Stress is an inevitable part of life. And it’s not just modern life that’s got us stressed out. Our ancient ancestors felt it too. The stress-induced “fight or flight mode” was in full effect back when daily stress had to do with whether we stayed to fight a predator or ran from it.
“From an evolutionary standpoint, stress is meant to get us up and moving, and some types are even beneficial,” explains Mathew Kulas, DAc, LAc, an acupuncturist at the Henry Ford Center for Integrative Medicine.
But when stress becomes chronic—and we’re not taking steps to manage it better—it can affect just about every aspect of our physical health.
What Is Stress?
We use the word “stress” to mean many things. But the true definition describes a natural mental and physical response your body has when faced with some type of challenge.
That challenge can be something physical, like running a marathon or going through cancer treatment. It can be something mentally challenging, like taking a test. Or it can be emotionally challenging, such as getting into an argument or dealing with traffic when you’re late for work.
The HPA Axis and Stress
The potential problems related to stress stem from how your body reacts to it. The strong mind-body stress connection starts in your brain. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is made up of three important structures in the brain.
Together, those three glands release hormones that lead to an increase in cortisol—the so-called stress hormone. In response to any type of stressful situation, cortisol levels increase. “Stress sends the HPA axis into overdrive,” says Kulas. “And it responds by pumping out stress hormones.”
Physical Effects of Stress
There’s very little that stress can’t do. The physical effects of stress show up in nearly every system and function of the body. “Every level, every system of the body is affected,” says Kulas. “Stress shows up in our endocrine system, neurological system, cardiovascular system and digestive system.”
From superficial symptoms to ones that affect you on a deeper, cellular level, stress affects everything. So, it’s no surprise that the physical symptoms of stress are equally widespread.
When you’re faced with short-term, acute stress, it may show up as:
- Brain fog
- Dizziness
- Heart racing
- Muscle tension
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
Ideally, once whatever is causing that stress (the argument, the traffic, the roller coaster ride) ends, your cortisol levels drop and you go back to feeling normal.
But when stress becomes chronic, we start experiencing those symptoms chronically as well. And that’s also when it can start affecting multiple bodily systems and tissues.
Chronic stress can lead to dozens of symptoms including:
- Behavioral changes (such as procrastination, making poor food choices or engaging in risky behavior)
- Difficulty sleeping
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Hives or other inflammatory skin conditions
- Weakened immune system (meaning you may get sick more easily and more often)
- Weight gain
Stress Relief Techniques
Henry Ford Center For Integrative Medicine
To counteract the effects that stress has on your body, you need to learn stress relief techniques that dial back the actions of the HPA axis and lower cortisol. And one of the simplest ways you can do that is with your breathing.
“The breath is a master control switch to the nervous system,” says Kulas. “And having an active awareness of that connection can help us control some of the negative effects of stress.”
During stressful situations, you may find yourself taking faster, shallower breaths. “That’s the mode you go into during stress,” he says. “And because there are more sympathetic nerve endings in the upper half of the lungs, that shallow breathing sends your respiration rate into overdrive.”
Instead, try taking slower, deeper breaths that fill your lungs more completely. “The calming, parasympathetic nerve endings are in the lower half of your lungs,” explains Kulas. “Deep belly breathing engages those and gives a message to your nervous system that you should be at rest.”
He recommends aiming for an even ratio of inhaling to exhaling. Try breathing in for seven seconds, pausing, then exhaling for seven seconds. “A rate of four breaths per minute is ideal,” he says.
Other mind-body techniques can also help reset the nervous system. These include:
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic
- Massage
- Meditation
- Tai chi
- Walking in nature or grounding
- Yoga
“Make time for even a few minutes a day of conscious stress relief,” says Kulas. “Even five minutes a day can be enough to break the vicious cycle in our nervous system.”
Reviewed by Mathew Kulas, DAc, LAc, an acupuncturist at the Henry Ford Center for Integrative Medicine.
