Did You Know These Facts About Stress?

How Do People Cope with Stress? 

Because stress is unavoidable, the way we respond to it matters immensely. Some people might address their struggles with stress in ways that, while they might provide a quick fix in the moment, aren’t sustainable or healthy. (Likewise, they can raise the risk of developing some of the negative symptoms of stress outlined earlier in this article.) 

• Drinking more than intended or using drugs to relax or sleep 

• Overeating, restricting food or cycling between both 

• Isolating oneself from others, avoiding calls/texts or withdrawing from daily life 

• Overworking to avoid feelings or dwelling on them too long 

• Outbursts or constant irritability 

• Compulsive social media scrolling, gambling or other impulsive/reckless behaviors that become hard to control 

On the other hand, healthier coping strategies are productive, proactive and help support your mind and body’s abilities to manage stress on your own: 

• Sensory engagement: You can seek a sense of calm through aromatherapy stress relief. (Burn a candle or incense or use an oil diffuser with a calming scent like lavender or eucalyptus.) Listening to stress relief music (think ambient music or meditative, calming sounds) can also help you relax if you’re feeling anxious. 

• Tactile tools: Keeping your hands busy can help ground you. Squeezing, rolling or fidgeting with stress balls and stress toys can help to release some of the physical tension that builds up during stressful periods. 

• Creative outlets: Simple activities like stress relief games or using adult stress relief coloring pages can give the mind a break when stressed out, shifting the focus away from worry and toward a mindful, creative activity. 

• Physical activity: Exercise is one of the most proven ways to reduce stress hormones. Walking, stretching or other gentle movements are a great start. Taking a yoga class or joining a gym are ways to commit to the stress-fighting and health-building benefits that regular exercise brings.  

Surprising Facts About Stress   

 Here are some facts about stress: 

Chronic stress can physically change your brain.  

Your brain is the first organ to be triggered in a stressful situation, where the release of stress hormones can affect how you respond, from becoming hypervigilant to rapid breathing and heartbeat, to forgetfulness and muscle tension. But this is normally temporary. However, prolonged exposure to stress can influence other, more concerning issues like early cognitive diminution accompanied by diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Stress can also cause brain cells to die. Maintaining positive stress mindsets through healthy coping mechanisms helps keep your brain and cognition protected from the effects that stress can bring. 

Stress can be contagious.  

Spending time around someone who is highly stressed can raise your own cortisol levels, even if the stress isn’t directly related to you. It’s a sign of our evolution, our ability to detect a harmful or dangerous threat and respond accordingly. But that also extends to being able to sense stress cues in other people and picking up on them. “What impacts your neighbor is likely to affect you as well,” notes Dr. Tony Buchanan in a Psychology Today Report. “Quick detection of stress from our neighbor could give us a head start on avoiding the worst consequences of stress.”  

Stress can help and harm your immune system. 

Short-term stressors can temporarily boost your immune functioning. Researchers point to the fight-or-flight response — the body’s shift to placing your senses on high alert until the trigger or stressful event passes — that can actually improve and stimulate your immune activity. But your immune system can only handle so much. Frequent, heavy stress can place a strain on the body, making you more susceptible to colds, flus and other illnesses.   

Stress can lower life expectancy. 

Chronic, near constant exposure to stress with no letting up can also risk reducing your life span. For one, its effect on cellular aging means that a person suffering from a major, untreated stress disorder can be physically older than their biological age suggests. According to a report by the University of Florida, this is because stress contributes to the shortening of telomeres, which serve to safeguard the chromosomes in our bodies. This can not only manifest as signs of physical aging but also accelerate the risk of age-related conditions like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Studies also show that nearly 5 million deaths per years are attributable to mood and anxiety disorders brought on by too much stress. 

Not all stress is bad.  

Stress almost universally receives a negative connotation, that all stress is bad no matter how you look at it. But some stress can be helpful. Stress exists on a spectrum where, in order from most to least harmful, there is chronic stress, acute stress, distress and then eustress. Eustress is the term used for positive stress — for example, the sense of excitement and energy you might feel before something challenging yet rewarding, like a job interview you’ve prepared for or an event you’re looking forward to. This type of stress can improve your performance and focus, notes the American Institute of Stress.