Stress: How to Measure It and What to Do About It
Stress is a natural part of everyday life. Family relationships and responsibilities, work deadlines, financial worries, logistics of moving house or the emotional trauma of going through a divorce can generate a lot of stress. How does stress affect the body, can we measure it and what can we do about it?
All of us have experienced short-term stressful situations, but long-term stress is another matter. It takes a toll on not only on our mental health but on the body too. It creates a cascade of stress hormones, which in turn cause physiological changes. Digestion and libido shut down first, then comes lack of concentration, headaches and sleep may become disrupted. Immune system weakens and you may catch colds more often and take longer to shake them off. Motivation goes out of the window, extra pounds pile around the middle, energy gets low. You may start craving salty or sugary foods, or relying on a glass of wine a bit too often in order to unwind.
Stress comes in stages:
The alarm stage is when the central nervous system becomes alert and calls on your body’s resources to defend you from a real or perceived danger. This SOS stage triggers your fight-or-flight response.
The resistance stage is when your body begins to repair itself and normalize heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol levels, etc. After the initial shock of a stressful event, your body enters a recovery phase but will remain on high alert for a while to ensure your survival.
The exhaustion stage is when activation of the nervous system and excess stress hormone production persist for a long period of time. It eventually leads to a breakdown in the balance mechanisms within your body. This may result in development of disease states such as diabetes, insomnia, heart problems, dysautonomia or susceptibility to cancer. You may experience dizziness spells, decreased stamina, chronic inflammation, physical or psychological burn out.
How does stress impact your physical health?
When you experience stress, several things happen that impact your cardiovascular, muscular, endocrine and nervous systems:
· Your brain releases a hormone (CRH) that triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response. Your adrenalin and cortisol go up, digestion shuts down and sex hormones decline.
· When you are under stress, all resources that your body has are diverted to make stress hormones, which will be prioritised over any other hormones.
· Adrenaline increases your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. It also causes fat tissue to break down and increases lactic acid in your muscles. Increased adrenaline causes your liver to release sugar into the bloodstream for energy in acute stress.
· Cortisol is a steroid hormone, which can weaken your immune system, slow down the wound-healing process, increase bone loss and decrease energy levels if its levels remain consistently high for a long time.
· The stimulation of your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) causes salt retention, the elevation of sugar in your bloodstream, increased risk of blood clots, and can even lead to damage to your heart and kidneys.
What can you do to cope with stress better?
You need to learn stress coping techniques that work best for you.
· Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to do things that you enjoy from time to time – read a good book or watch a funny film, go for a walk, take a fragrant bath with candles and calming music, play a board game with your friends or spouse. Learn how to make time for yourself in your busy schedule and how to enjoy small things in your everyday life.
· Exercise! Almost any form of exercise or movement will bring down your stress levels by releasing endorphins. Endorphins are hormones produced by the pituitary gland in the brain that reduce the perception of pain and increase feelings of wellbeing. The most important thing is to pick an activity that you enjoy and that is appropriate for you depending on your age and fitness. It may be walking, jogging, weightlifting, cycling, tennis, swimming, yoga, tai chi, qigong, dancing or gardening. Even very gentle forms of exercise like stretching will be hugely beneficial for stress relief.
· Breathe to relax. Breathing exercises that take no time at all and can be done anywhere. Breathe in deeply for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and breathe out for 8 seconds. Your tummy should rise when you inhale, and your chest should stay relatively still which will mean that you are breathing using your diaphragm. Switching from shallow breath to deep breath will signal to your brain that you are not in any danger.
· Enjoy nature. Take a walk in the local park or woods. Nature is a powerful stress reliever. Rest your eyes on the sky, grass, trees and water. Enjoy the bird song. Get some sunshine and fresh air, these are ancient remedies that cannot be substituted with artificial light and air purifiers.
· Connect with other people. A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can help you talk things through, get a different perspective on your situation or even find solutions to some of your problems. Spending time with those whose company you find positive and uplifting can help you relax and experience a sense of wellbeing.
· Take vitamins C, B5 and magnesium in periods of stress. Magnesium is known as nature’s tranquilliser and is found in leafy greens, dark chocolate, avocados, buckwheat, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and nuts. We don’t make vitamin C in the body so it needs to come from food or be supplemented. These nutrients will nourish your adrenal glands that produce stress hormones and sustain you when you feel under pressure.
· Get a pet if you love animals and have time to look after it. Being around animals can improve mood, release endorphins and reduce the risk of developing depression. Dogs in particular are helpful in decreasing the feelings of anxiety, sadness or loneliness as well as increasing physical activity as they get us out of the house for a walk, rain or shine. A calming effect and noticeably lower blood pressure levels have been observed in nursing homes and hospital wards where therapy dogs come to visit the patients.
· Swap your coffee for a cup of herbal tea. Caffeine activates your body’s stress response and releases additional stress hormones. Try relaxing teas instead, like chamomile, valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, holy basil and lavender teas. These herbs have been used for centuries to calm the nervous system and reduce stress.
· Restrict the time you spend on your phone, especially in the evening. A lot of people spend their days responding to messages, emails and social media posts. The pressure to keep up with these interactions and the fear of missing out can become a real source of stress. Start the day with gentle exercise and a cup of herbal tea, a prayer or short meditation. This will set the tone for the day ahead. Restrict the periods of time during the day when you view and respond to messages that are not related to work. Your day will be much more productive if you do this. Stop looking at all screens a couple of hours before you go to bed. The blue light emitted by your phone or laptop screen affects your pineal gland and interrupts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, so it will be harder for you to fall asleep and your sleep quality may suffer.
· Try massage for stress relief and relaxation. Full body massage can help to reduce anxiety, cortisol levels, blood pressure and muscular tension by stimulating receptors in the skin that send signals to the brain areas responsible for mood and hormone production. You will be feeling more centred, grounded and more connected to your body after a good massage session.
Remember that stress can be measured. Tests such as Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), DHEA:Cortisol Ratio and Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm can provide a lot of information about how stressed you (and your adrenals glands) really are.
If you suspect that stress is affecting your health, please make an appointment with me to develop the best personalised approach that will include dietary, nutritional and holistic lifestyle recommendations to prevent or reverse the damaging effects of stress on your health.
© Marina Townsley, ND
Master Herbalist AMH, Nutritional Therapist BANT