How stress impact our lives ?

WHAT IS STRESS ?

“It’s not stress that kills us but it’s our reaction to it “ a well said quote as since ancient times stress has been an integral part of our lives even it’s the natural process that our body has to go through either to protect us from danger or to get our work done before deadlines! After all, it's stress that took humanity to the different phases of evolution .

Nowadays though we have equipped ourselves with modern gadgets but we have lost our natural equipment to manage our natural watchdogs -one of them is Stress .

Being a very common & interesting topic let’s look at the Stress from scientific point of view and know about its types , distress causes , management & much more .

Stress is the in-built response of our body to react & respond to the changing environmental conditions .The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.

Stress can be positive ("eustress") -- such as getting a job promotion or being given greater responsibilities -- keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative ("distress") when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds.

Body’s response to stress -

A study conducted by McEwen et al in Redefining neuroendocrinology: epigenetics of brain-body communication over the life course in 2018 - has unveiled how our body responds to the stress via 2 inbuilt pathways, two systems are activated when we experience stress. The first and easiest to activate is the sympathetic–adrenal–medullary (SAM) system. The second is the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.

For homeostasis- whereby the human body tightly regulates its internal physiological states (e.g., body temperature, oxygen supply etc.) to keep us alive ,In order to maintain homeostasis, our body releases hormones (e.g., cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline) and switches on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the central nervous system to allow us to adapt and respond to day-to-day activities (some of which may be stressful).

The release of these so-called physiological mediators (cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline) and changes in immune and metabolic parameters (known as allostasis are protective and adaptive as long as they switch on and switch off in a balanced way when an environmental challenge or stressor is no longer present but inefficient turning off & on of these stress mediators leads to what is known as Allostatic overload.

IMPACT OF STRESS ON PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH -

Mood swing issues including anger, depression , irritability .

Lack of energy concentration problems , sleeping issues , headaches .

Mental issues including anxiety disorders & panic attacks

Increased blood pressure & heart rate

Higher cholesterol & risk of heart attack

In the immune system , there is reduced ability to fight & recovery from illness.

Stomach cramps , reflux & nausea

Loss of Ilbido , lower sperm production for men & increased period pain for women

Aches & pains in joint & muscles

Lowers bone density .

A study about stress impact - According to the 2021 edition of the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey. It indicated that 59% of U.S. adults experienced stress-induced behavioural changes within a 30-day period. These changes included avoidance of social situations, neglecting responsibilities, and stress eating.

In 2021 , a study conducted by - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually. & the lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

After getting a sizeable knowledge about the stress mismanagement & its causes now let’s discuss various ways by which we can manage our stress and get it turn into EUSTRESS-

HERE is the key Do - MASTER STRESS !

M- Maintain healthy eating

A- avoid social isolation

S-Stay informed , not obsessed

T- Talk to others

E- engage in mindfulness

R - relax ,play ,exercise

S- start journaling

T -Take deep breaths

R- rest and sleep well

E- engage to gratitude

S - step outside into nature

S - seek support from friends, family and professionals

So , if next time remember stress is not bad but it's mismanagement is bad even stress is necessary to let us complete our work before deadlines and protect us in danger .