Stress is a physical and mental response to either external or internal events. It's the FIGHT/FLIGHT response to danger, threat, unknown environment, being overwhelmed, too much work, etc. We all cope with stress in different ways. Some are healthy or adaptive and some are unhealthy or maladaptive. Stress will always be there, the difference is in the way we deal or cope with it. The best and most effective ways tend to be a
complete change of life style in so many areas (will be discussed below) and not temporary and quick fix remedies. Overall, most people can deal with stress well, and there are so many things you can do to cope with it. However, if ignored, it could be a deadly killer. It's known to be the cause of many mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and exacerbating others such as bipolar and schizophrenia. It's also the cause of many physical problems ranging from
headaches and stomachaches to high blood pressure and heart attacks. The good news is that it's manageable if you are willing to make some changes in your life.
Physiology of Stress
When our livelihood is threatened, our body goes into what is known as fight or flight response. This is also known as a fear response. However, stress is not always a result of life threatening situations. The fight/flight response can occur at low levels simply by just trying to deal with a traffic jam or a difficult boss. To better understand stress from a physical perspective, a good example of stress is the legs of a table. The tabletop and whatever is on it has weight through gravity and puts a pressure on each leg. The tabletop will remain stable until the weight of the tabletop exceeds the limits with which the legs can withstand, or if you weaken the legs. When it comes to our own stress, in a way, it's no different than the example above. (More details on this later...) For now will focus on the physiology of what occurs in our body and brain when are confronted with situations and events.
When a situation is perceived to be threatening, our body goes into a fight or flight state. The pituitary gland (the master gland) in the brain orders the release of Adrenaline (Epinephrine). Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands (above the kidneys) to prepare the body into the fight/flight state. This includes the following changes in the body:
• Increased heart rate
• Increased breathing rate
• Elevation in blood pressure
• Increased acid secretion in the stomach
• Muscle tension
• Sweating
• Heightening of senses
• And many other physical changes
These changes occur in order to prepare the body to deal with the stressor (event) whether physical (such as illness, trauma, surgery, or temperature extremes) or psychological. These reactions and physical changes require lots of energy especially for the brain. In order to get this energy, another hormone known as cortisol is released from the adrenal cortex (above the kidneys). Among cortisol's functions in the body include regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular function as well as regulation of the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Cortisol also releases energy from the muscles breaking it down into amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and releasing it into the blood stream. This is required to help the liver synthesize glucose for energy. This raises blood sugar levels so that the brain will have more available energy.
That's why, if one has diabetes, stress is a serious problem since it increases blood sugar in the blood stream. Cortisol also leads to the release of fatty acids, an energy source from fat cells, for use by the muscles. On a short term basis this is very good, however, if the stress is continuous and not dealt with effectively, cortisol's continuous secretion is harmful to the body. Long term secretions can weaken bones, release too much fat in the blood stream, which could cause heart attacks and strokes. It lowers the immune system which leaves us defenseless against infections and disease. Cortisol byproducts can also kills brain cells, which may lead to many problems ranging from depression and anxiety to memory deficits. Latest research suggests a suspected link to Alzheimer's disease as well as Parkinson's.
As you can see, stress is not a psychological factor, but a physical one, too. Therefore managing and coping with stress is extremely important. Below are important aspects to consider in dealing with stress.
Dealing with Stress
As seen from above, since stress impacts us physically, it's of the utmost of importance to make sure that our physiology is in shape to deal with stress. Such practical coping skills include the following:
• Food: Our energy comes from the food/water we intake. So, both the quantity and quality of food is very important. It is important to have a full healthy balanced diet. Make sure to eat foods that contain proteins (meat, chicken, legumes), carbohydrates (vegetables and fruits), and fats (already found in meats and some vegetables. Most of us have been taught to eat 3 square meals per day. However, the latest research suggest for better health, balanced energy and diet, to have 5 to 6 smaller meals per day instead. This will keep our energy balanced and stable rather than going through starvation and satiation every 5 to 6 hours. Water is very important too. Six to eight cups (8 Oz.) of water is the daily recommended dosage. Soda, coffee or teas don't count as water. Things that will not help our energy or our body to deal with stress effectively may include caffeine, sugar, nicotine, carbonated water etc. Excess fat, deep-fried foods, candy and sweets will impair our ability to perform effectively and process energy efficiently.
