Stress management and reduction for improved health

Stress causes your body to react in ways that are designed to defend you against predators and other aggressors. Threats like this are rare nowadays, but that doesn't mean life isn't stressful.

On the contrary, you probably have a lot on your plate every day, such as juggling a large workload, paying expenses, and caring for your family. These ostensibly trivial annoyances are viewed as threats by your body. As a result, you could feel as though you're under constant attack. You can, however, fight back. You don't have to live your life under the tyranny of stress.

Understanding how the body reacts to stress

When you come across a perceived threat, such as a large dog barking at you on your morning walk, your hypothalamus, or fear centre, kicks in.

Adrenaline speeds up your heart rate, raises your blood pressure, and enhances your energy levels. Cortisol, the principal stress hormone, raises blood sugar levels (glucose), improves glucose utilisation in the brain, and increases the availability of chemicals that repair cells.

In a fight-or-flight situation, cortisol also suppresses functions that are unnecessary or detrimental. It suppresses the digestive system, reproductive system, and development processes through altering immune system reactions. The brain regions that control mood, motivation, and fear are also communicated with by this sophisticated natural warning system.

When the body's normal stress response is out of control

Normally, the body's stress response system is self-limiting. Hormone levels return to normal once a perceived threat has passed. As your adrenaline and cortisol levels decrease, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, and your other systems resume their normal functions.

However, when stressors are constant and you feel under attack, your fight-or-flight response remains activated.

The activation of the stress response system over time, as well as the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones, can affect practically all of your body's systems. This puts you at risk for a variety of health issues, including:

• Nervousness

• Depressed mood

• Issues with digestion

• Migraines

• Muscle tenseness and discomfort

• Coronary artery disease, heart attack, hypertension, and stroke

• Sleep issues

• Gaining weight

• Impaired memory and concentration

Music that is soothing and calming, as well as music that is calming and meditative, may help overcome stress

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