You’re driving on the highway. In your rearview mirror, you see someone rapidly approaching. They are zigging and zagging between cars and now they’re approaching your car much faster than you are driving. Your heart begins to race as it seems that this car is not about to slow down and within seconds, you might become its next hood ornament.
There’s a car in front of you, completely oblivious to the impending doom that may befall you, and the person to your right seems to believe that your cars are somehow joined at the hip. Your hands begin to shake and you’re holding your breath as you frantically look around for an escape route. Luckily, the car in front of you has finally decided to speed up. You press your foot a bit more firmly on the gas pedal, praying that the person in front of you doesn’t decide to slam on his brakes. Just as the rapidly approaching car nears your bumper, you’re able to jump into the right lane, allowing the fast car to pass you by. Your hands are still shaking, your breathing is still fast and now you may even need to pull over at the nearest exit, just to regain yourself.
Stress is how the body is able to handle situations just like this. It’s your body’s way of helping you to handle dangerous and traumatic situations. Should you flee the situation, or should you stay and fight? Whichever way you decide to deal with the situation at hand, your body gives you the tools to cope with whatever it is you’re going through, so that you’re able to survive the outcome.
When you are experiencing stress, you’ll notice a number of physical responses. In the scenario described above, which many of us have experienced on the roadways, the physical responses are an elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and shaking hands. These responses are a result of the release of the hormones, adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) and cortisol, which are used to give your body the energy it needs to fight for your life, or run to safety. Once there is a perceived threat, the brain sends a signal to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. Because the release of these hormones is so sudden, you can often feel an electric-like surge rush through your entire body as your muscles are flooded with for a quick boost of strength and energy.
With the release of these hormones comes the release of glucose, or sugar, in your blood. Why sugar? As discussed in the article, Sugar: A Big and Avoidable Inflammatory Culprit, sugar, or glucose, is what the body uses for energy production. When your body is responding to a perceived threat with the release of cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal glands, the liver will release additional glucose into the blood to give the body the rush of energy it may require to deal with that threat. Once the perceived threat is gone, the body is able to go back to its pre-stressed state. However, if the excess sugar produced by the liver was not used, it will be reabsorbed by the body. For those under chronic stress, this could lead to diabetes as the body is not able to process the elevated level of sugar in the bloodstream.
If you are chronically stressed, your body is continually producing adrenaline, cortisol, and glucose. An excess of adrenaline and cortisol in your blood can lead to cardiovascular, respiratory and sexual health issues. When stress seems to be a way of life, rather than an occasional hiccup in your day, your heart begins to work overtime. As it beats rapidly to pump oxygen rich blood throughout your body, your blood pressure is being elevated and blood vessels are being constricted. If your heart rate is often elevated, this will lead to high blood pressure, putting you at risk for heart attack or stroke. For those with respiratory issues, such as asthma or emphysema, breathing can become increasingly difficult with chronic stress as you may experience shortness of breath.
The same system that regulates the fight or flight response, which is the autonomic nervous system, also impacts the hormones. The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that regulates body processes, like blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and the rate of breathing. It works pretty automatically and from whence it gets its name. The autonomic nervous system has two main divisions: 1) Sympathetic and 2) Parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system has a stimulatory function, while the parasympathetic has more of an inhibitory function. So, the sympathetic system is the dominant system when you are getting ready to fight, while the parasympathetic system is dominant when you are resting or meditating.
The adrenal glands are signaled by the sympathetic nervous system to release cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream under stressful circumstances. In addition to the adrenal glands producing hormones to deal with stress, they are also responsible for some of the release of testosterone in both men and women (although the majority of testosterone is produced by the testes and ovaries in men and women, respectively). Because these hormones are both produced by the adrenals, an inverse relationship exists where, as cortisol levels increase, testosterone levels decrease. For men, low testosterone levels can lead to obesity, fatigue, depression and low libido. With continued elevated levels of cortisol, sperm production is affected and it can even cause erectile dysfunction or impotence.
