Modern life, with its rapidly changing demands and constant connectivity, can leave us trapped in a constant fight-or-flight stress cycle. This ongoing stress response can take a serious toll on your health because it does not allow you the rest and recovery period you need.
Constant exposure to stress and the release of stress hormones can weaken your immune system and increase your risk of numerous health problems, including heart disease, depression, and obesity.One You can break out of this vicious cycle and improve your mental and physical health.
3 stages of the stress cycle
There are three stages to the stress cycle. The alert phase acts as the body's immediate response to a perceived threat. The second phase is known as the resistance phase, where the body attempts to return to a state of balance by resisting or adapting to the stressor.
The final stage is the exhaustion stage. Lowered immunity, fatigue, and a higher susceptibility to illness are associated with this stage, as waves of stress hormones and cortisol take their toll. Without appropriate intervention, this stage can lead to serious and chronic health problems.
Triggering a Stress Cycle: Alarm Stage
The stress cycle begins during the alert phase, when the eyes, ears, or both send information to the amygdala, a brain region that contributes to emotional processing.2
This hormonal surge increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supply, preparing the body to fight or flee the threat.three This stage is characterized by a heightened state of awareness as well as significant improvements in physical abilities.
The liver releases additional glucose into the bloodstream to provide additional energy, while certain body functions that are not essential to immediate danger, such as digestion and immune system activity, are temporarily suppressed. Now your body is focusing all of its resources on dealing with the immediate threat.4
Here, the heavy lifting is done by the HPA axis, which consists of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. When the brain senses danger, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released, causing the body to secrete cortisol. These levels decrease as the perceived threat is alleviated, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, and the resistance phase begins.5
The body's stress response is short-lived and, if prolonged, can lead to inflammation and a variety of chronic health problems related to stress. These include cardiovascular dysfunction, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune syndromes, anxiety disorders, and mental illness.6
The transition from the alert phase to the resistance phase in the fight-or-flight response is the body's attempt to adapt to stress and restore equilibrium. Unfortunately, stress cycles can be triggered by non-life-threatening events.7
Risk of getting stuck in a prolonged resistance phase
During the resistance phase, the body lowers stress hormone levels slightly, but they remain high enough to keep the body alert. This transition allows you to deal with stress more effectively and stay prepared without the excessive energy expenditure of the alert phase.8
This adaptation process is critical to long-term stress and ensures that the body can continue to function under pressure. As you recover from the initial shock and cortisol levels drop, your blood pressure and heart rate begin to normalize.
However, staying in the resistance phase for too long without adequate rest can lead to fatigue. During the resistance phase, the body's response decreases but it still remains alert. The resistance phase may not have the acute intensity of the alarm phase, but the body is still processing a series of heightened hormonal and physiological responses.
Breaking free from the stress cycle
Failure to break out of this phase of persistent stress and heightened resistance can lead to depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and heart disease. Stress is a known risk factor for drug addiction, relapse, and other maladaptive stress responses.9
However, some level of stress is unavoidable in life. If you're struggling with acute or long-term stress, there are many healthy, active behaviors that can help you break out of the stress cycle.
Clean Carbohydrates and Cortisol Glucose Link
Of course, one of the major “stress” hormones is cortisol, and diet has a lot to do with chronically elevated cortisol levels. When there is not enough glucose in the bloodstream, the body secretes cortisol to make glucose. Cortisol breaks down lean muscle, bone, and brain to create amino acids, which are converted to glucose in the liver.
What this means is that if you don't eat enough healthy carbohydrates in your diet, your body produces cortisol to make the glucose it needs to function optimally. This is one of the reasons I do not recommend chronic fasting or time-restricted eating. It may help you lose weight in the short term, but over time, it can cause chronic increases in cortisol, which can lead to premature aging.
According to a study in the journal Nutrients:10 “Diets high in carbohydrates have been shown to reduce post-stress cortisol and negative mood, and carbohydrate loading has been shown to enhance performance and suppress the typical increase in cortisol in response to prolonged exercise.”
Exercise increases endorphins and reduces stress-related cortisol
Participating in regular physical activity is another powerful strategy for reducing stress. Exercise releases endorphins, also known as the body's natural painkillers and mood boosters.11
Exercise can improve your overall mood and counter the harmful effects of stress by lowering levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone. Exercise also promotes adequate sleep. So overall, physical activity can greatly contribute to emotional and physical balance.12
Exercise is also key to extending your lifespan because it lowers the impact of stress on your body. Lowering cortisol levels through regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of stress-related health complications.13
The power of positivity and cognitive activity can protect against stress cycles
Additionally, by maintaining a bit of positive thinking and a hopeful and optimistic outlook, you can avoid some of the most detrimental effects of the stress cycle on both your physical and mental health. This change in perspective encourages your brain to produce chemicals that can help you break out of the stress cycle.14
There are activities that can guide you toward a more positive mindset. These include mindfulness and gratitude journaling.15 And spend time in nature. Taking a proactive approach can help you lower your current stress levels and reduce the likelihood of falling into a stress cycle when life gets busier.
