Stress is a concept that we are all familiar with, but that we often know very little about. Think of stress as a perception. When we encounter a situation that seems threatening to us and our wellbeing, we perceive that the threat is throwing more at us than we have resources (mental, emotional, physical, etc) to handle. When this happens, we risk losing all rational thought and reacting in a way that we later regret. At the same time, stress can allow our mind and body to protect us from a legitimate threat. With that said, do we really understand the symptoms of stress? Do we understand how we respond physically to stress? Let’s dive into that topic now.
Everyone has a skill for tolerating stress. That’s right, stress tolerance is an important and dynamic skill. The great thing about that is, we can develop stronger coping mechanisms and skills in recognizing and managing stress. First, though, we have to recognize and acknowledge where we need to improve our stress management.
This article will discuss how our body responds to stress, and the potential negative consequences of long-term, unmanaged stress.
Have you ever paid attention to your physical reaction to stress? Chances are you’ve recognized the symptoms, but you may be blaming those symptoms on everything EXCEPT stress. For example, have you ever said to yourself or someone else “I have a headache…I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
Why didn’t you get enough sleep last night? Below are some common symptoms of stress as outlined by Mayo Clinic:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension and/or pain
- Sleeplessness
- Stomach upset
- Irritability
- Over-/under-eating
- Lack of focus
How our Body Responds to Stress
To understand the physical and mental impact of chronic stress, let’s first talk about how we respond to stress. You may already be familiar with a stress response known as the “fight or flight” (FoF) response. The FoF response is a short-term response that we experience when we perceive something as an immediate threat. When this happens, our body releases hormones that prepare us for survival. What does this response look like? Here are some of our physical reactions as a result of the FoF response::
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Sweating
- Increased focus on the perceived threat (“tunnel vision”)
- Increased blood flow to muscles, decreased blood flow to the digestive system
Another response that is less commonly discussed is known as General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which is a long-term stress response. This idea tells us that we respond to stress in three stages; the alarm reaction stage, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage. Let’s take a brief look at each stage to understand their role in our stress response.
Alarm Reaction Stage
The alarm reaction stage refers to our initial response to stressful situations. Much of the time, our judgment of whether the stressful situation is a threat or not is made on a subconscious level. Our first judgment will be whether or not the situation is threatening our life, social functioning, health, values, or reputation.
Second, we determine whether or not we have the resources (e.g. time, energy, knowledge, etc.) necessary to deal with the perceived threat. The FoF response is actually occurring during this stage. The physical symptoms listed above are most obvious at this time.
Regarding the FoF response, it is important to note that it does not only occur when our situation is life-threatening. The FoF response is a part of everyday life. For example, when we are working with tight deadlines, in conflict with a co-worker or loved one, or even when we are managing multiple tasks and/or events during the holidays, we perceive these things as potential threats to our wellbeing.
Although the alarm reaction stage is helpful in serious, life-threatening situations, it also creates short-term problems if not kept under control. In the short term, we can become so focused on the threat itself that we lose focus on day-to-day tasks that are necessary for our wellbeing. We can become short-tempered and irrational around friends, loved ones, and even strangers. Unmanaged FoF responses over time can create long-term issues as well, such as serious health issues and burnout. For tips on keeping the FoF response under control, see my article on stress management techniques.
Resistance Stage
The resistance stage of our stress response occurs after the initial shock of the stressful event has passed. Once our rational brain has had a chance to process the event, our body will begin to work hard to normalize its systems. Blood pressure will come back down, heart rate will normalize, and the release of stress hormones will decrease. With that said, the body will still be ready to respond if a stressful event (or a similar situation) arises.
I believe that many people spend the majority of their days stuck in the resistance stage. Why? Because we have become very good at sweeping stress under the rug and ignoring the physical signs and symptoms of our stress. Make no mistake, our bodies are very good at adapting to stress. If our triggers for stress stay consistent, our body continues trying to repair itself and will allow us to maintain some sense of normalcy in our lives. The problem, though, is that when we neglect the source of our stress, our body remains on high alert. What does this mean? Well, a body on high alert for stress has the following consequences:
- Blood pressure remains elevated
- Stress hormones (cortisol) consistently stay elevated
- Sleep quality decreases
- Irritability increases
- Poor concentration
- Relationships are negatively affected
- Compromised immune system
See the problem here?
Exhaustion Stage
As we continue to “float” along in the resistance stage, eventually our body is going to say “Enough is enough!”. Prolonged resistance and adaptation to stress will, at some point, push us into the exhaustion stage. In this stage, people reach their breaking point. Physical symptoms in the exhaustion stage include but are not limited to:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Digestive problems
- Rage
- Burnout
- Hypertension
- Heart arrhythmia
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Left untreated, these conditions can lead to death.
The reality? Stress is not going away any time soon, and if you think you’re strong enough to “handle the tension”, think again.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how we respond to stress, the next logical step will be to discover helpful ways of managing stress. For helpful tips and techniques on managing your stress, click here to read my article on Practical Stress Management Techniques.
