The cost of living is rising. Employers are asking more and more of employees. Listening to the news can raise most of our stress and anxiety levels. And most of us feel like our days, weeks, and months are spent trying to keep all the spinning plates in the air without letting them fall, again leading to stress. Most of us have heard that stress is unhealthy, but how does it affect the body?

Good Stress vs. Bad Stress

Well, it turns out some stress is good. It can meet your daily challenges and motivate you to reach your goals, ultimately making you smarter, happier, and healthier. Good stress, or eustress, is the stress you feel when you’re excited. Your pulse quickens, and your hormones surge, but no threat or fear exists.

Good stress is vital for a healthy life. This is the type of stress when you may feel riding a thrill ride at the amusement park, going on an interview, competing in a sport, or even walking through a haunted house at Halloween. Good stress is short-term, inspiring and motivating you, focusing your energy, and enhancing performance.

Your body’s response to stress is supposed to protect you. Bad stress, however, can wear you out, leaving you irritable, angry, fatigued, and unable to sleep. Bad stress or distress can lead to anxiety, confusion, poor concentration, and decreased performance. Bad stress can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Acute stress doesn’t take a heavy toll on your body if you can find ways to manage it actively. However, chronic stress, if constant, can take a heavy toll on your body and harm your health. Chronic stress can cause headaches, digestive issues, weight gain, and anxiety. It can also result in high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

The hormone cortisol is released in response to stress. Studies suggest that high cortisol levels from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. This stress can also cause changes that promote the buildup of plaque deposits in the arteries. These are common risk factors for heart disease.

Even minor stress can trigger heart problems like poor blood flow to the heart muscle, in which the heart doesn't get enough blood or oxygen. Additionally, long-term stress can affect how the blood clots. This makes the blood stickier and increases the risk of stroke. 

Approaches to managing stress

Exercise

Exercise can help counteract the harmful effects of stress. It doesn’t mean you must hit the gym or run a marathon. Living a lifestyle that naturally encouraging movement without thinking about it can also be beneficial. Any exercise can help to improve cardiovascular health by controlling weight, improving cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. Exercise has another benefit that lowers stress. People who exercise have a reduced physical response to stress. Their blood pressure and heart rates don't go up as high as people under stress who don't exercise.

Building a strong support system

Research shows having a strong support network, people you can talk to and trust, or belonging to organizations or religion can reduce your stress level and your risk of heart disease. A strong support system helps you take better care of yourself, too. Research shows that a lack of social support increases the chance of engaging in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, eating a high-fat diet, and drinking too much alcohol.

Reduce work stress

Studies show demanding jobs that offer few opportunities to make decisions or provide little reward can increase your risk for heart disease. Stress at work becomes even more of a problem when you don't have a strong support system, or you have long-term anxiety. If changing jobs isn’t an option, smaller changes like taking some time every day away from work to do something that is relaxing and that you enjoy can reduce the stress even temporarily. It may be reading, walking, or deep breathing. 

Positive Self-Talk

When we say things to ourselves like “I can do this” or “everything will be OK, this can help us calm down and manage stress. To make it work, practice positive self-talk every day – in the car, at your desk, before you go to bed, or whenever you notice negative thoughts.

Nature Time

Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost feelings of happiness and well-being. Stress is relieved within minutes of exposure to nature as measured by muscle tension, blood pressure, and brain activity. Time in green spaces significantly reduces your cortisol, a stress hormone. Nature also boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, which promotes happiness. 

Take a Breath

When you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.

Down Shift

Stress leads to chronic inflammation associated with every major age-related disease. Establishing a daily routine to shed the stress to reverse this trend.  

So this month, take a few moments to acknowledge the stressors in your life and actively manage them if they negatively impact your physical and mental well-being. Reducing stress makes for a healthier heart and a happier version of you.