Some stress is inevitable in our busy modern lives, it can even act as a source of motivation – driving us to succeed in areas we never thought possible. The modern lifestyle will have us believe that anything is possible, we can do and achieve it all. However, the truth is that our biology simply cannot. Our physical bodies have not evolved to keep up with the demands of this level of performance. We are all still made of flesh and blood and prolonged stress will ultimately take its toll.
When we experience stress our Autonomic Nervous System activates – alerting our bodies to imminent danger. You may experience some of the following symptoms:
In order to prepare the body for this “fight” cortisol is flooded into the system, affecting every organ in the body. Cortisol helps to keep blood pressure up, retain water, sodium and sugar– the food your muscles need in emergency situations. But when that “fight”never happens or becomes an everyday fight the system reacts and starts to break down. Over time serious health complications can develop.
Research shows that stress is a major risk factor for stroke. Changes in heart functioning due to periods of prolonged stress may result in a compromise in the cardiovascular system throughout the body leading to weakened or narrowed arteries, hypertension and diabetes – ultimately contributing to the increased risk of having a stroke. Stress also leads to the development of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking or drinking alcohol, which place further stress on the body and increase the risk of stroke. A long-term study of over 5000 individuals found that people with a high-stress intensity almost doubled their risk of a fatal stroke compared to non-stressed individuals (Thomas Truelsen, Naja Nielsen, Gudrun Boysen, and Morten Grønbæk. “Self-Reported Stress and Risk of Stroke”. The Copenhagen City Heart Study. 13 Mar 2003).
The most common sources of stress include challenging relationships, financial difficulties and high-pressure jobs. The compounding effect COVID-19 has had on all of these spheres of our lives is undeniable and has resulted in an upsurge in stress-related illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, headaches, changes in appetite and lowered libido. While we cannot eliminate the pressures of work and family lives, there are behavioural changes we can make to help manage stress better.
- Exercise several times a week – exercise helps boost endorphins and combats the emotional effects of stress. It also helps protect you from cardiovascular fallout such as high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends moderate physical activity for at least 40 minutes, three to four times a week. If you are able to exercise outdoors as spending time in nature has also been linked to a reduction in stress.
- Try a few minutes of deep breathing – Meditation and deep breathing techniques help lower blood pressure and improve your response to stress. If you experience work-related stress, taking just 30 seconds to do some deep breathing can help. Many phone apps and smartwatches have deep breathing cues and visuals to help with this.
- Keep an eye on caffeine intake – A cup in the morning is arguably good for your health, however too much or drinking caffeine too late in the day can cause jittery, anxious feelings which contribute to stress and lead to difficulty sleeping.
- Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t – It is not always possible to change jobs or jump into a new career, but we can try to control how we think about and respond to stressful situations. By focusing on elements of your day that you can control you can manage your thoughts and limit the harmful effects of work-related stress. Try talking to friends or family members to help manage your thoughts and stress levels and gain some perspective.
- Get help from a medical practitioner – Knowing when to seek help from a medical practitioner is critical to the success of the interventions that you put in place.
- Live in Community – Living in community allows you to get different perspectives when faced with challenges and helps you to feel supported by others. Isolating yourself may affect your emotional and mental wellbeing by as much as 60%
- Understand the difference between mental & emotional health – Mental Health is a state of mind that comes and goes. Emotional Intelligence is the way you have learned to cope with what life throws your way. It dictates how you manage pain, set-backs and disappointment and are mechanisms that can be learnt and practiced. By working on your Emotional Health you can learn to weather the storms when they arise.
- Keep grief in check – We all have to face grief at some point in our lives. Allowing yourself to go through this process and deal with grief as soon as possible will prevent your brain from re-wiring itself into a more permanent state of mind.
Sometimes, despite knowing what we should be doing, the pattern of activity our brains are in is difficult to break. The Autonomic Nervous System has stuck in “fight or flight” mode and one cannot simply breath your way out of it. In fact, we become so used to the feeling of being on hyperfocus and drive, that relaxation becomes uncomfortable for us.
If you are experiencing difficulty implementing change into your daily habits please get in touch to find out how Infra Slow Neurofeedback can help regulate your EEG activity to bring about balance to the Autonomic Nervous System from within. Once your nervous system is settled and balanced it becomes easier to see through the fog and implement behavioural changes to manage stress in the long term.
