Manage Stress
There is some powerful science behind stress in the body 🧬
When our bodies are functioning optimally and our internal systems are in balance, the state is known as homeostasis. Anytime homeostasis is thrown off by something we perceive as stressful, our body goes through a series of stages known as the stress response.
Many times, stress ends at the first stage of the stress response, where our fight-or-flight response is activated. We experience temporary anxiety and physical symptoms, which are relieved when the source of our stress disappears or becomes managed in a healthy way.
However, when stress persists -- for example, if we have a hectic work environment or go through a months-long divorce process -- the body makes changes to adapt to the demands of stress. Over time, these changes can become harmful to our bodies, our health, and our overall sense of well-being.
Hans Selye developed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) pattern to describe the three stages involved in our body's stress response:
1️⃣ Alarm
The body perceives an event as stressful or frightening and initiates the fight-or-flight response. Fight-or-flight activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to physical symptoms like shaking, sweating, and heart palpitations.
2️⃣ Resistance
When stress persists, becoming chronic, the body speeds its metabolism to keep up with the demands of stress on the body. This higher metabolic level is meant to "offset" the effects of stress, but cannot be sustained for a long time.
3️⃣ Exhaustion
Inevitably, when chronic stress persists, the stress response depletes the body of its limited resources. As a result, the body wages war on its immune system and bodily functions may deteriorate. This can lead to health issues like heart disease and diabetes, as well as vulnerability to illnesses like cold and flu.
The only way to prevent stress from progressing to exhaustion is to learn to actively cope with our problems in a productive way. Contact Life by Design Therapy to find out how our trained therapists can help you manage stress before it becomes catastrophic.
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