What is stress
Stress is a physical response to mental or emotional pressure. Examples of this could be a troubled relationship, work demands, financial worries or everyday life. Low levels of stress are ok and usually manageable but often this can increase to a level that becomes unmanageable. This will start to impact our emotional and physical health, and this is normally when people seek help.
The stress response
Our bodies make no distinction from what we may label “Stress” or feeling “Anxious” as the stress response to fear and anxiety is often the same.
In less than a second the body automatically triggers a number of physical changes in preparation to fight or take flight.
This animalistic response was ideal for our primitive ancestors but is less well suited for the complexities of modern-day life. In the right environment stress gives us a sharp edge to our performance. The intense short-term stress is what evolution has equipped us to cope with.
The body also makes no distinction between real and irrational, imagined fears.
The chemical bit
The body reacts to acute stress by releasing 2 types of chemical messengers HORMONES in the blood and NEUROTRANSMITTERS in the brain.
The primary stress hormone is CORTISOL
CORTISOL is very important in marshalling systems throughout the body, including the HEART, LUNGS, CIRCULATION AND IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Other stress hormones include ADRENALINE AND NORADRENALINE
ALARM PHASE
I call this the alarm phase when our body is fully engaged with the ‘fight or flight’ response.
HEART RATE increases pumping more oxygen rich blood to the brain
BREATHING quickens to meet the demand for more oxygen
BLOOD is flooded with red blood cells to carry more oxygen into the limbs and brain
MUSCLES tighten to prepare the body for fight or flight
LIVER provides fuel for quick energy releasing sugar and fats into the blood
SWEAT cools the body
DIGESTION stops to enable blood to be diverted to the brain and muscles (where it is most needed
The benefits of reducing stress
There are many benefits to reducing stress in your life. Reducing stress helps maintain your physical and mental wellbeing by:
- Improving your mood and productivity
- Boosting your immune system
- Reducing your risk of developing other illnesses, from a head cold to heart disease or diabetes
- Preventing other mental health conditions from developing, like anxiety or depression
- Enhancing your sleep quality
How Counselling can help
Counselling offers a safe space to explore emotions such as stress in more depth. This exploration can lead to a better understanding of key areas of stress such as triggers to stress (what sets the stress response in motion) an understanding of the physical responses to stress and tools to manage stress in a healthier way. Many of my clients have found this method to be very helpful and now understand their own stress in a way that allows them to be more in control when under stressful situations.