How Chronic Stress Is Putting Your Health At Risk
If we thought stress was high in 2019 at 55% (Gallup), then we had another think coming.
2020 has meant unprecedented stress with the rise of COVID-19 and racial tensions throughout the US—all during an election year too, of course.
We’ve faced nonstop negative news cycles and highly divisive issues (like mask-wearing and political rhetoric).
And, after several months of stay-at-home orders and pandemic changes, people are facing COVID-fatigue.
According to Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis:
- 78% say COVID-19 has become a significant point of stress
- The average stress level (on a scale of 1-10) rose from 5.0 to 6.1
- 7/10 Gen Z adults said they have recently experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety, including daytime fatigue, restlessness, lack of concentration, feelings of loneliness and unhappiness.
APA’s CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD stated his concern at the sobering results:
“This survey confirms what many mental health experts have been saying since the start of the pandemic: Our mental health is suffering from the compounding stressors in our lives. This compounding stress will have serious health and social consequences if we don’t act now to reduce it. We’re already seeing this with some of the youngest members of our nation, who just seven months into this crisis are beginning to show signs of serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.”
THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC STRESS
It’s been a lot for most of us to handle.
Our bodies are meant to experience stress as a motivator.
If you are facing a tight deadline or emergency situation, the heightened adrenaline response of stress can help you.
But if that response is prolonged, your body starts to face serious threats.
High levels of stress will lead to:
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Heartburn and GERD
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Rapid Breathing
- Muscle Tension
- Weaker Immune System
- High Blood Sugar
- Hypertension and High Blood Pressure
- Increased Heart Rates
- Stomachache and GI Issues (IBS)
- Lowered Libido and Fertility Struggles
- Erectile Dysfunction or Missed Periods
- Acne or Hives
- Hair Loss
- Grinding teeth
The impact of stress increases the longer it is left untreated.
Stress can turn into burnout or severe depression.
It can increase disease or make it hard to control your emotions. It can ruin your love life and cause a rift in your relationships.
If you can’t calm down to a resting heart rate under 75bpm, you are twice as likely to face an early death.
With stress, your body is in fight or flight mode.
You are ready to react, so your muscles are tense, your heart is working hard and your brain is firing on every cylinder.
If you are overtaxed, you may not be able to calm down after the end of a hard task.
There is no true downtime, which keeps your body in overdrive.
HOW TO REDUCE STRESS AND RELAX
“Just relax!” is easier said than done.
When you are facing a difficult job, tension in relationships, continual information bombardment, an unhealthy routine or past trauma, you might feel lost at where to start in reducing your stress.
While most of the time, you will need a long term shift to remove stressors affecting your life, there are some instantaneous ways you can reduce stress.
Here are some quick activities to relieve stress and relax:
Stress Your Body
Yes, you read that right.
One of the best ways to alleviate mental stress is by stressing your body with exercise.
Pushing your body to its limits will help:
- Increase confidence
- Lower stress hormones
- Increase endorphins (natural mood boosters)
- Improve sleep quality
There are plenty of ways to achieve active levels.
Try dancing, walking your dog, practicing yoga or swimming.
Repetitive activities that use a lot of your body (like the rowing machine or jogging) tend to be the most stress-relieving.
Supplement Your Nutrition
A fast-acting supplement with high absorption rate is going to give your body what it needs to produce more beneficial hormones and support your systems.
Some of the most common beneficial ingredients in our Stress supplement include:
- GABA targets your brain to increase relaxation and promote healthy sleep
- Phosphatidylcholine supports memory and focus and is found throughout our body
- Blood Orange, Bergamot, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang Oil Blend to increase calmness
- 5HTP increases levels of serotonin for a balanced mood
- L-Theanine helps the brain achieve a level and focused state
Use Your Senses
One way to draw your focus to the present and alleviate focus on the mind, is by increasing other senses.
A massage is one example of this, revitalizing your body through touch, while also typically incorporating hearing (music) and smell (essential oils or candles).
Lighting a candle or incense can help improve your focus and make you feel relaxed.
Drawing or sculpting without a set purpose in mind can help you alleviate stress through touch and vision.
Try a combination of two or more senses to see if you can provoke relaxation by shifting focus:
- Smell: candles, incense, essential oils, lotion, massage oil
- Sight: burning fire, nature (especially moving water), art gallery, sculpture garden
- Taste: berries, watermelon, favorite crunchy vegetable, ice water (focus on the sensation)
- Touch: massage, texture exploration, barefoot walking (especially outdoors), petting animals
- Hearing: calming music, guided meditation, nature sounds, white noise, rain, instrumentals
Write It Out
You might feel like a 12-year-old with a diary, but grab a notebook (or fantastically inspiring grown-up journal) and write it all out.
Don’t plan out what you are going to say and don’t even stop to decide if what you are penning makes sense.
Just go. Let the words flow and you will find your thoughts might stay on the paper instead of flooding your mind. Here are a few prompts to get you started:
- How was your day?
- What are you thinking about?
- Is something causing stress?
- What are you feeling right now?
- What did you eat today?
Laugh About It
Laughter is really a great way to increase the dopamine and serotonin levels in your brain.
It is a good physical release and also offers a distraction from other feelings.
A good chuckle will relieve stress and improve your mood.
Studies have shown that even a faked smile improves mood (not to be confused with faking your happiness, which can increase stress and unhappiness).
Here are some ways to increase real laughter and smiles in your life for stress-relieving mood boosters:
- Look for a meme account to follow that fits your sense of humor
- Listen to a funny podcast
- Try laughter yoga (it’s a thing, no joke!)
- Try to find the positive in a situation and laugh about it
- Host a virtual game night
- Make time to hang out with your funniest friend
If you are feeling stressed, the holiday season can bring added pressure, shortened deadlines and increased emotions.
Now is a good time to find out what brings you stress relief. Check out our Stress supplement to get nutritional support in alleviating stress.
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