“Stress overload makes us stupid. Solid research proves it. When we get overstressed, it creates a nasty chemical soup in our brains that makes it hard to pull out of the anxious depressive spiral.” Gail Sheehy
Are you stuck in the race for survival, the rat race, only getting off the treadmill when you’re sick? Depending on substances to get through the day, as you’re always stressed and overwhelmed?
The norm is to use drugs of some kind or distraction to cope with the rigours of “normal life.” The human physiology and psychology have not adapted to this toxic way of living. We need to pay attention to the damage incurred by prolonged stress. While you’re stuck in survival mode, you’re literally shortening your life span by the minute.
As was stated thousands of years ago: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:27
According to the American Psychological Association: “the consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, and the elevated levels of stress hormones and of blood pressure, can take a toll on the body. This long-term ongoing stress can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack, or stroke.”
Let’s look at long-term exposure to stressors. Understanding the impact of the stress hormone cortisol on the body under persistent stress is crucial. You can reclaim your health and improve your quality of life by making small changes to influence this hormone when stressed.
Listen to Your Body
You visited the doctor because you experienced symptoms that signalled something was wrong. After several tests, your doctor may give you a good diagnosis and a prescription to help you manage the symptoms. Their opinion should please you since they are looking for indicators of dysfunction. But please don’t dismiss your suspicion as paranoia—you owe it to yourself. Regardless of what your doctor says, you know something is off. Your symptoms are screaming at you to pay attention.
The hormone cortisol is crucial for numerous bodily processes, including controlling stress responses, directing your sleep-wake cycle, metabolising food, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and inflammation.
These operations are influenced by regular cortisol in the blood, and many sufferers have issues in one or more of these areas. It’s linked to diabetes, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. So, chronic stress often results in health problems such as mental health disorders, gut issues, and sleeplessness.
Time for Change
A cortisol screening can show chronic imbalances and your body’s stress responses. Knowing this can inspire you to make necessary changes to manage your stress levels. But why wait for a diagnosis? With a thorough assessment of your life, you can start managing your stress responses immediately. There are actions you can take to control your cortisol levels that are completely within your control.
You can learn to reduce stress by changing your stressful thought patterns, quieting the voice of the inner critic, and growing in self-compassion. It’s important to practice self-care to nurture your soul and reset your mind. You can do this, but you must prioritise self-care.
You might find it difficult to switch off your anxiety. Finding a health practitioner who specialises in stress and emotional health is an excellent place to start. Identifying the source of the stress and using natural techniques can help you regain control over your stress levels, enhance your energy, increase quality sleep, fortify your body against infections, and activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is the rest and digest part of your nervous system. Staying in PNS is how relaxation, peace, and healing are generated in your body.
Life is too precious and too short
“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” Psalm 103:15, 16
Intentionally prioritising health may mean withdrawing from situations that don’t serve or uplift you. You can use this as a barometer to gauge the changes necessary to protect your mental and emotional wellbeing. The right support can help you improve your perspective and clear any mental clutter that clouds your perception of yourself and the world around you.
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James Remember, stress is a result of your perception not necessarily the situation itself.
