HealthStyle

Stress is equivalent to one of the seven wonders of the human body. From survival through to prosperous growth, humans have always needed stress. Too much isn’t good for us and COVID is the perfect storm to tip things out of balance.

 

Stress isn’t always bad for us. From a physical perspective, the main goal of exercising is to stress the body to the point in which it needs to find more energy for the increased activity. The muscles decide to adapt in order to cope, the heart and lungs become more efficient at getting oxygen to the working muscles.

Without stress, the body would not be prompted to make these changes. Additionally in everyday life, without some form of stress, we wouldn’t progress, wouldn’t have the opportunity for promotion in the workplace, or study hard for an exam to further our education. A fundamental component of Resiliency is past experiences. You could say that stressful times are a training ground for resiliency.

The problem occurs when there is too much stress, either physically or emotionally. Many of us around the world and here in Australia may be feeling the signs of excessive strain. Too much physical stress means an increased risk of injury or illness, too much emotional or psychological stress means we run the risk of mental health problems, illness, or both.

Stress can become a problem when demand on your time, skills, or emotions is perceived as a threat (i.e. above your coping skills). If this is ongoing, it can cause you to worry which can lead to thoughts of failure, leading to feelings of anxiety.

Anxiety can include feeling fearful, nervous, jittery, or distressed as well as expecting unpleasant or threatening events. In this state, you may start seeing things as being unpredictable and out of your control.

Your physical reactions to stress and anxiety are a great illustration of how the brain is part of the physical body. Often, a person may not notice the cognitive or emotional symptoms of excessive stress until the physical symptoms become apparent. The stress response is the result of nervous and chemical reactions involving hormones such as adrenalin. Once triggered, we have little control over the effects of these chemicals on the body.

Some of the physical responses include:

• Tear glands – tendency to cry
• Pupils dilate – card players wear caps and glasses
• Smooth muscle of the gut – indigestion, and diarrhoea
• Constricted peripheral vessels – white with fright
• Increased heart rate
• Increased breathing rate

Others may pick up on the cognitive signs of excessive stress. In a stressful situation, your brain structures are heightened and oriented toward thoughts of worry or fear that then creates feelings of anxiety. In other words, we respond to situations via thoughts and pictures in our head, which produce emotions that lead to physical reactions and behaviours. Some of the cognitive signs of excessive stress include:

Inability to control or focus your thoughts

• Reoccurring or repeating thoughts, often of negative outcomes or adverse situations
• Thoughts of failure
• Irrational thoughts that dominate your outlook. For example, jumping to the worse case scenario, or constantly expecting the worst to happen

The bottom line is that our emotions and thoughts have a huge impact on our perceptions of a stressful situation. A healthy lifestyle embraces a certain level of stress and provides management techniques when you are heading down the path of overload.

Dealing with stress

Stress is the body’s reaction to a stressor. Rarely can we control what happens to us but we can control our response to what happens to us.

Managing stress

The techniques to manage stress vary greatly and what works for one person may render itself inappropriate for another depending on their orientation – physical or cognitive.

Here are some of the ideas on how to manage stress during these crazy times:

1. Control what you can control:  Don’t let go of what you are in control of. This includes your sleep, your exercise, your nutritious foods, the way you support your loved ones and the way you respond.
2. Challenge irrational thoughts: if you notice the negative, irrational thoughts taking control, challenge yourself to consider the alternative. Each time we force our selves to consider the alternative, neural pathways strengthen to support that new of thinking
3. Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness, especially mindful meditation has been shown to be an evidence-based approach to managing stress. It enables you to regain control of what your mind focuses on. This enables you to shift your attention away from the possible adverse outcomes to the present moment. Rarely is the present moment frightening or stressful, just the potential outcomes in the future. To learn more check out the Smiling Mind team
4. Move: Movement is critical when dealing with adverse stress. It replicates the systems involved in flight or fight and can dampen the sympathetic nervous response to the stressful thoughts and emotions you are producing, which in turn calms down our mind. Vigorous exercise early in the morning can be very useful for those struggling with anxiety.
5. Define your purpose: As Frederick Neske said, “He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how”. Why is this helpful? if you have a purpose or a goal, your attitude towards difficult & stressful times can change. When faced with challenges that are critical to your purpose, we can tend to view them as part of the journey. If we face turmoil unrelated to what we want out of life, they can have a greater impact on our stress. By focusing on your purpose it can instil a greater sense of control in your life.
6. Stay connected: The big risk is we all become hermits. Yet positive connections have been shown time and again to be critical for happiness. So yes, manage your exposure, but don’t completely disconnect yourself from those who are great for you.
7. Live your life: No matter how significant an impact this may have on our way of life, life still happens. So live it the best you can. who is most important, what brings you joy, what should you be focused on?
8. Do something for someone else: We have all seen and experienced the impact of society having a brain fart. Panic shopping, putting oneself first above others, irrational responses to cancelled shows, travel bans, disruption to sporting events. The irony is if you do something for someone else you will feel happier while balancing the ledger of society.
9. Immerse yourself in Nature: Nature has a healing effect on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s also less densely populated, so less chance of infection. Your even more likely to be moving, which is excellent for your immune system…
10. Contact your doctor or health practitioner: Last but not least if it feels as though your symptoms or your response is out of your control or it’s affecting your ability to live and work the way you would like to it’s time to get some support. The best place to start is with your GP

Remember, you aren’t alone. If you ever feel like life is too much to cope with, feel helpless or alone reach out. Some of the best places for support include Lifeline (13 11 14), Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or Headspace for those under 25.

If you want more information on how we can deliver an effective meaningful workplace mental health program click here

If you know your team or workforce needs support adapting to the new ways of living and working and want to know more click here