Chronic stress is very common and can lead to many health issues. The definition of stress is that it is "a state of mental or emotional strain that occurs when faced with adverse or demanding circumstances". Chronic stress occurs when you are exposed to stress for prolonged periods of time.
Symptoms of chronic stress
Symptoms of chronic stress range from emotional, mental and/or physical. The severity of the symptoms usually depend on the level of stress and the frequency of exposure to the stressful events.
Common symptoms include:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Unable to focus
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Moody and irritable
- Body aches and pains
- Inability to relax or sleep
Long-term, chronic stress can lead to more serious issues, including: Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and stroke (WebMed).
Understanding the stress response
The stress response, also called the fight or flight response, occurs when your brain recognises that there is a threat or challenge that needs to be addressed. The brain responds via a series of chemical and physiological responses such as elevated heart beat, fast and shallow breathing, increase in stress hormones, increasing metabolism to produce high energy. It is designed to help you escape from a predator or danger or handle a difficult situation that may be life-threatening or challenging.
Whilst the stress response may be a normal part of human evolution, our body is not designed to deal with chronic stress. Being chronically stressed can lead to the health issues and stress symptoms as mentioned earlier. That is because once the stress response is triggered the body needs time after the threat has subsided to revert back to normal function. However our busy and fast-paced modern life-style means we don't get a chance to calm our nervous system after a stressful event. The stress response keeps getting activated every time it gets triggered until the body becomes chronically stressed and worn down.
Stress response triggers
Stress triggers are different for everyone and may or may not be rational. Stress triggers such as life-threatening situations or difficult challenges are rational reasons for the stress response. However the dilemma occurs when you respond to normal daily situations with the same response that was designed to help you run away from a predator. Stress triggers can be being stuck in traffic, paying bills, being late for a meeting or even seeing a house spider in your bedroom ceiling.
Your stress triggers are often formed by past experiences or conditioning. These triggers come from the subconscious mind which is not always logical.
Managing chronic stress
Luckily there are proven ways to reduce the symptoms of chronic stress. Whilst it may be impossible to avoid stressful conditions, you can learn methods and tools to help you manage and reduce your stress. Some strategies proven to counteract chronic stress include deep breathing exercises, meditation, talk-therapy, positive self-talk, exercise, quality sleep, a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Coping strategies outside the stress response
Awareness of your stress triggers is key to combatting chronic stress. As we all know prevention is better than cure and that is certainly the case with the stress response. As mentioned earlier the stress response is induced by the primal part of the brain, which is subconscious and often illogical. It's designed for survival.
To prevent chronic stress try to understand your triggers before they happen. Find out what events trigger the stress response and their root cause. Stress triggers are different for everyone based on their mindset of what is stressful. Ask yourself "why am I stressed" or "is this fear rational" or "what is the worst that can happen" to become more aware of your stress triggers. Hence, overtime, the occurrence or severity of the stress response will reduce.
Coping strategies during the stress response.
In the case the stress response is triggered you need to learn coping strategies. The problem is that once stress response is the brain operates from the subconscious mind. However you have a small window of a few seconds to bring yourself to your consious brain.
Self-awareness of stress
Recognise you are stressed in the moment by observing the signs of your body. Signs such as a racing heart, shallow and fast breathing, hot flushes or sweating are often tell-tale signs you are entering into the stress response.
2. Acknowledge your stress
Accept and acknowledge that you are experiencing a stressful or difficult situation without judgment. Even if it seems that your reaction is irrational or exaggerated to the stress, your feelings are true. You have to accept those feelings and acknowledge that this is a stressful event for you even if it is not for others.
3. Look at stress from a positive mindset.
Try to see the stress response as your body trying to help you deal or cope with a stressful situation. It is your body telling you that this event got you in trouble before and it wants you to outrun the danger. People who make stress their friend cope better under stressful situations.
4. Deal with the situation mindfully
Bring your mind to awareness to allow the conscious mind, the more logical part of the brain, to take over. Take a moment to get yourself to become aware of the present moment. Things like closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths and positive self-talk or encouraging words can help bring you to a state of calm and self-awareness. This will allow you to face the challenge and come up with a rational solution instead of going into the default panic mode.
To Conclude
The stress response is a normal part of human biology. It is designed to help us deal with events that we perceive as challenging or threatening.
The problem is not that we encounter stress but the way we deal or cope with it. Having more self-awareness, acknowledgement and a more positive mindset around stress helps us deal with stressful events more logically. When we manage our daily stress effectively we are less likely to suffer the damaging effects of chronic stress.
Seek help when needed..
If all your efforts at managing chronic stress fail, then it may be time to seek professional help. Chronic stress can not only be hard to diagnose but is also difficult to treat and manage, especially on your own. You need to find someone that can help steer you to the right direction.
Holistic life-coaching offers many strategies and tools that can help you understand, manage and reduce chronic stress.
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