Unfortunately, to be constantly under stress is part of everyday life for many people.
A hectic job and a turbulent family life have become normal in modern society.
Read here what stress is, how you can recognize whether you are stressed and which strategies really help against stress.
What is stress?
Stress is a natural physical response that was vital to our ancestors’ survival. If they faced a saber-toothed tiger in the Stone Age, the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline put the body on alert. The only options they had were “fight” or “flight”.
For both options, the body had a solution to provide the energy needed in a matter of seconds.
When you feel stress, your body provides you with the resources you need to fight or flee:
Your body is releasing the stress hormones norepinephrine and adrenaline which put your body on alert.
It also triggers emotions such as fear and anger.
Your heart rate and blood pressure rise, your muscles tense, you are breathing faster.
But did you notice, that in a really stressful situation you normally never have to go to the toilet? Yes, under stress your body even surpresses body functions that are not needed at that moment.
Although we hardly face real survival situations in our lives anymore, our bodies have not adapted to this new way of living. The physical reactions of our bodies remain the same to this day.
And to be honest, with deadlines and hectic everyday life it can even make sense to have a short-term increase in energy and performance.
However, if we are under constant stress, we do our bodies more harm than good.
The four phases of stress
The biggest problem of our time is that nature provided four phases of the stress response and two of these we mostly skip these days…
- First: the alarm phase. The brain has classified the stimuli received via the sensory organs and classified them as dangerous.
- Second: the stressful phase. The stress hormones activate the organism.
- Third: the action phase. The person fights or flees.
- Fourth: the relaxation phase. The body can recover and regenerate.
Regardless of whether it is persistent pressure to perform, perfectionism, overstimulation, existential fears or the double burden of family and work – in our society today there are numerous factors that can put us under constant stress.
Which means that in addition to the “fight” or “flight” options, there is another option: “freeze” – remaining in the situation.
As a result, your body cannot reduce the stress and your body remains permanently on alert.
Consequences of stress
But if you are constantly feeling under pressure, you will clearly feel the consequences:
- restlessness
- sweating
- poor concentration
- sleep disorders
- racing heart
- tremble
- high blood pressure
- gastrointestinal complaints
- unhealthy eating behaviors
This constantly feeling under pressure or “chronic stress” weakens your immune system and it is making you more susceptible to diseases.
In addition, the permanently high blood pressure increases even the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
On top of that, those who suffer from constant stress often develop depression or burnout.
5 great tips to reduce stress
Nobody goes through life completely stress-free.
The body and mind need a certain amount of stress.
But too much negative stress can make you sick in the long run.
That is why it is important to learn to reduce your own stress.
Here are 5 great tips to reduce stress:
Laugh.
Laughter is a great stress reliever. It is not only relieving your stress response but also relieving the tension by relaxing your muscles.
Find a comedy, a comic, a funny TV show or spend some time with friends who make you laugh.
Yoga
Research has found that yoga can enhance mood and may even be as effective as antidepressant drugs at treating depression and anxiety. No wonder it is around for over 5,000 years! If you want you can follow the steps in the video below.
Sleep
A good night’s sleep is the best way to start your day. Because sleep is a powerful stress reducer. If you follow a regular sleep routine it calms and restores your body, it improves your concentration, regulates your mood, and sharpens your judgment and decision-making.
By the way: an adult needs 7 -9 of sleep and children 8-10! If you have lesser sleep – you don’t do yourself a favour.
If it happens more than once in a week it makes you not only feeling groggy and grumpy. It also drains your mental abilities and puts your physical health at real risk!
If you have problems in falling asleep or sleeping deep, try some deep sleep music.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise decreases stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases endorphins – your body’s “feel-good” chemicals – giving your mood a natural boost. Build up your fitness level gradually. It does not need to be a run or vigorous exercise; you can go for a brisk walk, too.
Deep breathing
Research shows that breathing techniques are not only very effective in reducing stress in our lives, but they are remarkably easy to learn and use at any time. Here is a short video which shows you the 5 steps to master abdominal breathing. Do them at least once a day or whenever you feel stressed.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Caydee Schwarz and I write about personal development, success and happiness.
Let’s be honest: all of us want to live a happy life and fulfilled life. And every day, a lot of us fail in our attempt to get there. Our thoughts, the right inner attitude and the right knowledge empower us to create our life according to our wishes. Knowing what our mission is and what makes us truly happy is the foundation to a happy and fulfilled life. I’ll help you lay that foundation – so you can live the life you want.