Wollongong, can you remember a time when you felt stressed before a bi-life event and then afterward it felt like a weight had been lifted? This process – the intensification of the stress response and then feeling it calm back down – represents the completion of the “stress cycle”.
Some stress is inevitable in daily life. But being stressed is unhealthy. Chronic stress increases chronic health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This can lead to burnout or even depression.Exercise, cognitive, creative, social and self-soothing activities help you process stress in a healthy way and complete the stress cycle. What does the stress cycle look like?
Scientists and researchers refer to the “stress response,” often focusing on fight-or-flight responses. The phrase "stress cycle" has been extremely popular by self-help experts but it has a scientific basis.
The stress cycle is our body's response to a stressful event, whether real or perceived, physical or psychological. This could be being chased by a dangerous dog, an upcoming exam, or a difficult conversation.The stress cycle has three stages:
Step 1 is sensing danger
Phase 2 is the fight-or-flight response, driven by our stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Phase 3 is relief, which also includes physical and psychological relief. This completes the stress cycle.
Different people will react differently to stress depending on their life experiences and genetics.
Unfortunately, many people experience multiple and persistent stressors beyond their control, including the cost-of-living crisis, extreme weather events, and domestic violence. Remaining in Stage 2 (the flight-or-flight response) There may be long-term stress.Chronic stress and high cortisol can increase inflammation, which damages our brain and other organs.
When you're stuck in long-term fight-or-flight mode, you don't think clearly and become more easily distracted. Activities that provide temporary pleasure, such as eating junk food or drinking alcohol, are unhelpful strategies that do not reduce the effects of stress on our brain and body. Scrolling through social media is also not an effective way to complete the stress cycle. In fact, it is linked to an increased stress response.Stress and Neuropathy In the brain, chronic high cortisol can shrink the hippocampus. This can impair a person's memory and ability to think and concentrate.
Chronic high cortisol also reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex and increases activity in the amygdala.
The prefrontal cortex is responsible for higher-order control of our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and is goal-directed and rational. The amygdala is involved in reflex and emotional responses.Higher amygdala activity and lower prefrontal cortex activity explains why we are less rational and more emotional and reactive when we are stressed. There are five types of activities that can help our brain complete the stress cycle.
1. Exercise – This has its own stress cycle
When we exercise we get a short-term increase in cortisol, followed by a healthy decrease in cortisol and adrenaline. Exercise also increases endorphins and serotonin, which improve mood. Endorphins cause an excited feeling often referred to as "runner's high" and have anti-inflammatory effects.When you exercise, there is more blood flow to the brain and the prefrontal cortex is more active. This is why you can often think more clearly after going for a walk or run. Exercise can be a helpful way to relieve feelings of stress.
Exercise can also increase the volume of the hippocampus. It is linked to improved short-term and long-term memory processing as well as reduced stress, depression, and anxiety.2. Cognitive Activities – Reduce Negative Thinking
Excessive negative thinking can trigger or increase the stress response. In our 2019 research, we found that the relationship between stress and cortisol was stronger in people with more negative thinking.
Higher amygdala activity and less rational thinking when you're stressed leads to distorted thinking like focusing on negative thoughts and rigid "black and white" thinking. Activities that reduce negative thinking and promote a more realistic approach to stress Can reduce the reaction. In clinical settings this is commonly called cognitive behavioral therapy.At home, this could be journaling or writing down worries. It engages the logical and logical parts of our brain and helps us think more realistically. Finding evidence to challenge negative thoughts ("I prepared well for the test, so I can do my best") can help break the stress cycle.3. Getting creative – a way out of 'flight or fight'
Creative activities can be arts, crafts, gardening, cooking or other activities such as doing puzzles, juggling, music, theatre, dancing or simply being absorbed in pleasurable work. Such activities increase prefrontal cortex activity and promote flow and Promotes focus.Flow is a state of full engagement in an activity you enjoy. It reduces high stress levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline in the brain. When you focus like this, the brain processes only task-related information and ignores non-relevant information, including stress.
4. Being social and releasing feel-good hormones Talking with someone else, physical affection with a person or pet, and laughing can all increase oxytocin. It is a chemical messenger in the brain that increases social connection and makes us feel connected and safe.Laughing is also a social activity that activates parts of the limbic system, the part of the brain involved in emotional and behavioral responses. It increases endorphins and serotonin and improves our mood.
5. Self-soothing breathing exercises and meditation stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerves (which calms our stress responses so we can “reset”) and reduce cortisol.
A good cry can also help release stress energy and increase oxytocin and endorphins.
Emotional tears also remove cortisol and the hormone prolactin from the body.Our prior research showed that cortisol and prolactin were associated with depression, anxiety, and hostility. Action beats distraction
Whether it's watching a funny or sad movie, exercising, journaling, gardening, or solving a puzzle, there's science behind why you should complete the stress cycle.
Doing at least one positive activity every day can also reduce our baseline stress levels and is beneficial for good mental health and well-being. Importantly, chronic stress and burnout can also signal the need for change e.g. That in our workplaces. However, not all stressful situations can be easily changed.Remember help is always available.
