Feeling stressed lately?
Honestly, aren’t we all?
Packed to-do lists, managing finances, relational struggles, workplace drama, parenting challenges…let’s face it, we all have plenty to be stressed about these days, and that list is just the “typical” stressors associated with adult life.
That doesn’t even include stress that comes from extraneous or abnormal stressors stemming from things like current events (I’m looking at you gas prices.)
Although we often think of stress as a mental health struggle (and it does, of course, impact our mental health) stress is often more systemic than that. We simply cannot exist in a state of prolonged stress without experiencing whole-body side effects.
Let’s break this down:
First of all, there is a difference between “acute stress” and “chronic stress.”
Acute stress is short stress. It comes and goes pretty quickly. This would include things like being stuck in traffic or getting into an argument with a loved one. It’s not pleasant, but also doesn’t tend to be long-lasting.
Acute stress is often an unavoidable part of life. Sure, there are things you can do to minimize some experiences of acute stress, but you can always avoid the traffic jam. It just happens sometimes.
Here’s the good thing: The body tends to be really good at managing acute stress and typically bounces back quickly from these moments.
Chronic stress is long-term stress. These are stressful situations and circumstances that are consistent in your life. In other words, they don’t pass quickly and they become part of your “normal” routine.
Examples of chronic stress may include having a toxic work environment, living in a dangerous neighborhood, or caring for a medically fragile loved one.
What happens in the body when we experience stress?
When we encounter a stressful situation, our adrenal glands create and release the stress hormone “Cortisol.”
This hormone works to increase your heart rate and blood pressure. It helps to make you more alert and reactive. To put it simply, this is your body’s “fight or flight” response that is necessary for survival.
In small doses, cortisol is a good hormone. It helps us deal with and process situations of acute stress.
That being said, we are not meant to operate perpetually with high levels of cortisol running through our systems.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of living with chronic stress. We become stuck in a loop of cortisol production. These high-stress environments tell our brains to keep pumping out stress hormones. Basically, we get stuck in “fight or flight.”
This cycle can lead to some serious whole-body health consequences, including:
- Digestive problems such as stomach ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome
- Adrenal fatigue
- Thyroid imbalances
- Weight management difficulties (i.e unexplained weight loss or weight gain)
- Heart disease caused by a prolonged increase in blood pressure
- Hair loss
- Suppressed immune system
If this is sounding a little too familiar, it may be that your body is running and operating on stress hormones.
In honor of April being “Stress Awareness” month, we’ve decided to dedicate this upcoming month’s blog content to unpacking more deeply the effects that chronic stress can have on the body as well as some tips and suggestions for managing your cortisol levels.
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Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