• Sleep: Sleep's main purpose is for the body to rest and the brain to consolidate the information taken in during the day and process it and file it during sleep. According to research, the average person requires a minimum of 6-8 hours per night. In addition, the pattern of sleep is also important. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time 7 days per week. Disruption of this pattern plays havoc with our body's internal clock and may deplete us of rest and energy, if anything, it will increase our stress. Additionally, deep sleep is also important. We go through several cycles of sleep each night (4 to 6 cycles). Each cycle lasts approximately 1.5 hours and goes through 4 stages including a stage known as R.E.M (Rapid Eye Movement) which is the stage where we have our dreams. If we are not going through all 4 cycles, meaning we are having shallow sleep, we may not get the rest the body requires. Therefore, make sure that your sleeping environment is conducive for sleep such as light, sound, temperature, comfort, and enough breathing oxygen.
• Exercise: Wherever you turn, whatever magazine you read, TV, Radio, Internet, the buzz word today is EXERCISE. Research study after research study links good health with exercise. Latest research suggests that as little as 10 minute-walks per day could be a good start for the road to good health. Three to four hours of exercise per week reduces the risk of heart attack by 35% for women, according to one research. Exercise increases our breathing rate, heart rate and blood flow to our body's tissues. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients. Additionally, our brain secrets Endorphins (Endogenous Morphine) which make us feel good and are excellent pain killers. Additionally, these chemicals produced by the brain help promote growth and the immune system. By increasing the blood flow in the body, this eventually will help decrease the heart's work which lowers our blood pressure and the ease and efficiency by which we metabolize energy.
The above three areas are not the only things that can help good health or combat stress. However, they are major and a good start. Regardless, dealing and coping with stress should not be a temporary remedy, but a life style. Below are other areas that could also help dealing with stress.
The Mental Process
The three basic components of the mental process include our THINKING process, which include our Beliefs, Values, Experience, Memories, and Attitudes. Our FEELINGS, such as Moods, Emotions (sadness, joy, love, anger, anxiety, pleasure, etc.) Finally our BEHAVIORS which are the acts we do in response to our thoughts and feelings. The best way to illustrate the impact of our mental process on stress could be illustrated by few examples:
The Impact of Beliefs - Joe believes that people cannot be trusted. How do you think Joe would feel around stranger? Can you see how Joe would get stressed in social settings? He may even feel anxious, fearful, and very uncomfortable around people. Stress may not occur from the event but from the way we perceive the event. This has a lot to do with how we think.
The Impact of Feelings – Sally is in a bad mood. She was going out with her friends for a bite when they were met with a bad traffic jam. Can you see how Sally would deal with this stressful experience? Will she be patient? What do you think her decisions will be like? As you can see, something like our mood can change the way we deal with stress. If our mood is good, events such as a traffic jam in car full of friends may not bother us as much.
The Impact of Behavior - Edward is been lying down on his couch for several hours waiting for his friend to go to the movies together. Can you predict how Edward might feel about going to the movies now? Can you see how engaging in behaviors such as lying down or being inactive for hours can do to doing something as simple as going to the movies? Such behaviors may make going to the movies feel like a horrendous activity and therefore an activity that may bring you pleasure or entertainment may feel so stressful to do.
The Coping Skills
We all develop skills to help deal with our environment. We also develop skills to deal with the stress that may come from both external and internal stressors. Some coping skills are healthy and others aren't. These make a huge difference in coping with stressful events. Healthy coping skills include preventative techniques such as a healthy diet, good sleep, exercise, annual checkups, education, social support, and hobbies. Healthy dealings with stress after the event occurs include positive techniques such as a rational assessment of what happened, waiting for our emotions to subside before making decisions, asking for help, seeking experts, and many others. In contrast, unhealthy coping skills may include, alcohol, drugs, gambling, over eating, engaging in promiscuous sexual activities, smoking, anger, fighting, etc. The later can help deal with stress on a temporary basis, but the long term effects are not only detrimental to health but prevent us from dealing with future stressors. It is very important that we practice healthy coping skills in advance and have it become a second nature to us so when we are faced with stress, we can deal with it effectively and without delay. A good example of this is practicing an earthquake preparation-drill. Once it's practiced in advance, the onset of an unexpected earthquake will have us fully prepared for any size quake.
