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Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Stress (part 1) - what is it?
Stressed. If you wanted to boil it down to a single word.
I recently did a talk about stress and how it changes both physiological (effects to your physical body) and psychological (effects to your mental state) processes in your body - and I'd like to share a little bit of that with you. I think it's important to understand where stress comes from, what it looks like and how it plays out in your body and brain in order to figure out the best way to manage it.
Believe it or not it can play a role in how you interact with your friends and family, your immune system, what you choose to eat and how you feel physically and mentally! I'm going to break this down into more than one post in order to facilitate easier reading. But first, let's look at what we mean by stress and what it looks like.
So, stress - if it seems a little vague to you that's because it is. This catch-all term for difficulties or perceived difficulties in life is a metaphorical use of the word stress that didn’t occur until the 1950’s. While originally adapted from the biological term (we'll get to that in a minute) what we’re usually talking about is change, or uncertainty. These events can range in size from almost trivial to life-changing – being late, missing a light, births, deaths, moving, shopping for gifts, seeing family, making a deadline... “stressed out” – covers anything from mild annoyances to actual physical distress. We’ve got a lot of uncertainty on our plates these days, and our ability to adjust and adapt – this is the key to managing stress.
So, what is stress, really? A biological definition of stress refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats – whether real or imagined. This means that things that aren't actually happening can cause you just as much stress as if they were. The mind is a powerful thing, so being able to control your thoughts, and thereby your body's reactions is extremely important. The stress response, more commonly known as the 'fight or flight response' is the autonomic nervous system kicking into high gear.
The stress response has 3 phases:
1) a state of alarm: (this is the quintessential fight or flight response) it involves the production and release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
2) short term resistance: this is where the body tries to adapt to the increased strain. Often this works for a while, you like the feel of adrenaline, it gets you motivated and moving, but ultimately this state cannot last.
3) exhaustion: here's your crash - the inability of the body to respond or maintain normal function, long term this affects organ systems.
While this response has it's place, and is vital to survival; often we trip the switch constantly with things that don't require the body to be this amped up, or spend resources we could use more productively. Managing stress doesn't mean eliminating it entirely, but finding ways to have th body respond more appropriately so it can manage itself better - which means you'll feel better!
So, maybe you know you're stressed... but to bring it home, here's a non-inclusive list of ways stress can present physically, emotionally and cognitively:
Believe it or not it can play a role in how you interact with your friends and family, your immune system, what you choose to eat and how you feel physically and mentally! I'm going to break this down into more than one post in order to facilitate easier reading. But first, let's look at what we mean by stress and what it looks like.
So, stress - if it seems a little vague to you that's because it is. This catch-all term for difficulties or perceived difficulties in life is a metaphorical use of the word stress that didn’t occur until the 1950’s. While originally adapted from the biological term (we'll get to that in a minute) what we’re usually talking about is change, or uncertainty. These events can range in size from almost trivial to life-changing – being late, missing a light, births, deaths, moving, shopping for gifts, seeing family, making a deadline... “stressed out” – covers anything from mild annoyances to actual physical distress. We’ve got a lot of uncertainty on our plates these days, and our ability to adjust and adapt – this is the key to managing stress.
So, what is stress, really? A biological definition of stress refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats – whether real or imagined. This means that things that aren't actually happening can cause you just as much stress as if they were. The mind is a powerful thing, so being able to control your thoughts, and thereby your body's reactions is extremely important. The stress response, more commonly known as the 'fight or flight response' is the autonomic nervous system kicking into high gear.
The stress response has 3 phases:
1) a state of alarm: (this is the quintessential fight or flight response) it involves the production and release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
2) short term resistance: this is where the body tries to adapt to the increased strain. Often this works for a while, you like the feel of adrenaline, it gets you motivated and moving, but ultimately this state cannot last.
3) exhaustion: here's your crash - the inability of the body to respond or maintain normal function, long term this affects organ systems.
While this response has it's place, and is vital to survival; often we trip the switch constantly with things that don't require the body to be this amped up, or spend resources we could use more productively. Managing stress doesn't mean eliminating it entirely, but finding ways to have th body respond more appropriately so it can manage itself better - which means you'll feel better!
So, maybe you know you're stressed... but to bring it home, here's a non-inclusive list of ways stress can present physically, emotionally and cognitively:
poor judgment
a general negative outlook
excessive worrying
moodiness
irritability
agitation
inability to relax
feeling overwhelmed
feeling lonely or isolated
depressed
aches and pains
diarrhea or constipation
nausea
dizziness
chest pain
rapid heartbeat
eating too much or not enough
sleeping too much or not enough
withdrawing from others
procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
Click image for full size graphic
on how stress effects the different body systems.
on how stress effects the different body systems.
Image from The Washington Post, January 23, 2007.
Sound familiar? Then stay tuned... next up - some studies that show that stress is linked to decreased immunity, poor food choices and chronic stress and disease. After that - lots of little ways you can use to manage your stress and stay happy and healthy this holiday season.
Labels: acupuncture, holidays, stress, stress management
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