Stress Management: Understanding and Coping with Life's Demands
Stress is a natural part of life—something we all experience. While we can't always avoid stress, we can control how we respond to it. Developing healthy coping strategies is key to protecting our body, mind, and spirit from its negative effects. Stress is the body’s reaction to any demand or challenge, whether perceived or real. It can be classified into two main types:
Acute Stress (Short-Term): This is the body’s immediate reaction to a new or perceived threat—also known as the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system. In dangerous situations, the body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to help you react quickly.
These cause:
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Release of glucose and fats
Sweating and respiratory rate to go up
Stress hormones to be be stimulated
Pupils to dilate (improve vision)
Airways to open ( increase oxygen)
Digestion and other non essential body functions to shut down
Chronic Stress (Long-Term): Chronic stress occurs when this system is activated too often—such as through traffic, job pressures, caregiving or financial worries. While these aren’t life-threatening, the body still reacts as if they are. As you can imagine, over time, being constantly “on alert” depletes your energy and weakens your health.
Why does Stress Management matter?
When the body is in a prolonged stress state, it can lead to serious health consequences.
These may include:
Heart disease and stroke
Weakened immune system
Sleep disturbances and insomnia
Migraines and chronic pain
Weight gain or loss
Hormonal imbalances and decreased libido
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Depression, anxiety, and mood disorders
Accelerated aging and bone density loss
Hair loss and fatigue
And because people tend to cope with stress in unhealthy ways! Without the right tools, people often turn to poor coping mechanisms that bring immediate relief but have long term consequences and don’t get to the root cause of the issue.
Such as:
Alcohol or drug use
Smoking
Emotional or disordered eating
Anger or aggression
Withdrawal or depression
Toxic relationships
Negative thinking patterns
Not All Stress Is Bad.
It’s important to note that not all stress is harmful. In fact, certain stressors can motivate us to grow stronger both physically and mentally. This is known as eustress, or positive stress.
Which can lead to:
Increased energy and focus
Improved motivation and performance
A sense of accomplishment
Greater resilience and confidence
A feeling of purpose or excitement
How to Turn Off the “Fight or Flight” Response
The key to managing stress lies in activating the parasympathetic nervous system—also known as the “rest and digest” system. This system helps the body relax, recover, and conserve energy. Finding ways to regularly engage this relaxation response is vital to your overall well-being.
Tips for Activating the Relaxation Response
Deep breathing exercises like box breathing
Meditation, gratitude and mindfulness practices
Gentle movement like yoga, stretching, walking
Time in nature, sunlight, grounding
Laughter, smiling and connection to things you love ( like pets)
Adequate sleep, rest and time to smell the roses
Proper nutrition, hydration and exercise
Creative activities or hobbies that bring pleasure or a sense of peace
Adaptogens ( like Ashwagandha, maca, turmeric) and Nootropics ( like Lions mane, caffeine, L-theanine)
By understanding how stress is activated and taking proactive steps to manage it, you empower yourself to live a healthier, more balanced life. Check in, determine the cause of the stress and decide if it’s in your control to make changes and adjustments or it’s out of your control and you move to acceptance and coping skills. But most of all do not be afraid or ashamed to seek help if you are not making progress on your own, it takes courage and strength to acknowledge you need assistance. ( i.e. Functional Medicine Dr, therapist or a holistic health coach like myself.
For more information on my health coaching programs, sign up for my monthly newsletter below, or email me at christine@thewellnessnavigator.com.