Below are visual illustrations of the interaction of our physical, mental and coping skills in dealing with events and stress.
P = Physical State
T = Thinking Process
F = Feeling Process
B = Behavior Process
S = Coping Skills
Event = Anything that occurs in the field of our senses (internal and external)
Stress = The ending result of our interaction with the event.
In this example, our physical, mental states and our coping skills are all in excellent condition, therefore
our stress level is very low.
In this example, the physical, mental states and coping skills are all low, therefore our stress is very high.
This is a cascade effect, when one of our states go down it impacts all others. Research suggests that our mood is connected to our energy level. The more energy we have the better our mood. When our mood is up, we are able to access our positive thoughts better therefore perceive events more positively than lower mood states. It is important to be aware of this process because it will help us deal with our environment better which includes social interactions.
Other Factors
Other factors that play a role in our stress can be our social encounters or our support systems. If our support system is troublesome or not really supportive, it may make any event stressful. It is important to make sure that our social system is healthy. We may have not been able to choose our family, but we can certainly choose our friends. Therefore, healthy, supportive, caring friends are very important. It's not the number of friends we have but the quality. One good best friend is all we need. Having such a friend just to vent to, or do things with could make a huge difference in dealing with our day-to-day stressors. Some of us might have also learned that HELP = WEAKNESS. This is not true. Asking for help requires strength (GUTS!). We must remember that we are social beings for a reason. We can't do it all by ourselves. That's why it's imperative to ask for help. Asking for help can reduce stress drastically.
Communication is another factor. Effective and direct communication, the ability to express our thoughts and feelings freely may help us deal with our stress. Some stressors simply come from the inability to communicate or express ourselves. The language you use to express yourself, the tone of voice, and the manner with which you do it, will make a huge difference. For example, asserting ourselves, protecting our boundaries, and defending our rights is very important determinant of how stress impacts us. The inability to do so will cause tremendous stress on our well-being. When communicating, using "I" statements is not only healthy, but diffuses conflicts. It also removes blame and helps us take responsibility for ourselves and not blame others for it. It also gives us much more control over our lives.
Physiology of Stress
When our livelihood is threatened, our body goes into what is known as fight or flight response. This is also known as a fear response. However, stress is not always a result of life threatening situations. The fight/flight response can occur at low levels simply by just trying to deal with a traffic jam or a difficult boss. To better understand stress from a physical perspective, a good example of stress is the legs of a table. The tabletop and whatever is on it has weight through gravity and puts a pressure on each leg. The tabletop will remain stable until the weight of the tabletop exceeds the limits with which the legs can withstand, or if you weaken the legs. When it comes to our own stress, in a way, it's no different than the example above. (More details on this later...) For now will focus on the physiology of what occurs in our body and brain when are confronted with situations and events.
When a situation is perceived to be threatening, our body goes into a fight or flight state. The pituitary gland (the master gland) in the brain orders the release of Adrenaline (Epinephrine). Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands (above the kidneys) to prepare the body into the fight/flight state. This includes the following changes in the body:
• Increased heart rate
• Increased breathing rate
• Elevation in blood pressure
• Increased acid secretion in the stomach
• Muscle tension
• Sweating
• Heightening of senses
• And many other physical changes
These changes occur in order to prepare the body to deal with the stressor (event) whether physical (such as illness, trauma, surgery, or temperature extremes) or psychological. These reactions and physical changes require lots of energy especially for the brain. In order to get this energy, another hormone known as cortisol is released from the adrenal cortex (above the kidneys). Among cortisol's functions in the body include regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular function as well as regulation of the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Cortisol also releases energy from the muscles breaking it down into amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and releasing it into the blood stream. This is required to help the liver synthesize glucose for energy. This raises blood sugar levels so that the brain will have more available energy.
