Why is stress.... so stressful?

I know, it's only my second blog post, and it's a long one, but I encourage you to take the time to read through. This info is condensed from a presentation I provide to groups/corporations in their wellness programs, and the feedback is that they find it really impactful. My motto: The more we know, the better we live 😀

So, what is stress?

During stressful situations we may experience different emotions, and the body responds

This can cause a variety of physical symptoms in the short term, and may have harmful effects long term

When our brain perceives a threat, it reacts and sounds an “alarm” (fight or flight)

Once the threat is gone, your body is meant to return to a neutral state, but due to the complexities of modern life many people's alarm rarely turns off

Most threats we face regularly aren’t something that we can fight or run away from, these “threats” are usually related to the complex problems that we have to work through or learn to live with

While many of the threats we face today are symbolic; evolutionarily, our brains evolved to deal with physical threats to our survival that required an instant response. As a result, our bodies respond biologically in the way that prepares us to fight or flight

Examples are stressors related to work, family pressure, societal pressure, relationship tension, worry for the future, covid, climate crisis ect.

When you encounter a perceived threat, such as a large dog barking at you during your morning walk, the amygdala sets into motion an intricate system of reactions. This is an autonomous (no thinking required) reaction & happens instantly

Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands (located atop your kidneys) to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure &increases lung capacity. Very helpful if you have to run or fight for your life!

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases glucose in the bloodstream & enhances the brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues (to aid healing from potential injury)

As well, Cortisol curbs functions that would be “nonessential” in a fight-or-flight situation. This is to conserve energy and resources on the cellular level

It does this by emitting and altering hormones, diverting production of substances that aid our immune system responses, suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. Non essential during fight/flight times

Decreases blood flow in the frontal cortex (complex reasoning & problem solving)

This function is meant to aid us in a ”real” danger situation, but when left on for too long, or too often... it becomes the danger

The body's stress response system is usually self-limiting.

Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities.

But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, fight-or-flight mode doesn’t “turn off”

The long-term activation of the stress response system, overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all the body's processes.

This puts us at increased risk of many health problems, including:

Anxiety

Depression

Digestive problems: Heartburn, IBS, constipation

Headaches, tension and migraine

Muscle tension and pain

Cardiovascular complications: Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke

Sleep disruption

Weight gain

Memory, focus, mental sharpness impaired

Higher risk of several types of cancer

Next post, I will share 3 ways we can start to protect our health from the damaging effects of stress