Nobody is immune to stress, we all experience it daily but do you ever stop to evaluate how severe or how often stress occurs in your life? If you had to rate your stress on a scale of 1-10, what would you say? How about your stress levels over the last few weeks or months? What are you doing to manage your stress? Now that you’ve answered these questions for yourself, how would you feel if I told you stress can be fatal?

What is Chronic Stress?

Stress is innately a survival mechanism, for instance when being chased be a tiger your "fight or flight" response (sympathetic nervous system; SNS) is activated. Unfortunately, however, your body doesn't differentiate between being chased by a tiger and modern day stressors like being yelled at by your boss. Small stressors accumulate quickly -- daily pressures, sensory overload, continuous demands to do more, & general overwhelm. It is even possible to experience stress physiologically while remaining unaware or numb to it because it's so ingrained in our society. As these daily stressors mount they become chronic resulting in uninterrupted SNS activation, which is destructive to our physiology. And so, ironically, what was meant as a survival mechanism acutely can actually become fatal if left unchecked.

Why is Chronic Stress so detrimental?

When our system becomes alarmed it triggers a cascade of biochemical events. Adrenal glands secrete hormones, including cortisol (the stress hormone) & epinephrine (adrenaline), which signal a number of physiological changes. Blood flow & nutrients are adverted from "unnecessary" areas such as digestion, reproduction, hair/skin/nails & concentrated on increasing heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. After the initial response, your body attempts to stabilize to maintain homeostasis, but if the stressor is too intense or continuously occurring cortisol levels remain high, which results in adrenal fatigue. Your body burns out & becomes unable to cope with physiological demands. Over time, cells become insensitive to cortisol & the body can even lose the ability to regulate the resulting inflammatory response. Ultimately, the induced pro-inflammatory state impairs immune function & contributes to a myriad of diseases.

How can Chronic Stress manifest physiologically?

Due to it's powerful physiological effects, chronic stress can negatively impact every aspect of our being: physically, mentally, emotionally, behaviorally, & cognitively. Chronic stress has been linked to:

How to handle Chronic Stress?

Well, just as there is a system (SNS) designed to turn on the stress response, there is a system (Parasympathetic Nervous System; PSNS) designed to turn it off -- you might have heard it referred to as “rest & digest” mode. When the PSNS is activated serotonin (the happy chemical) increases & cortisol decreases, producing natural relaxation. By becoming aware of our emotions, thoughts, & attitudes in the moment we can tune into feelings of overwhelm & choose to evoke calm. We have the power to promote the relaxation response at any time simply by bringing intention and depth to our breathing. We can also control how we respond to stressful situations, & therefore how it effects us, through mindfulness & grounding techniques which signal the body to return to normal function. Stressful situations will always arise, & while we may not be able to change our situations we can manage the impact they have on us.

Calming behaviors to try:

• Grounding exercises

• Laugh

• Have good sex

• Get a massage

• Meditation

• Read a book

• Aromatherapy - candles or essential oils

• Cook a nourishing meal

• Listen to music

• Breathing techniques

• Organize

• Journal

• Give yourself an at home facial

• Play with a pet

• Worry briefly then refocus

• Seek professional support

• Call a friend

• Create a gratitude list

• Disconnect rom technology

• Take a nap/rest

• Movement - walking, yoga, etc.

• Take a bath

• Go outside

• Drink a cup of tea

Essential nutrients to alleviate & heal Chronic Stress:

Magnesium - stress depletes stores & low levels increase stress response: a dangerous cycle.

Dark leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, etc.), avocados, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, bananas, cashews, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, chamomile tea, artichokes, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, & beans), sesame seeds

Potassium: lowers cortisol & blood pressure; stress drastically lowers availability

Bananas, pistachios, chia seeds, tumeric, artichokes, sweet potatoes, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, & beans)

Vitamin A - antioxidant; supports a healthy nervous system & reduces stress response

Spinach, blueberries, tumeric, bell peppers, sweet potatoes

B-Vitamins: help regulate cortisol levels & calm the nervous system

B6 - potent anti-inflammatory; plays a role in serotonin production

Cashews, walnuts, pistachios, beans, broccoli, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, salmon

B3 - anti-inflammatory; helps create serotonin; depleted by high stress levels

Chia seeds, salmon, turmeric, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, & beans)

B5 - supports adrenal glands & reduces stress

Avocado, sunflower seeds, salmon, sweet potatoes, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, & beans)

Vitamin C - antioxidant & anti-inflammatory; regulates cortisol levels; prevents oxidative damage to nervous system

Tumeric, bell peppers, citrus, artichokes, sweet potatoes

Vitamin E - antioxidant & anti-inflammatory; stress increases utilization, depletes stores, & intensifies stress response

Blueberries, avocado, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - anti-inflammatory; supports brain function; increases serotonin

Avocado, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salmon

Zinc - stabilizes cortisol levels & inhibits further production; stress depletes concentrations

Cashews, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, turmeric, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, & beans), sesame seeds

Apigenin - antioxidant & anti-inflammatory; produces a calming effect

Chamomile Tea, artichokes

Theanine - promotes relaxation; lowers heart rate & blood pressure

Green Tea, matcha powder

*Antioxidants & anti-inflammatories: increase serotonin, reduce stress related cellular damage, & reduce cortisol levels

Feeling empowered to manage how you respond to stress? Choose one tool from above & incorporate it into your day. Pay attention to how your sensations shift. You only need 1 minute to begin to deescalate your stress response - remember the power is in your ability to breathe deeply.

I'd love to hear about your experience with stress, how it's affected you, & what changes you've made to find your calm -- comment below or connect with me on Instagram.