Creative Solutions to Stress Cycles
Creative thinking and hobbies provide a therapeutic escape from the stress cycle and provide a mental shift that rejuvenates both body and mind. Activities such as drawing, writing, or playing a musical instrument stimulate the brain's creativity centers, reducing the production of stress hormones and increasing feelings of happiness and contentment.
Creative thinking goes beyond hobbies and can also be applied directly to avoiding stressful situations in the future. This approach can not only help you develop innovative solutions to problems that cause stress, but can also enrich your mind and give you a sense of purpose and control over your environment.16
Is laughter the best medicine?
There's a reason for the old adage that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural stress relievers, making it a powerful antidote to stress. Compare this to the cynical disbelief associated with an increased risk of dementia.17
Laughter triggers a brief activity in the cardiovascular system, which then relaxes the muscles. These physical changes in the body reflect the beneficial effects of physical exercise in relation to stress reduction.
Incorporating humor into your daily life can change a boring and stressful atmosphere into a light-hearted one. Creating opportunities for laughter by finding comedy in your life and in the content you consume can provide a simple yet effective escape from the vicious cycle of stress.18
Manage your stress cycle by taking care of yourself
Self-soothing techniques are essential tools for managing stress and overcoming difficult emotions. There are many benefits to be gained from meditation and mindful observation, which can reduce the intensity of your stress response.
Controlling your nasal breathing activates your body's relaxation response, which helps slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure. Progressive muscle relaxation and autophagy can also help cope with stress and promote pathways out of it.19
Autogenics, developed by German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in the early 20th century, is based on the principle that physical relaxation can bring mental calmness. This technique involves a series of exercises that focus on sensations of warmth and heaviness in different parts of the body to induce deep relaxation.
Practitioners often use phrases such as “My arms feel very heavy” or “My heartbeat is calm and regular” to help facilitate the experience of deep relaxation.
Even crying can act as a release valve to naturally heal pent-up emotions and stress. Often seen as a sign of weakness, crying is actually a sign of emotional intelligence and resilience, providing a means of self-regulation and coping with stress.20
Proper breathing is important for optimal health
Dysfunctional breathing habits usually occur in response to some type of emotional trauma. Trauma is hardwired into brain circuits, and encountering triggers activates specific breathing habits, some of which can significantly lower carbon dioxide (CO).2) concentration level.
Unfortunately, many widely used deep breathing methods make the situation worse because they promote hyperventilation and can cause widespread physiological changes. Colorado2 It acts as a vasodilator, important for oxygen transport and gut health, but is overlooked in many deep breathing methods.
The fact that so much of what you've learned about breathing and popular breathing techniques is unfounded may seem like another stressor, but our interview with Dr. Peter Litchfield will help you develop better breathing habits and explain the importance of CO. It will help you do that.2.
Other Stress Relief Tools
Optimizing your sleep is another essential tool in your toolbox. More than just alleviating fatigue, quality sleep repairs and rejuvenates the brain and body, enhances cognitive function, improves mood, and improves stress resilience.
During sleep, your body goes through a variety of restorative processes, including consolidating memory and regulating hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that affect stress and emotions.
Lack of sufficient sleep can worsen stress levels, making it more difficult to handle everyday pressures and hindering the body's natural ability to recover from stress. Establishing a regular sleep schedule and creating a conducive sleep environment are essential strategies for breaking the vicious cycle of stress and improving overall health.21
The healing power of hugs
Lastly, remember the importance of physical contact. Hugs provide more than immediate comfort in stressful situations. It can release oxytocin, a hormone that plays an important role in reducing stress and increasing emotional connection.
Interpersonal contact, especially through hugging, fosters a sense of belonging and support, which are key factors in managing stress and overcoming emotional turmoil. Studies have shown that people who receive hugs more often are less likely to experience severe symptoms of stress and depression.
Therefore, incorporating regular, consensual hugs into daily interactions can be an effective strategy for stress management. Doing our part to encourage a culture that values kindness and compassion on a larger scale can pave the way for healthier, more emotionally connected communities, which can lower stress for everyone.22
