How Stress Affects Your Body And Mind

Whether we try to avoid it or not, stress will always find a way into our lives. The trick is not to try and avoid it, but to learn how to manage it and use it to your advantage!

Today we’re going to look at the different kinds of stress and how they affect mental and physical health, as well as our ability to heal. 

We’ll also look at what you can do to reduce your stress levels and how chiropractic care can help with this. 

What Is Stress? 

Stress is a chemical response that happens in our brains when we are exposed to excess pressure for too long, or when we feel threatened in some way. 

It’s actually a relic of our primitive brain, when being in the “fight or flight” response that stress causes, could quite literally save our lives. 

To put us in this state, our brains release stress hormones called cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These can be useful in small doses, but become a problem if we are exposed to them for too long. 

Stress has taken on a different meaning in the modern age, and while our lives are not in danger from ancient predators anymore, the same response is still triggered in our brain when we are under excess emotional pressure.  

Firstly, let’s look at the negative effects that too much stress can cause to our bodies and minds. 

The Bad Kind Of Stress 

Think of a bucket that is gradually getting filled with little drops of water. You are the bucket, and the water is stress. 

Normally, we can empty the bucket of any stress that has built up thanks to our body’s relaxation response. When we live under stressful situations for too long, this response does not get a chance to activate, and more and more drips keep filling the bucket. It doesn’t take long until the bucket starts overflowing! 

This is chronic stress. Our bodies, and more specifically our nervous system, can no longer cope with all the stress chemicals that have built up, and physical symptoms start to present themselves. 

Symptoms of chronic stress include: 

·      Extreme fatigue

·      A compromised immune system resulting in increased chances of developing illnesses or infections

·      Muscular tension which can result in aches and pains

·      Feelings of overwhelm, lack of control and helplessness

·      Irritability and difficulty concentrating

·      Problems falling or staying asleep

As you can imagine, each of these symptoms can lead to further health problems, causing more stress and creating a snowball effect. This can affect every area of our lives, including our ability to heal. 

How Stress Affects Healing 

When our body is in a state of chronic stress, it’s concerned with one thing. Surviving.  

That means anything that is not essential for keeping us alive is put on the “back burner” as our body tries to deal with the more serious threat, whether that be real or imagined. 

Even though work deadlines, financial difficulties, or problems at home don’t actually present a threat to our lives, at a chemical level, our body does not know this and consequently enters a fight or flight response.  

The effect this survival state has on our body can be perceived in a very real way. 

Many studies have been carried out on the effects that stress has on wound healing. They found, not only do wounds take longer to heal while we are under the influence of extreme stress and anxiety, but the presence of stress chemicals like cortisol can increase the amount of pain we feel due to the increased muscular tension. 

This makes the healing process unpredictable. At best, a simple wound can end up taking a lot more time to heal, and at worst it can develop into a more serious problem or condition. 

Chronic stress is something that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later as it can quickly spiral out of control. But as those who have dealt with this condition can attest, it can be hard to see a way out when stress has taken over our lives. 

So, what’s the solution? 

Stress Management 

First and foremost, you need to identify the cause of your stress. This might be one big thing or lots of little things, but either way, you need to take steps to limit the impact it’s having on your wellbeing. 

You may need to speak with your boss, family members or a social service like the Samaritans for help. Asking for help can be hard, but it’s the first and most important step to take. 

Once those around you are aware of your struggles, you can begin to focus on your recovery. 

There are several habits you can cultivate that will help remove excess stress from your system. These include: 

Regular Exercise 

This might seem counterintuitive at first. When your body is pushed to the limit with stress, why would you then go and put it through a workout to add more fuel to the fire? 

However, exercise is fantastic for removing stress chemicals from the body, boosting your mood, giving you an outlet to focus your frustrations on and even helping you sleep better. You don’t need to hit the gym or start running marathons to get these benefits. 

Any kind of movement that gets your blood pumping can be beneficial. This includes taking your dog for a walk, dancing in the living room or even gardening. When you find a kind of movement you enjoy and make it a daily habit, I promise you it won’t be long before you start seeing benefits across all areas of your life. 

Diet 

You don’t need a perfect diet, but most of what you eat should be food that is healthy, natural, and nutritious. Try to steer away from food that is highly processed, high in sugar and drinks that are high in caffeine. Instead opt for vegetables, fruits, foods high in protein like fish, eggs, or chicken and drink more water. I’m sure you’ve heard our bodies are around 60-70% water, and by staying hydrated your mind will perform better and so will your body. 

This will ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to look after itself. It’s also advisable to supplement vitamins C and B, as well as magnesium, as these specifically support the adrenal glands. 

Lastly, try your best to not skip any meals as this can contribute to increased stress levels too. 

Slow Down 

Find a way to put the brakes on. When you are experiencing chronic stress, the world around you can pass by in a blur. By making a conscious decision to stop and take time for yourself you will begin to notice the things around and inside you that you might not have paid attention to in quite a while. 

This might be the friends and family around you, the little things you do each day without thinking, or the quality of the thoughts that run through your head.  

That last one is a big one. Internal self-talk can have a huge impact on the quality of life we lead. If you want to read more about managing your thoughts, then click here to read my previous blog on the subject.  

Chiropractic Care 

As we discussed earlier, chronic pain can cause muscular tension, which can lead to aches and pains as well as more serious spinal conditions over time. Chiropractic care can help release this muscular tension, aiding circulation and removing pressure off the spine. 

Spinal and neck adjustments can also decrease or prevent other symptoms of stress, such as headaches. Often the relief of this physical pain can result in the lifting of the emotional pain that accompanies it. 

When you come to see us a Chilton Chiropractic, as part of your first assessment we perform a Heart Rate Variability test (HRV). 

This is a great tool that lets us see the time variability between your heartbeats and can be an extremely effective method of gauging how much stress your body is under. We will perform this test periodically throughout your care plan with us so you can see how your body’s stress levels are responding to treatment. 

The Good Kind Of Stress 

All this talk of stress might make you think you need to do whatever you can to avoid it, but stress is not always a bad thing. 

A little bit of stress (what we call acute stress) is actually good for us. Zero stress usually means we are not pushing ourselves at all and we’re not doing anything to expand our comfort zones. This can lead to stagnation, boredom and eventually depression. 

The right amount of acute stress can help us accomplish tasks, improve concentration, and boost performance. 

Like all things in life, it’s about balance. By learning to manage your stress levels you will not only achieve more and have better relationships, but you will be healthier and happier too! 

If you have any questions about the topics discussed today, please get in touch or leave a comment below. 

Love Nathan x