All of us have limitations, whether physical, emotional, or psychological. If we allow others to stretch those boundaries time after time, we let them invade too much of our private space. It may lead to a feeling of exploitation, and it will directly impact our well-being.
how to develop a realistic and emotionally resilient attitude toward life. Seeing things for what they are gives us a great advantage in dealing with potential stress. It impacts our ability to adapt to the changing circumstances around us. Being able to adjust our mindset and actions when facing a new challenge benefits our resilience and diminishes the amount of stress we may experience.
Final Thoughts
Our body knows how to deal with acute and short-lived stress that we experience in our lives. We have been made to be able to cope with it physically, mentally, and emotionally. Acute stress mobilizes all the systems of our body to survive and quickly adapt to the changing reality. It is a defense mechanism that nature has inserted. Yet, if there is a persistent presence of one or more stressors in our daily lives, then we are exposed to too much tension for our bodies and minds to process. When we are put under pressure day after day and we don't break that cycle, we will eventually be faced with chronic stress. It is going to impact our psychological, emotional, and physical health at some point. That's why it is essential to learn how to cope with tension healthily and, ultimately, how to prevent it.
Takeaway Points
Acute stress is a short-lived form of tension.
Chronic stress is a persistent condition with adverse effects on health.
Choose active coping with stress instead of avoidant or passive coping.
Develop ways to prevent stress from affecting you too much.
Find the most comforting ways to soothe tension symptoms.
Make sure you eat properly, sleep enough, and exercise.
References
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