Stress can also affect the sexual health in women. Women need progesterone to counteract estrogen in the body. Although the majority of progesterone and estrogen are produced in the ovaries, small amounts are also produced in the adrenal glands, along with testosterone. When stress is high, the body must decide which is more important–self-preservation, or reproduction. In every scenario, self-preservation is going to win this decision, thereby trading off the production of progesterone for cortisol. When progesterone levels are too low, women may experience irregular menstrual cycles, heavy bleeding during their cycles, and in some cases, painful periods. In menopausal women, stress can worsen mood swings, hot flashes, and other associated symptoms. When progesterone levels are consistently low, this can lead to estrogen dominance which can lead to a host of ailments like chronic fatigue, weight gain, irritability, low sexual desire, thyroid dysfunction, and cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix, and ovary.
How can you handle stress so that it doesn’t become a chronic issue?
Meditate. Find a quiet time and place where you can close your eyes and shut out the world for a few minutes. Through meditation, your body is able to relax, allowing you to distance yourself from the stimuli that may cause stress in your life. You can choose to meditate on your own, or find guided meditations on YouTube®. If you’re new to meditation, I find that guided meditations help to walk you through the relaxation steps and help you to focus on the act of meditation, rather than allowing your mind to concentrate on stressors.
Use essential oils. These are the life force of plants and are very beneficial in improving your mood and relaxing you. One of the best-known oils for this is lavender. Often used to promote sleep, the smell of lavender reduces anxiety and stress. Other calming oils include rose, frankincense, vetiver, ylang ylang, and chamomile. You can place a few drops in an essential oil diffuser, or place a drop on your pulse points located on your wrists, your ear lobes, and the soles of your feet.
Get your sleep. When we’re dealing with work or task-related stress, we may not take the time to rest, as we sacrifice our sleep for more waking hours to complete the work at hand. As in the article, Have You Lost Your Rhythm, the longer you stay awake, the less productive you will be. It’s important that you maintain a sleep schedule so that your body gets the rest that it needs to stay healthy and have the ability to recover from the physical effects of stress.
Spend time with friends and family. Often, when people are stressed, they tend to isolate themselves. However, isolation can lead to more time to dwell on the issues that are bothering you. Instead of putting yourself in the corner, get out and have some fun with family and friends. Have a game night, go out to dinner, or just relax and talk.
Journal. Writing can be a very cathartic practice. When situations seem too overwhelming, it often helps to write your feelings down on paper. Once you’ve released your feelings, you will be able to better focus on the task at hand and alleviate the burden of keeping all your emotions suppressed. Writing also helps to organize your thoughts, so that that you can receive clarity.
Spend time laughing. We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine. Watch a comedy, read a funny book, or listen to a comedic podcast. Whatever you can do bring some humor into your day, do it. Laughter has been proven to be a great stress reducer and mood lifter.
Talk it out. Sometimes, it just feels good to talk to someone about the stressful situation you’re going through. It may be a friend, or it may be a professional therapist or counselor. Although friends may have some helpful advice, if you’ve found that the situation seems a bit too heavy to bear, professional counselors or therapists will have additional coping mechanisms and techniques to offer.
Some people believe that living a stressful life is just the way that life is. However, it doesn’t have to be. From today forward, make decisions for yourself that are in the best interest of your overall health so that your body doesn’t have to make sacrifices for you. Learn healthy ways to handle stressors so that you’re able to lead a healthy and happy life.
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Article Sources:
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body.aspx
https://www.stress.org/stress-effects/
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Epinephrine-(Adrenaline).aspx
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml
https://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health/can-stress-affect-low-testosterone.aspx
http://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/progesterone.aspx
http://www.babymed.com/fertility/effects-stress-your-reproductive-health-and-fertility
http://www.womenlivingnaturally.com/articlepage.php?id=72
http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/articles/3-common-causes-of-estrogen-dominance/
http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/how-your-hormones-really-affect-your-sex-drive-what-to-do-about-it/
http://www.womenlivingnaturally.com/articlepage.php?id=35
http://www.yourhormones.info/glands/adrenal-glands/
http://www.healthline.com/health/stress/effects-on-body
