The Impact of Stress

Stress is sometimes called ‘the silent killer’ because the damage it does isn’t always immediately visible - it has a way of creeping up on us. Also, as a culture, we’ve come to live with long-term stress, accepting it as normal - it’s a way of life.

Some of the physical expressions of stress include: 

• Insomnia

• Poor digestion

• Infertility

• Allergies

• Accelerated aging

• Headaches

• Jaw clenching

Some of the emotional expressions of stress include: 

• Anxiety

• Fear

• Panic attacks

• Depression

• Anger

• Agression

• Difficulty concentrating

• Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed

• Addictions

• Low confidence

• Low self-awareness

Stress and the Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system contains two branches:

Both of these systems are always at work and balance can shift to more activity in the sympathetic during times of stress, or the parasympathetic during times of relaxation.

Stress can be a good thing when the situation calls for it. If for example, while on a camping trip, you find yourself face to face with a wild animal. Your nervous system’s stress response, or the ‘fight or flight’ response could save your life. You either choose to fight the animal or run like hell. 

This ‘fight or flight’ response is basically is a cascade of reactions within our sympathetic nervous system. When there is a threat, like a wild animal, the sympathetic nervous system releases a surge or adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones to help your body move and think faster and get out of harm’s way. 

The problem we encounter is that our brain doesn’t know the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat. Unfortunately, our sympathetic nervous system also gets triggered when the threat is less severe, like missing a deadline or being late for a meeting. The natural way to get rid of the flood of hormones and return the body to a restful state is fighting or fleeing. However, we don’t often have a physical outlet when the response is emotionally or mentally-triggered. Emotional and mental triggers set off the flood of stress hormones every day and this can have a detrimental effect on your health and well-being and lead to chronic ailments. The problems begin when the sympathetic nervous system is hyperactive and chronically activated and the stress response becomes our ‘norm’, sometimes it fails to turn off. 

Meditation counteracts stress, or the fight or flight response

Think of stress and relaxation as two sides of a scale. The more weight on the stress side of the scale, the more is required on the relaxation and self-care side of the scale. You become more balanced by reducing stressors and activating the parasympathetic response by adding relaxing activities to your routine.

Meditation is a great preventive tool as well as one of the best ways to reduce stress. It should be used preventatively (vitamin pill) versus prescriptively (aspirin). A regular meditation practice creates a new normal; you live more mindfully with greater self-awareness. When stressors do occur, you will have useful tools to deal with whatever comes along and more quickly return to a peaceful state.

When you meditate, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated. This is referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ state. Your brain waves settle into a more relaxed and aware state. Your body returns to a more restful state - oxygen consumption, heart rate and blood pressure all decrease. Feel good hormones are released - melatonin, endorphins and serotonin - supporting the immune system, sleep, etc. The effects of a regular meditation practice extend far beyond the meditation itself and can influence the entirety of your day.