You’re not defenseless in the battle against stress. It is impossible to live without stress completely, but there are things that you can do, that will help you deal with stress and make it less of an issue. The most important thing to do, is beat it before it even starts!
No one can say that they don’t have a stress trigger. Every one has one. It could occur when we get a weekend deadline or even something exciting like planning a loved one’s birthday party. Whether it’s something good or bad, stress can creep up at all times, but you can put a stop to that.
In Part 1 we will look at how stress works and all the changes that occur within the body as a result of stress. To see some techniques to manage stress, please understand Part 1 and then go to Part 2.
All of us depend on stress, yes, stress for survival. We would literally not be here without it. It helps us wake up in the morning and provides adrenaline to succeed and push through. But our bodies can suffer from experiencing too much stress, so we must be careful.
Did you know:
● 72% of adults feel stressed out about money at least some of the time.
● 49% of adults experienced a major stressful event in the past year.
● 48% of Americans say stress has a negative impact on both their personal and professional lives.
So let’s look at what stress does to your body:
- When your body detects stress or feels overwhelmed by a task or a feeling, the hypothalamus reacts by stimulating the body to produce adrenaline and cortisol.
- These two hormones increase your heart rate, increase blood pressure and temporarily increase energy for “flight “or “fight”. You either stand and fight or your mind gets ready to assist a high-speed run out of the door, as if you’re being chased.
- As your body recognizes and discovers that it is no longer in danger, your hormone levels fall and your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal.
- Chronic stress produces high levels of cortisol in the body. This will affect the brain’s ability to function properly. It will even reduce the size of the brain, where there is shrinkage of the prefrontal cortex. Memory and learning ability will take a huge hit as it is the prefrontal cortex which controls those activities.
- In most cases, stress can leave you feeling angry, anxious and scared.
Now that we have realized the effects of daily stress, tune in tomorrow for Part 2 to recognize the ways in which we can take control of our lives and stay one step ahead of stress.