That's why, if one has diabetes, stress is a serious problem since it increases blood sugar in the blood stream. Cortisol also leads to the release of fatty acids, an energy source from fat cells, for use by the muscles. On a short term basis this is very good, however, if the stress is continuous and not dealt with effectively, cortisol's continuous secretion is harmful to the body. Long term secretions can weaken bones, release too much fat in the blood stream, which could cause heart attacks and strokes. It lowers the immune system which leaves us defenseless against infections and disease. Cortisol byproducts can also kills brain cells, which may lead to many problems ranging from depression and anxiety to memory deficits. Latest research suggests a suspected link to Alzheimer's disease as well as Parkinson's.
As you can see, stress is not a psychological factor, but a physical one, too. Therefore managing and coping with stress is extremely important. Below are important aspects to consider in dealing with stress.
Dealing with Stress
As seen from above, since stress impacts us physically, it's of the utmost of importance to make sure that our physiology is in shape to deal with stress. Such practical coping skills include the following:
• Food: Our energy comes from the food/water we intake. So, both the quantity and quality of food is very important. It is important to have a full healthy balanced diet. Make sure to eat foods that contain proteins (meat, chicken, legumes), carbohydrates (vegetables and fruits), and fats (already found in meats and some vegetables. Most of us have been taught to eat 3 square meals per day. However, the latest research suggest for better health, balanced energy and diet, to have 5 to 6 smaller meals per day instead. This will keep our energy balanced and stable rather than going through starvation and satiation every 5 to 6 hours. Water is very important too. Six to eight cups (8 Oz.) of water is the daily recommended dosage. Soda, coffee or teas don't count as water. Things that will not help our energy or our body to deal with stress effectively may include caffeine, sugar, nicotine, carbonated water etc. Excess fat, deep-fried foods, candy and sweets will impair our ability to perform effectively and process energy efficiently.
• Sleep: Sleep's main purpose is for the body to rest and the brain to consolidate the information taken in during the day and process it and file it during sleep. According to research, the average person requires a minimum of 6-8 hours per night. In addition, the pattern of sleep is also important. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time 7 days per week. Disruption of this pattern plays havoc with our body's internal clock and may deplete us of rest and energy, if anything, it will increase our stress. Additionally, deep sleep is also important. We go through several cycles of sleep each night (4 to 6 cycles). Each cycle lasts approximately 1.5 hours and goes through 4 stages including a stage known as R.E.M (Rapid Eye Movement) which is the stage where we have our dreams. If we are not going through all 4 cycles, meaning we are having shallow sleep, we may not get the rest the body requires. Therefore, make sure that your sleeping environment is conducive for sleep such as light, sound, temperature, comfort, and enough breathing oxygen.
• Exercise: Wherever you turn, whatever magazine you read, TV, Radio, Internet, the buzz word today is EXERCISE. Research study after research study links good health with exercise. Latest research suggests that as little as 10 minute-walks per day could be a good start for the road to good health. Three to four hours of exercise per week reduces the risk of heart attack by 35% for women, according to one research. Exercise increases our breathing rate, heart rate and blood flow to our body's tissues. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients. Additionally, our brain secrets Endorphins (Endogenous Morphine) which make us feel good and are excellent pain killers. Additionally, these chemicals produced by the brain help promote growth and the immune system. By increasing the blood flow in the body, this eventually will help decrease the heart's work which lowers our blood pressure and the ease and efficiency by which we metabolize energy.
The above three areas are not the only things that can help good health or combat stress. However, they are major and a good start. Regardless, dealing and coping with stress should not be a temporary remedy, but a life style. Below are other areas that could also help dealing with stress.
The Mental Process
The three basic components of the mental process include our THINKING process, which include our Beliefs, Values, Experience, Memories, and Attitudes. Our FEELINGS, such as Moods, Emotions (sadness, joy, love, anger, anxiety, pleasure, etc.) Finally our BEHAVIORS which are the acts we do in response to our thoughts and feelings. The best way to illustrate the impact of our mental process on stress could be illustrated by few examples:
The Impact of Beliefs - Joe believes that people cannot be trusted. How do you think Joe would feel around stranger? Can you see how Joe would get stressed in social settings? He may even feel anxious, fearful, and very uncomfortable around people. Stress may not occur from the event but from the way we perceive the event. This has a lot to do with how we think.
