Stress, stress and more stress!

What does the word stress mean to you? Would you say you are stressed? If you answered yes, then you are not alone.

Statistics show that around 75% of adults in the UK feel stressed or overwhelmed and, due to the current pandemic, these figures are likely to increase in the future.

Stress can have a variety of effects on the body and it is one of the leading contributors to mental health problems.

There should be no stigma with feeling stressed or unable to meet all the demands of life, but sadly there can be. If you feel that you may be seen as weak, out of control or useless if you admit to being stressed or overwhelmed, I can guarantee that these feelings will be contributing to your stress levels. The real truth is that someone sitting next to you may also be feeling the same way – look at the statistics!

I find that understanding stress and the mechanisms behind it is essential to pinpoint your triggers, reduce your stress load and effectively manage your stress hormones and symptoms.

The stress response

The stress response is an ancient response that helps the body to respond to threats and challenges. Also called the ‘fight or flight’ response, it involves the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Acute stress helps to keep us from danger, hormones released redirect blood from skin and digestive organs to skeletal muscle, the brain, the liver and arteries. Stgress hormones increase blood pressure and dilate airways to improve oxygen intake. This all prepares the body to run form the threat! Once the danger has passed, stress hormones should be ‘reset’ and hormone levels subside.

The trouble is, in modern society the ‘fight or flight’ response in the body remains inappropriately activated due to increasing demands and pressures. This leads to chronic stress which is known to increase the risk of other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, inflammation and poor gut health.

Where does stress come from?

Overstimulation of the stress response may be due to many factors and, in fact, each and every one of us may respond differently to a stressor. For some, a small stressor may have profound effects whilst others may have a higher tolerance to stressors.

There are many different kinds of stressors and they range from nutritional or chemical in nature to psychological or emotional. Common stressors may include work pressures, problems with relationships, financial issues, poor dietary choices, high exposure to chemicals and even poor sleep. 

Stress symptoms

Stress can bring many physical and psychological signs and symptoms; one of the most common symptoms is the feeling of being ‘tired but wired’. Other common symptoms include:

• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Mood swings and irritability
• Headaches
• Brain fog
• Anxiety and depression
• Insomnia
• Palpitations
• High blood pressure
• PMS and menstrual disturbances
• Low libido
• Digestive problems such as cramp and loose stools
• Muscle or joint aches and pains
• Frequent colds and infections.

With so many diverse symptoms, stress is often misdiagnosed or not fully recognised.

Where to begin with stress management

If you are overwhelmed and experience several physical or psychological stress symptoms, then taking action sooner rather than later can help to reduce the long term effects of stress and help you to feel better in the short term. Here are a few suggestions of where to start:

Pause

STOP! Step back from everything that is going on and give yourself a break. This may mean taking a little time off work or pausing plans. It is important to avoid carrying on ‘as usual’ as this just increases overwhelm. You may experience feelings of guilt, shame or embarrassment that you have to take time out – dwelling on these feelings can make you feel worse. Let them go – you are not alone in having to take a break. A short period where you can evaluate your situation and find a way forward is vital to ensure you fully understand which stress management solutions are most beneficial for your situation.

Take a breath

The stress response not only involves hormones but also involves the nervous system. Two parts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) work to keep a balance between ‘fight or flight’ (sympathetic nervous system) or ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic nervous system).

The balance between these two systems is ever changing and will fluctuate throughout the day but a considerable part of the day should be spent in parasympathetic mode. 

So, what has taking a breath got to do with this? Well, although the parasympathetic nervous system mostly works by itself (no thought needed) it can be influenced by certain activities such as breathing techniques. Supporting the parasympathetic nervous system can help to restore calm, reduce stress hormones and improve symptoms.

During times of stress it is common to take short, shallow breaths and to slump over – this causes inefficient breathing.

The art of Pranayama, a collection of breathing exercises integral to many yoga practices has been shown in studies to have a positive effect on the parasympathetic nervous system and stress.

Becoming more conscious of breathing and using simple techniques to start with can be a great first step to take to tackle stress. You may want to start with some easy breathing. Start by incorporating easy breathing once or twice a day. Once you feel comfortable with this technique you can move on to other methods like the 4-7-8 method or alternate nostril breathing.

Easy breathing

1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
3. Take a slow breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
4. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out. Exhale fully.
5. Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.
6. Notice how you feel at the end of the breathing exercise.

Be realistic

Before identifying where you are going to make changes it is important to be realistic. Stress builds up over time and your symptoms probably didn’t all happen at once overnight. It makes sense then that any changes you make may take a while to kick in. Don’t expect to feel 100% again after 2-3 weeks; it may take several interventions and many months to get back on track.

A common mistake when it comes to stress management is to make one or two changes, feel motivated to begin with and after several weeks with no change to give up.

