Influence of Stress on Mental and Physical Health

Subtopics:

• Definitions of Arousal, Stress and Stressors

• Stress Response: FFF Response

• Measurement of Stress Response

• Stress and Health: Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

• Coping with Stress in Everyday Life

1. Definitions of Arousal, Stress and Stressors

   • Arousal is a state of mental readiness for an activity (phy arousal can lead to mental motivation)

     → Being aroused is vital to our ability to perform both simple and complex tasks, our survival and ongoing wellbeing.

   • Psychological Signs of Arousal:

     • With appropriate levels of Arousal:

       → Heightened awareness of important cues in the environment

       → Narrowing of attention, excluding irrelevant stimuli

       • Person ends up in the flow state

     • With arousal that is too high, a person can display:

       → Anxiety, tension, negative self talk, inability to focus, fear and anger

   • Stress is a state of heightened arousal or a “psychological feeling of strain and pressure”

     → It is not healthy to remain in this heightened state of arousal as it can cause chronic stress

     → The body’s response is activated when dealing with threats / dangers, frustrations and challenges

     • Stress can be acute (short term) and chronic (long-term)

       • Long term effects of cortisol:

         → Decrease in memory and attention, decrease sensitivity to pain, heart disease, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, suppress the immune system, digestive issue, hypertension, backaches, headaches (the last two is called musculoskeletal problems)

2. Stress Response: FFF Response

   • The body’s stress response is an inherited response to a threat / danger

     → Threat perceived, message sent to hypothalamus in brain (via amygdala)

     → Hypothalamus activates the ANS, specifically the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

     → SNS stimulates adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline hormones into the bloodstream resulting in increased blood pressure, respiratory, muscle contraction rate and increased glucose release

     • Increased alertness, dilated pupils, increased breathing, accelerated heart rate, inhibited digestion, decreased muscle tone

     → Increased energy and heightened arousal for FFF

     → Once the danger is over, the parasympathetic (PNS) branch of the ANS is activated to allow for rest and digest

     • Decreased alertness, constricted pupils, slow and deep breathing, decreased heart rate, stimulated digestion, decreased muscle tone

3. Measurement of Stress Response

   • Objective measures:

     • Measuring physiological factors:

       → Cortisol, adrenaline, levels

       → Heart Rate, blood pressure

     • Behavioural Observations

   • Subjective measures:

     • Daily Hassles Scale (self-report inventory)

     • Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale (subjective quantitative)

4. Stress and Health:

   Stress can either be positive or negative:

   → Eustress = Elation, excitement (positive)

   → Distress = Fear, panic, anger (negative)

   General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

   • Hans Selye theory describes the body’s short and long term reactions and adaptations to stress in order to restore homeostasis, regardless of the nature of the stress

     1. Alarm Phase - Resistance drops with the threat. The body is mobilised to defend against the stressor. The SNS is activated so adrenaline is released.

     2. Resistance Phase - Arousal remains high as the body adapts to the stressor. The PNS becomes more activated to conserve energy reserves by the hormone and blood sugar levels remaining higher than normal. Respiration and heart rate return to normals as the SMS decreases its activity a little.

     3. Exhaustion Phase - Resources are very limited. Body cannot sustain the level of arousal. Therefore the ability to repair tissue and resist infections is reduced.

5. Coping with Stress in Everyday Life

   • General Self Care

     → Diet

     • Should aim to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, proteins (oranges, walnuts, almonds, celery, B-vitamins)

     • Better control of blood pressure; stabilises blood sugar levels

     • Increasing magnesium intake can relax the ANS

     → Sleep

     • Calms and restores the body (allows PNS to activate; allows repair of muscles)

     • Regulates circadian rhythm (sleep / wake cycle)

     • Memory consolidation

   • Relaxation and Meditation

     → Mindfulness

     • Lowers blood pressure

     • Reduces activity in the amygdala

     • Experiences less chronic pain (improves pain management)

     • Positive thinking improves immune system strength

     • Practicing relaxation techniques and breathing exercises lowers arousal (activates PNS)

   • Exercise

     → Fitness Routine

     • Releases positive hormones / endorphins (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin) and improves mood / confidence

     • Removes build up of toxins (negative hormones)

     • Releases muscle tension, increases relaxation

     • Improves sleep

   • Problem focused strategies

     → Aims to target the cause of stress in practical ways (best treatment) and overcome the stress)

     • Problem-solving

     • Time Management

     • Seeking Social Support

   • Emotion focused strategies

     → Aims to reduce the negative emotional responses associated with stress such as embarrassment, fear, anxiety, depression, excitement and frustration (used to manage stress in cases where it cannot be removed)

     • Distraction

     • Emotional disclosure (seek support)

     • Meditation

     • Journal / Diary writing

   • Assertiveness training

   • Time management