If you are concerned about your stress or health, please talk to a doctor. (talk) AMS
Some stress is inevitable in daily life. But being stressed is unhealthy. Chronic stress increases chronic health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This can lead to burnout or even depression.Exercise, cognitive, creative, social and self-soothing activities help you process stress in a healthy way and complete the stress cycle. What does the stress cycle look like?
Scientists and researchers refer to the “stress response,” often focusing on fight-or-flight responses. The phrase "stress cycle" has been extremely popular by self-help experts but it has a scientific basis.
The stress cycle is our body's response to a stressful event, whether real or perceived, physical or psychological. This could be being chased by a dangerous dog, an upcoming exam, or a difficult conversation.The stress cycle has three stages:
Step 1 is sensing danger
Phase 2 is the fight-or-flight response, driven by our stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Phase 3 is relief, which also includes physical and psychological relief. This completes the stress cycle.
Different people will react differently to stress depending on their life experiences and genetics.
Unfortunately, many people experience multiple and persistent stressors beyond their control, including the cost-of-living crisis, extreme weather events, and domestic violence. Remaining in Stage 2 (the flight-or-flight response) There may be long-term stress.Chronic stress and high cortisol can increase inflammation, which damages our brain and other organs.
When you're stuck in long-term fight-or-flight mode, you don't think clearly and become more easily distracted. Activities that provide temporary pleasure, such as eating junk food or drinking alcohol, are unhelpful strategies that do not reduce the effects of stress on our brain and body. Scrolling through social media is also not an effective way to complete the stress cycle. In fact, it is linked to an increased stress response.Stress and Neuropathy In the brain, chronic high cortisol can shrink the hippocampus. This can impair a person's memory and ability to think and concentrate.
Chronic high cortisol also reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex and increases activity in the amygdala.
The prefrontal cortex is responsible for higher-order control of our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and is goal-directed and rational. The amygdala is involved in reflex and emotional responses.Higher amygdala activity and lower prefrontal cortex activity explains why we are less rational and more emotional and reactive when we are stressed. There are five types of activities that can help our brain complete the stress cycle.
1. Exercise – This has its own stress cycle
When we exercise we get a short-term increase in cortisol, followed by a healthy decrease in cortisol and adrenaline. Exercise also increases endorphins and serotonin, which improve mood. Endorphins cause an excited feeling often referred to as "runner's high" and have anti-inflammatory effects.When you exercise, there is more blood flow to the brain and the prefrontal cortex is more active. This is why you can often think more clearly after going for a walk or run. Exercise can be a helpful way to relieve feelings of stress.
Exercise can also increase the volume of the hippocampus. It is linked to improved short-term and long-term memory processing as well as reduced stress, depression, and anxiety.2. Cognitive Activities – Reduce Negative Thinking
Excessive negative thinking can trigger or increase the stress response. In our 2019 research, we found that the relationship between stress and cortisol was stronger in people with more negative thinking.
Higher amygdala activity and less rational thinking when you're stressed leads to distorted thinking like focusing on negative thoughts and rigid "black and white" thinking. Activities that reduce negative thinking and promote a more realistic approach to stress Can reduce the reaction. In clinical settings this is commonly called cognitive behavioral therapy.At home, this could be journaling or writing down worries. It engages the logical and logical parts of our brain and helps us think more realistically. Finding evidence to challenge negative thoughts ("I prepared well for the test, so I can do my best") can help break the stress cycle.3. Getting creative – a way out of 'flight or fight'
Creative activities can be arts, crafts, gardening, cooking or other activities such as doing puzzles, juggling, music, theatre, dancing or simply being absorbed in pleasurable work. Such activities increase prefrontal cortex activity and promote flow and Promotes focus.Flow is a state of full engagement in an activity you enjoy. It reduces high stress levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline in the brain. When you focus like this, the brain processes only task-related information and ignores non-relevant information, including stress.
4. Being social and releasing feel-good hormones Talking with someone else, physical affection with a person or pet, and laughing can all increase oxytocin. It is a chemical messenger in the brain that increases social connection and makes us feel connected and safe.Laughing is also a social activity that activates parts of the limbic system, the part of the brain involved in emotional and behavioral responses. It increases endorphins and serotonin and improves our mood.
5. Self-soothing breathing exercises and meditation stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerves (which calms our stress responses so we can “reset”) and reduce cortisol.
A good cry can also help release stress energy and increase oxytocin and endorphins.
Emotional tears also remove cortisol and the hormone prolactin from the body.Our prior research showed that cortisol and prolactin were associated with depression, anxiety, and hostility. Action beats distraction
Whether it's watching a funny or sad movie, exercising, journaling, gardening, or solving a puzzle, there's science behind why you should complete the stress cycle.
Doing at least one positive activity every day can also reduce our baseline stress levels and is beneficial for good mental health and well-being. Importantly, chronic stress and burnout can also signal the need for change e.g. That in our workplaces. However, not all stressful situations can be easily changed.Remember help is always available.
If you are concerned about your stress or health, please talk to a doctor. (talk) AMS