What is Stress?
Stress is a situation that triggers a particular biological response. When you perceive a threat or a major challenge, chemicals and hormones surge throughout your body.
Stress hormones
One of these hormones is adrenaline, known as epinephrine or the fight-or-flight hormone.
In rapid fashion, adrenaline works to:
While this is helpful in the moment, frequent adrenaline surges can lead to:
- damaged blood vessels
- high blood pressure, or hypertension
- higher risk of heart attack and stroke
- headaches
- anxiety
- insomnia
- weight gain
While this is helpful in the moment, frequent adrenaline surges can lead to:
- damaged blood vessels
- high blood pressure, or hypertension
- higher risk of heart attack and stroke
- headaches
- anxiety
- insomnia
- weight gain
Stress triggers your fight-or-flight response in order to fight the stressors or run away from it. Typically, after the response occurs, your body should relax.
Is all stress bad?
Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is what helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors survive and help them keep their wits about them amid chaos. It’s important in today’s world as it could be helpful when it comes to meeting a tight deadline. Your wedding day, for example, may be considered a good form of stress.
We all feel stressed at times, but what one person finds stressful may be very different from what another finds stressful. Public speaking is a typical example. Some love the thrill while others become paralysed at the thought of it.
On the other hand, severe, frequent, or prolonged stress can be mentally and physically harmful. Life being what it is, it’s not possible to eliminate stress completely. Stress is common, but we can learn to avoid it when possible and manage it when it’s unavoidable.
Cortisol is another important stress hormone.
We all feel stressed at times, but what one person finds stressful may be very different from what another finds stressful. Public speaking is a typical example. Some love the thrill while others become paralysed at the thought of it.
On the other hand, severe, frequent, or prolonged stress can be mentally and physically harmful. Life being what it is, it’s not possible to eliminate stress completely. Stress is common, but we can learn to avoid it when possible and manage it when it’s unavoidable.
Cortisol is another important stress hormone.
Stress and Cortisol
Cortisol plays an essential role in stressful situations. Among its functions are:
- raising the amount of glucose in your bloodstream
- helping the brain use glucose more effectively
- raising the accessibility of substances that help with tissue repair
- restraining functions that are nonessential in a life-threatening situation
- altering immune system response
- dampening the reproductive system and growth process
- affecting parts of the brain that control fear, motivation, and mood
All these help you deal more effectively with a high-stress situation. It’s a normal process and crucial to human survival.
But if your cortisol levels stay high for too long, it has a negative impact on your health. It can contribute to:
- weight gain
- high blood pressure
- sleep problems
- lack of energy
- type 2 diabetes
- osteoporosis
- mental cloudiness (brain fog) and memory problems
- a weakened immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections
It can also have a negative impact on your mood.
All these help you deal more effectively with a high-stress situation. It’s a normal process and crucial to human survival.
But if your cortisol levels stay high for too long, it has a negative impact on your health. It can contribute to:
- weight gain
- high blood pressure
- sleep problems
- lack of energy
- type 2 diabetes
- osteoporosis
- mental cloudiness (brain fog) and memory problems
- a weakened immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections
It can also have a negative impact on your mood.
Causes of stress
Some typical causes of acute or chronic stress include, living with chronic illness, surviving a life-threatening accident or illness, and being the victim of a crime
Family related stressors such as an abusive relationship, an unhappy marriage, prolonged divorce proceedings, child custody issues, caregiving for a loved one with a chronic illness like dementia, living in poverty or being homeless, having little work-life balance, working long hours, or having a job you hate are other potential causes.
Whatever the cause, the effect on the body can be serious if left unmanaged.