Stress in balance
excites brain and body
See stress as your friend
Lost keys when you want to catch your sports class, conflict at work, startled when a car suddenly brakes. It causes stress. Stress affects the way your brain functions. Whether you are tense or relaxed, different brain regions work together to regulate your bodily response. What happens in your body when you experience stress? What does long-term stress do to your brain and how do you recover from it?
The relationship with stress
In fact, we can’t live without stress. After all, it creates alertness, energy and focus. You react faster and get moving. However, it is important that stress is not constantly present. Your body needs recovery moments. Stress hormones are naturally made for short spikes. When stress lasts too long, your system becomes unbalanced. Long-term high cortisol levels create an imbalance your body and brain. Stress in moderation.
How does stress (not) work?
When a stress stimulus occurs, your pituitary gland becomes active. This sends a signal to your adrenal glands, which then produce cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. Excessive production of these hormones can cause:
- High blood pressure, poorer sleep and a greater need for sugar.
- An overactive brain that reacts faster than it should, even without a threatening situation.
- Impaired cooperation between brain and body, with symptoms such as anxiety, gloom or memory problems.
Light at the end of the tunnel: repairing stress damage
Just reading about stress can cause you to experience tension. Fortunately, there is also a positive side. Stress can be influenced. Reducing stressors gives your body room to recover and your cortisol levels drop again. To support your brain and body, you can:
Doing daily breathing exercises
Tension often causes restless breathing. Your brain and body actually need oxygen. Regular breathing in a calm rhythm helps calm your system.
Examining stressful habits
Map out where your tension is coming from. By learning new routines, you will create more balance.
Cut back on coffee, quit smoking and limit social media
Caffeine increases the production of cortisol. Smoking and intense social media use have a similar effect.
Move more
Exercise lowers the production of cortisol. It doesn’t have to be an intense sport. Walking, cycling, tidying up or climbing stairs already help.
Representation of the brain and stress as a mindset
Wondering how your brain can change under continuous stress? In see how chronic stress can affect your brain’s size, structure and function. And in . What happens when we see stress (also) as something positive and even a friend?
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What happens when stress lasts too long? Research shows that chronic stress affects the structure and functioning of your brain, Madhumita Murgia explains more about that in this TED talk. Kelly McGonigal shows in this TED talk shows how your mindset determines how you experience stress. When you also see stress as a signal that helps you, its impact changes.
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