Dr. Sunita Kumari
International Stress Awareness Day takes place every year on the first Wednesday of November and was started in 1998 by the International Stress Management Association. Stress, anxiety and worry are the feelings that everyone faces in their daily life. The present article is aimed at spreading stress awareness among the readers and also to encourage them to relax, practice self-care, and create a stress-management routine.
Stress is the feeling of immense mental and emotional pressure. The word “stress” was derived from the Latin word “stringi”, which means, “to be drawn tight”.As per WHO, stress is”the reaction, people may have when presented with demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”. Stress and anxiety have become all too common in our fast-paced, modern world. From the pressures of work and relationships to the constant bombardment of information through technology it’s no wonder that many of us struggle with the emotional challenges on a daily basis. In the modern era the biggest enemy of good health is stress and most of illnesses can be blamed on psychological forces. Stress manifests itself in the form of many physical ailments like headache, indigestion, acidity, weakened immune system and merciless life-killers like heart attacks. The majority of the problems brought to physicians these days are stress-related, many are the result of stress and others are made worse or last longer because of it. Walter Canon in 1932 introduced the concept of homeostasis. Stress in general challenges homeostasis.When homeostasis is challenged, allostasis comes into play. Allostasis is the process of adaptation by which an organism varies its internal milieu to match environmental demands to achieve stability/homeostatic balance. Long-term physiological cost stemming out of attempts at adaptation constitutes allostatic load (collective wear and tear on the functioning of the brain and body). Allostatic load accumulates throughout the lifeof an individual and affects multiple bodily systems.
History of stress:In1936Hans Selye coined the term “stress” and therefore he is considered as the founder of the concept of stress. He is also regarded as the “Father of Stress”. He defined stress as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”. Since most of the people views tress as some unpleasant threat, Selye created a new word, “stressor”, to differentiate stimulus from the response. He also concluded that stress plays at least some role in the development of any disease, and failure of the body to deal with stress can lead to “diseases of adaptation” such as high blood pressure, ulcers, and many more.
All stressors produce the same pattern(General Adaptation Syndrome/ Three Stages of Stress response)
Alarm reaction/ Fight or Flight response: It is a complex Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) reaction in preparation for emergencies. During stressful events, one has to decide whether to fight or flee. Fear is also a form of stress. When we experience fear, the physiology of stress gets into motion and it may lead to damage/wear and tear to the body at cellular and molecular levels. If stress is moderate and of short duration it is known as Eustress (positive stress or good stress). Eustress is necessary for an active, healthy life. It increases mental and physical alertness, vigilance, and motivation and can enhance certain abilities likemore availability and utilization of metabolic energy, improvement in protein folding (chaperone stimulation), favors DNA repair, prevents/decreases free radical accumulation, promotes survival and may delay aging. Eustress challenges us to adapt and grow. Therefore, manageable stress can lead to growth and enhanced competence. No long-term damage occurs if stress is removed/ not allowed to progress further.
The Resistance stage: The stress response system of the body is normally self-limiting. Once the threat is over, the stress hormones (Adrenaline and cortisol) return to almost normal levels. The body attempts to repair itself and restore balance (normalizes heart rate, blood pressure etc.) but remains on high alert.
The Exhaustion stage: When activation in the first two stages continues it leads to a breakdown of balance within the body. The ability to resist stress is gone. More stress hormones are released. Our memory, emotional state, and organs become fatigued. At this stage, the stress is known as distress (Negative Stress or Bad stress)which is uncontrollable, prolonged, overwhelming and destructive. It depletes our energy for life.Distress may eventually result in diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, heart disease and malfunction of the Immune system.
Signs and symptoms of stress: These vary from person to person but a few of the common symptoms are headache, muscle tension, fatigue, sleep disruption, increased heart rate, digestive problems (physical symptoms), excessive rapid thoughts, constant worry, problem in concentrating, forgetfulness, and decreased decision making (cognitive symptoms), mood swings, irritability, anxiety, depression etc.
Management of stress (Journey from blues to bloom): There are ways to effectively reduce stress and anxiety in our lives. Jonas Salk (a great biologist who developed the first polio vaccine) once said, “If we are to survive as a species, we must move beyond the Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest to a new paradigm, “survival of the wisest”.Therefore, be wise and don’t let a harried and hectic world snatch the better of you. Make a little time and try below mentioned practical strategies to unwind and de-stress yourself amidst the chaos: –
Stay connected to nature: In today’s world, almost all of us are suffering from nature deficit disorder. Various studies have shown that intentional, mindful, and quality time spent around the trees can boost mood and creativity, reduce stress hormone levels, and even help us live longer. Trees/nature has healing properties. Losing ourselves amidst the natural beauty of trees, helps us to reach a state of greater calm and wellness by leaving behind everyday stress. The term, “Shirin-yoku” was created in 1982 by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.”Shirin-yoku” means ‘forest bathing’ or absorbing the forest atmosphere (a physiological and psychological exercise). Forest bathing is an opportunity to pause from everyday life for a little while, put your world into slow motion, look at life through a different lens and invite peace and tranquillity. Stressful states can be relieved through forest therapy as forest bathing leads to the production of anti-stress hormones in our body and allows it to rejuvenate itself. The simple method of observing nature by remaining calm and quiet amongst the trees and breathing deeply can help both adults and children boost health and well-being and de-stress in a natural way. For effective forest bathing, slow down, move through the forest slowly (so that you can see and feel more), keep your eyes open, be observant and look at nature’s small details. Taking long, deep breaths send a message to the body that it can relax. The colours of nature are soothing and various studies have shown that humans relax best while seeing greens and blues. Move your gaze through the canopy of trees, watch the moving branches, and listen to the rustling sounds of leaves. Pause, breathe, and immerse yourself in the woodland bliss. Playfulness, light-heartedness and laughter: Play and recreation go hand in hand. When we play with abandon, we lose track of time and enter into the present moment and this makes us let go off the past and forget about the future. When we are a child, we giggle to the extent that we are not even able to stand or walk. Don’t lose that child in you and be playful and light-hearted. A playful and light-hearted person laughs genuinely, easily and with abandon. According to Vedic science, the purpose of life is the expansion of happiness. Creation is a marvellous divine play that assigns each of us a different role. Some people take their role very seriously and miss the magic of life, whereas others reorganise and realise that they are the eternal spirit. This makes them behave as an actor and celebrate the divine play. Not taking life or ourselves too seriously does not mean being irresponsible. It means performing one’s duty without attachment to the outcomes. This philosophical aspect encourages individuals to fulfil their responsibilities with dedication and detachment from the results. In fact, if we recognize the cosmic play, we become more responsible and consider every thought, word, and action as an expression of the divine playwright. Relish the magic and the mystery in every moment. Laughter is the nectar of present-moment awareness. Invite lighter heartedness, enthusiasm, playfulness and more laughter to your life. Try to remain a joyful human being with unwavering exuberance in every situation of life. This is how life should be lived.