The Impact of Feelings – Sally is in a bad mood. She was going out with her friends for a bite when they were met with a bad traffic jam. Can you see how Sally would deal with this stressful experience? Will she be patient? What do you think her decisions will be like? As you can see, something like our mood can change the way we deal with stress. If our mood is good, events such as a traffic jam in car full of friends may not bother us as much.
The Impact of Behavior - Edward is been lying down on his couch for several hours waiting for his friend to go to the movies together. Can you predict how Edward might feel about going to the movies now? Can you see how engaging in behaviors such as lying down or being inactive for hours can do to doing something as simple as going to the movies? Such behaviors may make going to the movies feel like a horrendous activity and therefore an activity that may bring you pleasure or entertainment may feel so stressful to do.
The Coping Skills
We all develop skills to help deal with our environment. We also develop skills to deal with the stress that may come from both external and internal stressors. Some coping skills are healthy and others aren't. These make a huge difference in coping with stressful events. Healthy coping skills include preventative techniques such as a healthy diet, good sleep, exercise, annual checkups, education, social support, and hobbies. Healthy dealings with stress after the event occurs include positive techniques such as a rational assessment of what happened, waiting for our emotions to subside before making decisions, asking for help, seeking experts, and many others. In contrast, unhealthy coping skills may include, alcohol, drugs, gambling, over eating, engaging in promiscuous sexual activities, smoking, anger, fighting, etc. The later can help deal with stress on a temporary basis, but the long term effects are not only detrimental to health but prevent us from dealing with future stressors. It is very important that we practice healthy coping skills in advance and have it become a second nature to us so when we are faced with stress, we can deal with it effectively and without delay. A good example of this is practicing an earthquake preparation-drill. Once it's practiced in advance, the onset of an unexpected earthquake will have us fully prepared for any size quake.
Below are visual illustrations of the interaction of our physical, mental and coping skills in dealing with events and stress.
P = Physical State
T = Thinking Process
F = Feeling Process
B = Behavior Process
S = Coping Skills
Event = Anything that occurs in the field of our senses (internal and external)
Stress = The ending result of our interaction with the event.
In this example, our physical, mental states and our coping skills are all in excellent condition, therefore
our stress level is very low.
In this example, the physical, mental states and coping skills are all low, therefore our stress is very high.
This is a cascade effect, when one of our states go down it impacts all others. Research suggests that our mood is connected to our energy level. The more energy we have the better our mood. When our mood is up, we are able to access our positive thoughts better therefore perceive events more positively than lower mood states. It is important to be aware of this process because it will help us deal with our environment better which includes social interactions.
Other Factors
Other factors that play a role in our stress can be our social encounters or our support systems. If our support system is troublesome or not really supportive, it may make any event stressful. It is important to make sure that our social system is healthy. We may have not been able to choose our family, but we can certainly choose our friends. Therefore, healthy, supportive, caring friends are very important. It's not the number of friends we have but the quality. One good best friend is all we need. Having such a friend just to vent to, or do things with could make a huge difference in dealing with our day-to-day stressors. Some of us might have also learned that HELP = WEAKNESS. This is not true. Asking for help requires strength (GUTS!). We must remember that we are social beings for a reason. We can't do it all by ourselves. That's why it's imperative to ask for help. Asking for help can reduce stress drastically.
Communication is another factor. Effective and direct communication, the ability to express our thoughts and feelings freely may help us deal with our stress. Some stressors simply come from the inability to communicate or express ourselves. The language you use to express yourself, the tone of voice, and the manner with which you do it, will make a huge difference. For example, asserting ourselves, protecting our boundaries, and defending our rights is very important determinant of how stress impacts us. The inability to do so will cause tremendous stress on our well-being. When communicating, using "I" statements is not only healthy, but diffuses conflicts. It also removes blame and helps us take responsibility for ourselves and not blame others for it. It also gives us much more control over our lives.
SAD
CliniC
Stress, Anxiety, & Depression CliniC
Stress & How to Cope with it...
West Los Angeles
Stress