It may help to do a timeline – write down when you experienced a specific symptom, what came before it?  Can you identify a specific event or experience that you felt played a role? Do this for all your symptoms or feelings and once this is complete step back and take a look. You may be surprised at how far back your symptoms began, for some people this can be years.

Take this information and make note of the length of time – this can be a valuable reminder during your stress management journey and help to put progress into perspective.

Find your stressors

Take another look at the stressor diagram above – stress comes in many forms and it is useful to sit down and look at your personal circumstances and identify which areas provide the most stressors for your situation.

Remember stress may be:

Nutritional

Chemical

Physical

Emotional

Psychosocial

Environmental

Use the headings above and write down as many of your stressors as you can under each. If you feel there are one or two areas that provide the most significant amount of stress then write these in red or underline them.

Once you are finished it can be useful to leave it for a couple of days and then to revisit your list, you may find that other stressors come to mind.

Armed with a list of stressors, you may find a few that clearly jump out and you may be able to select the top 2-3 areas you can begin working on.

Eat right

Food not only provides fuel for the body but vital nutrients that have complex involvement in good health. During times of stress it can be typical to choose foods that bring comfort or are more convenient. Choosing these kinds of foods may make the situation worse and over the long term you may run low on essential vitamins and minerals.

Choosing the right foods can be vital to ensure good stress management. One of the key areas to work on is blood sugar balance. The adrenal glands during stress are overworked and when blood sugar fluctuates they are called upon to restore balance. Keeping healthy blood sugar balance reduces the pressure on the adrenals.  Key areas to consider include:

• Eating regular meals
• Avoiding sugary, sweet foods and drinks
• Keeping caffeine low
• Eating good protein with each meal
• Including heathy fibre
• Avoiding alcohol
• Choosing a variety of fruit and vegetables each day and eating 8-10 portions
• Including healthy omega 3 fats from oily fish or nuts and seeds.

Support with supplements

Chronic stress may impact nutrient stores and a little extra support to restore levels may be useful. Quality nutritional and herbal supplements, alongside a healthy diet, may help to undo the effects of stress.

Stress supportive nutrients include:

• B complex
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• Chromium
• Omega 3
• Theanine
• Probiotics

Adaptogenic herbs have compounds that show a regulatory and supportive action on the adrenal stress reaction and they may be useful during chronic stress. These include:

Rhodiola – A very gentle herb that may be particularly useful for fatigue, mood and memory function.

Ashwagandha – traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to protect the reproductive system from stress, offer support for the nerves and to reduce fatigue and pain.

Ginseng – A family of herbs including Panax and American ginsengs have shown anti-stress actions and may help to fight the symptoms associated with stress.  Although they have been used traditionally to aid in stress they don’t suit everyone.  Siberian ginseng, although not a true ginseng, has been shown to offer more gentle stress support.

Sleep well

Easier said than done, stress can leave the mind reeling and may prevent you getting to sleep, or can lead to frequent night wakings.

The key with good sleep is to keep a good routine, particularly when it comes to getting up. Setting your circadian rhythm with light exposure and a good routine can positively impact health.

Aim to get up at the same time of day, every day, regardless of whether you are working, it is the weekend or you are on holiday. Set an alarm if you have to, you will find over time you will be less and less reliant upon the alarm and will naturally wake up at the set time.

Get good exposure to natural daylight before noon, in the darker months you may find investing in a SAD lamp useful.

When it comes to bedtime make sure the environment is right, keep the room on the cooler side, block out light and sound and make sure there are no digital devices in the bedroom.

If you are truly having a bad night’s sleep then avoid staying in bed tossing and turning, get up and find something relaxing to do. This can be reading under a dim lamp, knitting, writing a letter or practicing breathing techniques or mindfulness. Once you feel a little more relaxed and sleepy then head back to bed.

Calm and nourish the mind

Stress can cause a hamster wheel of thoughts churning in the mind and it can be hard to switch off. Making sure you incorporate calming activities can help to positively occupy the mind (preventing ruminating – going over and over things with no solution).

If you already have an activity that you find enjoyable and nourishing then prioritise more time to do this. If you are looking for something new then you could start with arts and crafts – this can be something as simple as mindful colouring, painting, journal writing or scrap booking or can include more intricate activities like knitting, crochet or sewing.

Yoga, tai chi and Qigong are all beneficial for body and mind and help to stimulate the all-important stress relieving parasympathetic nervous system.

Talk

Opening up and discussing your situation, thoughts and feelings with someone else is vital. Bottling it all up adds to the pressure you are under and doesn’t help you to move forward. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing things with a friend or relative then seek outside support, a forum or support group may be useful. Talking to a qualified and experienced counsellor can help you to identify issues and a way through your situation.

Identifying key areas to work on and incorporating several changes can help you to build resilience against stress. It can sometimes feel that stress is inevitable – it may be true that life will always bring many challenges, but it is the approach you adopt to these challenges that influences how you respond.

The more stress management tools you incorporate, the more resilience you will have.

Kelly

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