How was your day today? Were you happy, angry, sad, stressed? Many of us would answer that we felt some stress. So, what made you feel stressed? Was it class work, money issues, health, family? Maybe it’s all the above. But what does that stress do to us? In this week’s lesson, in Psych 424, we discussed health related problems due to stress. In the lesson, health psychology is defined as the science of understanding psychological issues, as well as social influences on why we become ill, how we stay healthy, and how our bodies respond.
A questionnaire, called The Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire, was given to 205 dental students enrolled in a Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in Australia to quantify and identify the sources of stress in their lives (Sanders & Lushington, 1999). D come as no surprise to us students, their greatest stressor was their grades. But what does this stress do to our bodies?
Most of us have learned that acute stress doesn’t tend to have long-term effects on our bodies. Animals experience acute stress in the wild most every day, but because the stress leaves once there is no longer a threat, the stress doesn’t have long term effects on their bodies. Chronic stress, which is what we humans have come to know so well, is the type that stays with us. It is the worries of work, finances, family, and any other thing that adds to our daily stress that makes them chronic stressors. This chronic stress is what is effecting our health. Though doctors don’t know exactly how chronic stress affects the heart, those at Harvard Medical have a good idea. They believe that it is most likely due to stress triggering inflammation, which is known as an instigator of heart disease. In addition to the inflammation, stress that leads to unhealthy behaviors such as a bad diet and lack of exercise can also lead to heart disease. (Harvard Health, 2017)
You may be thinking, “But what can I do? I’m always going to have stress in my life.” Harvard Medical School has 5 suggestions that may help.
First, they suggest staying positive. Have a laugh! It’s been found to lower stress hormones, reduce that instigating inflammation, and it can help increase “good” cholesterol!
Next, try meditating. The focused, deep breathing has been known to reduce some risk factors associated with heart disease.
Then comes the exercise. Though it may seem like a pain at the beginning, exercise releases mood-boosting chemicals that can help lower blood pressure, strengthen your heart muscle, as well as keep you healthy and stress free.
Unplug. Leave those work calls and emails until tomorrow if possible.
Lastly, find other ways to de-stress. Is listening to music, getting a massage, or reading a book your idea of releasing some stress?
What you think contributes to stress the most? Would any of these help YOU?
References
Harvard Health: 5 ways to de-stress and help your heart, February 11, 2017, Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/5-ways-to-de-stress-and-help-your-heart
Sanders, A. E., & Lushington, K. (1999). Sources of stress for Australian dental students. Journal of dental education, 63(9), 688-697.
Hi,
I agree with your assertion that stress is a pervasive problem in our daily lives. The constant feeling of having to rush from one place to another, the hanging weight of assignments and work obligations, a poor diet, and a poor sleep schedule are all ways that our stress can become amplified.
I enjoyed reading your suggestions on how to reduce stress, and implement some of them in my daily life. I think that meditation is important, but it is also important to know how to relax and dilate your blood vessels. Room temperature water and green tea are two beverages that can help dilate blood vessels, lowering your resting heart rate. The opposite can be said about tobacco, which is why it can exacerbate stress.
Exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress, as you pointed out. Not only does it lower your resting heart rate and chance of cardiovascular disease, but it also releases the endorphins associated with that good feeling you get after completing a workout. I have been exercising since a young age, and confirm that it has brought numerous positive benefits to my life.
Recently, I have become interested in some naturopathic remedies for stress. Coconut oil is very efficient at eliminating troublesome bacteria in the body. I use coconut oil as a mouth wash every morning, and consume two servings of it throughout the day. Along with this, taking fish oil capsules helps to produce positive responses from the immune system. I believe that, using research, we can find innovative ways to reduce the inflammatory response that often accompanies stress.
I found your post pretty interesting as I also could relate it to my personal life. Stress is a major problem in our society to today. I went through a phase a while back where i stressed about every and anything. I began to experience a burning sensation’s throughout my body internally. After time went by, i started working out a little more, I changed my way of thinking, and began to develop a healthier lifestyle. Not long after making this changes, i started noticing positive results in my health. Like you mentioned earlier it is very important to manage your stress because if you don’t it could definitely take a toll on your health and overall wellbeing.
Hello,
I believe all of those 5 examples are great ways to reduce stress! Stress unfortunately is so vast in today’s society it is hard to sit back and let it subside but in order to stay healthy and focused it a must do for everyone.
One example that you mentioned is leaving the stress of work at the job or until the next day. Our jobs are the source of income and health insurance and so important to make sure that other investments in our lives our take care of. I believe individuals feel that if they don’t answer that call or email it could lead to a loss of a job, position, income or sale.
How can we learn to separate the two so that both are lived in a healthy and fulfilled manner? Not only do we need to know our limits but employers need to recognize the limits of their employees as well. We are all human and need to relax and recharge to be the best that we can be.
I personally have experienced an illness that is believed to be due to stress and that is why I feel it is extremely important to weigh the good against the bad and manage personal time carefully to ensure that you don’t let the stresses of life overcome your overall health. The psychological weights of the world truly can have a negative effect on the physical being of our health and vice versa.