Practise generosity, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness: There is immense power in these tools. Use this power to create a world of vitality, wisdom and joy. Almighty has incorporated our brain with a reward centre over which generosity, gratitude, compassion, and forgiveness have a stimulating effect and definitely create an upward spiral of well-being. Life is all about balancing and homeostasis. Giving and receiving support balances itself throughout each of our lifespans. Do good for the simple joy of doing good. If praise comes your way, fine. If it doesn’t that’s no reason to worry. We need to be compassionate to ourselves as well. When we are awake, a constant stream of thoughts keeps on running through our brains and most of the time, we are strict to ourselves. Compassionate self-talk and a positive attitude definitely help us to calm down and get a better grip on the situation. We need to talk to ourselves in the same encouraging and gentle way that we use to help a friend in need.
Flexibility and creativity: Darwin’s theory says those who are able to adapt, survive. Adaptation first needs flexibility and then creativity. Be adaptable and flexible. When we walk on a certain path, we have the intention to reach a particular destination but when more interesting opportunities are present along the way then our attitude becomes a little flexible to go with the flow. Therefore, take the life as it comes and flow with the changing situations and circumstances without resistance. The process itself becomes the goal.A great secret to good health is learning to take life in its stride. Life is as complicated as you want to be. Know that every pinch that we are feeling is for the best, to make us stronger and livelier. Have a sense of humor. Every individual is endowed with certain naughtiness as a child. Keep it alive. Humor has the ability to ease all tough situations. Humor is not just words; it is the lightness of one’s being.
Practice Yoga and meditation: The art of being fully present in the moment also helps greatly in getting established in the self. By focusing on the here and now, we can quiet our racing thoughts and alleviate stress. Yoga means the unification of body, mind and soul. Life is so very fast therefore slow down, shift your attention, talk to yourself and try to visit that beautiful place that is within you. Engage in activities that promote mindfulness, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga. It attends to all aspects of life, physical, mental, and spiritual. A few quiet moments are sources of creativity. Silence rejuvenates, heals and gives you depth and stability. Exercise and music therapy: Applying physical stress to the body can help relieve mental stress and make us feel uplifted. Physical stress can be a long walk or an intense workout at the gym. Physical exercise helps us clear our heads of negative thoughts gives our mind a space to think, alter perspective, solve problems and take a break from whatever is stressing us. In fact, exercise increases our overall health and well-being by increasing the release of endorphins (feel-good chemicals of the brain). Music therapy also helps us to calm down. Music can make us feel more optimistic and positive about life and lowers the level of stress hormone cortisol.
Avoid over-eating as a response to stress: An individual under stress tends to overeat. We need to be careful and monitor ourselves during these situations. During stressful times, before reaching for a food item we need to ask ourselves a few questions like, Do I need that snack because I am actually hungry? Or Am I just looking for a way to dissipate some anxiety? Taking excess calories and putting on unwanted weight will only drag us into a stress-eating vicious cycle. Instead, we can try other above-mentioned stress relievers like slow, deep breathing, standing up and stretching, taking walks, meditating, staying close to nature etc. Also, take plenty of fluids/water. On an average, an adult person requires two to three liters of fluid every day. Dehydration causes stress and if we are already under stress and not taking sufficient amount of water it may lead to anxiety and further aggravation of stress.
Turn off your devices at times and have a detox time: People with higher screen exposure time, especially just before sleep may suffer from delayed onset of sleep. It also affects their socio-emotional and cognitive development. Note:When we are seeking calm and relaxation, we don’t have any one-size-fits-all solution. It differs from individual to individual. The idea is to find a combination of strategies that work for individual needs and lifestyles. By experimenting with different coping tools, an individual can build her/ his own calming toolkit (choose the stress remedy that fits a particular individual best). Stress is a natural part of life but with appropriate management techniques, it can be managed more effectively and distress can be converted into eustress. The power to convert distress into eustress lies in the way we look at our lives and it is well within our control.
(The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, AIIMS Jammu).