You’re driving into work and the person to your right cuts in front of you causing you to slam on brakes as you watch your coffee fly across the car.
You’re checking account is overdrawn.
Your 10 year old is doing poorly in school.
You are gaining weight, sleeping poorly and getting less exercise because you are so exhausted.
All actions have a response.
Your stress is mounting and your health and well-being is circling the drain.
In 1942, Dr. Walter Cannon theorized that fear could affect a person so much that their physical condition would decline in direct response to the psychological stress. His examples came from studying unusual deaths in aboriginal societies. People experienced sudden death from the fear of supernatural consequences because of broken taboos set by their societies. This phenomenon was later termed “voodoo death” and was believed to be brought about by an emotional shock. Dr. Cannon is also credited with coining the phrase “fight-or-flight response”. This refers to the reaction of animals to threats by a discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, which primes the animal for fight or flight.
This fight-or-flight response can be applied to everyday stress, although in current times a wide range of behaviors occurs in response to stress. Dr. Hans Seyle was influenced by Dr. Cannon’s work and defined stress as “… the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it.” He described long-term stress as “General Adaptation Syndrome”.
Depending on the stressor, a different pattern of activation can occur by the sympathetic, nervous and adrenomedullary hormonal systems. Activation of these systems ultimately affects the mind/body of a person.
Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel stated “the regulation of gene expression by social factors makes all bodily functions, including all of the functions of the brain, susceptible to social influences”. In other words, what happens to us socially on a daily basis and how we respond has long lasting effects on our bodies.
The author Robert Sapolsky explains in his book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, that the zebra only experiences stress when a lion is in pursuit. Otherwise, the zebra hangs out and enjoys life. Running from a lion is a huge stress when it occurs, but humans are exposed to chronic stress leading to cumulative problems.
The Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale was developed to rate stress. Points are assigned to life stressors, both negative and positive. The higher the number of points, the greater the likelihood of illness (see Scale below).
Physiological Response to Stress (real or imagined):
Acute Stress Response
This prepares the person during an emergency for survival through sequencing of sympathetic nerve cell firings as listed below.
1. The hypothalamus releases corticotropin releasing factor (CRF).
2. CRF stimulates the pituitary gland, which then secretes ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone).
3. ACTH stimulates the adrenal glands (located on top of the kidneys) to secrete the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, which release into the blood stream.
The Effect of the Release of Hormones
- Heart rate increases and heartbeat gets stronger. More oxygenated blood is supplied to the body faster.
- Respiratory rate increases; therefore, more oxygen gets into the bloodstream.
- Blood is diverted from the gastrointestinal tract, spleen and non-vital organs and re-directed to the heart, lungs and brain. More blood is sent to the muscles and limbs.
- Blood pressure goes up and supplies the body with more blood.
- The part of the brain that controls emotions is affected.
- The areas of the brain related to short and long term memory are affected possibly leading to problems with memory.
- Glycerin stored in the liver breaks down to release more glucose to the body.
- The skin becomes clammy and cold (sweating).
- The immune system becomes suppressed.
- Pain perception diminishes.
- Pupils dilate.
- Saliva decreases.
- Hair stands up.
Chronic Stress
Just imagine if this happens over and over again. Your body will eventually wear down. You will become constipated, lose sleep, eat poorly, become irritable, suffer depression, have more episodes of illness and your libido will suffer. You will feel TERRIBLE.
Chronic stress impairs health by way of a complicated combination of physiological factors initiated by the release of Corticotropin releasing factor as outlined above. The release of cortisol helps maintain blood glucose levels but constant stress causes insulin resistance, high blood pressure, redistribution of fat in the body (mostly to your middle), decreased DNA repair and a weakened immune system.
Look at it this way: If you are running to save your life, all of the above is a good thing. If you are trudging through each day with a high level of stress, it could be killing you.
There is no way to eliminate stress completely but there are methods that we can all practice to learn how to manage stress.
Managing Stress
How does all of this translate into our daily lives? There ARE things we can do to manage stress. The obvious first step is to avoid stress whenever possible. Don’t decide to do a non-essential errand during rush hour traffic. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your taxes or pay your bills.
When we find that the stress is unavoidable, here are some simple things that we can all do to manage our stress:
EXERCISE- this does not mean walking from your office to the break room 4 times per day. Structured time for exercise has been proven to be beneficial for our mental and emotional state. Good hormones are released during exercise and it makes us feel that we are doing something good for ourselves.
DELEGATE TASKS- Don’t be a martyr and try and do everything. Sometimes you are not being a martyr because it is simply easier to do something yourself than to ask someone to help. If this is the case, accept the fact and plan to have more time and more control of extra responsibilities.
LIMIT your intake of ALCOHOL and CAFFEINE- No one says that you can’t drink coffee, tea or a soft drink. You aren’t prohibited from a glass of wine or a mixed drink. But don’t overdo it. Moderation or not at all.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT- More and more studies clearly show that the foods we put in our bodies affects our brains and emotions as well as our physical well being. You’ve heard the drill before: eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, eat less fat and avoid empty calories. It really works. Once you change to a healthy diet, you will be surprised how much better you feel over time.
TIME- or lack of it can be our worst enemy. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you don’t need time for yourself. You can’t be a good parent, friend, mate or co-worker if you aren’t happy with yourself. Take a portion of your day to spend with yourself, even if it is only 15 minutes.
BREATHING
– If we are breathing we are alive, but most breathing is shallow. Instead of breathing from the diaphragm, we breathe from the chest. Learn how to breathe correctly and to focus on each breath.
MEDITATION- Good breathing techniques are an integral part of meditation.
SPIRITUALITY- Honor the Sabbath, attend church, go to Bible studies, read the Bible, give some time to help others. Those who volunteer time often say that they get much more than they give.
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS- Remember when you were a kid and you hung out with your best friend. Anything seemed possible then. The same applies to you as an adult. Having a few close friends that you can really trust can be as beneficial as seeking professional help. Sometimes just saying you are stressed to a good friend is a great stress buster.
PROFESSIONAL HELP- it is not a sign of weakness to seek professional help if your stress is managing you. There are so many techniques available and so many qualified professionals that sometimes this is the best way to learn how to manage your stress.
Know and understand what stresses you and that is the first step in managing your stress. The old saying that “knowledge is power” is still true today. We can’t predict all of our stressors but we do know that having a support system composed of one or more people, caring for our bodies and nurturing our souls will help combat the inevitable stress that we all encounter.
Works Cited:
The Rahe Stress scale. www.americaninstituteofstress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory
Sternberg, Esther. Study of Aboriginal Societies: Am J Public Health 2002 October, 92 (10):1564-1566.
Goldstein, David. Citation on Dr. Seyl: Cell Mol Neurobiol 2010: 30(8) 1433-1440.
