Chill out, it can save you
We all know that stress is both bad and good for us. A reasonable amount of stress is a necessity to survive but too much stress will put you at higher risk of many diseases such as dementia, depression, cardiovascular disease, etc. Most of us living in the modern, western world are burned with a certain type of stress daily. While we’re not stressed out about being eaten alive by predators or not having enough to eat or a place to sleep, but we’re pummeled with a constant information overload, executing at our work or school or just measuring up with our peers in this always-on life.
When we’re under stress, certain hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in the sympathetic nervous system are elevated. They help us activate the ‘flight-or-fight’ response which is obviously helpful when we’re really in dire straits because it will increase the glucose levels in the muscles, giving you a chance to run and fight. Your heart rate and breathing rate will also go up, as well as your blood pressure. Everything else which is not critically important for survival will slow down like your growth and digestion. Basically, if you’re trying to avoid being someone else’s lunch your body isn’t worrying about how to digest that mayonnaise on your sandwich. When we have the right amount of stress all is swell, and we’re happy and adequately aroused. But when the stress hormones are chronically circulating in our system at high levels, it gets harmful.
The hyperactive amygdala
Recently, I’ve been confronted with a superfluous amount of stress because we’re renovating our kitchen. Our daily structure has been thrown off-balance with having to deal with the daily construction and its uncontrollable incidents. Our kitchen comprises s a small buffet table with an electric kettle, a toaster, and a portable cooktop plus a BBQ. I’m thankful for having at least some possibility to cook a homemade meal but BBQing is slowly wearing out its glamour.
Following my body’s physiological reaction throughout the process has been interesting. From the very first day of the renovation, my Oura ring has recorded a higher resting heart rate and respiratory rate as well as body temperature, lower HRV, and subsequently, a much lower recovery score than is usual for me. All signs that I’m experiencing more than the usual amount of stress. My amygdala is pressing the panic button, and the pre-frontal cortex is having a hard time trying to tell my body that everything is okay.
Although things have gone well so far, and I can see the steady progression toward the finish line, it is still a stress and my body responds adequately. As I wrote in my previous blog post on wearables, I can usually tell pretty accurately how my body is feeling, and if I’m rested or not without having to rely on technology to tell me that. But right now I feel that having a wearable that tells me what’s really going on inside me is super useful and eye-opening. Although exercise is a major stress release for me, I’ve toned down the volume and I’m keeping the most intense workouts short because I can see from the data that my body isn’t ready for anything too demanding at this time. There is plenty to deal with and now is not the time and place for the PRs and bigger challenges. The last thing I want is to have burnout over a kitchen renovation which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I’m excited about.
The skill to let go
Unfortunately, burnout is something that’s epidemic in most Western countries. Hypercortisolism, having excessive exposure to cortisol and/or other related glucocorticoids, is increasing, and younger and younger kids are stressed out all the time. It’s saddening to think about all the damage the 24/7 stress and anxiety for months on end, let alone years, is doing to our health. It is no surprise then that certain chronic diseases and various mood disorders are rising in our society. All of these conditions are related to high stress. Our lifestyle is slowly, and sometimes as in the case of suicide or overdose, quickly, killing us.
When I got off the phone with the countertop company after hearing it will take three weeks to get my countertops installed and my general contractor saw the irritation on my face he quickly quipped, “Don’t stress out, it will kill you.” He’s right. Stressing out will not help me here, it will only make me feel worse. Instead of pressing the panic button, I’m going to take a deep breath, let go of my frustration, and do some gentle exercises out in the backyard to calm myself down while listening to the birds singing.
