Believe it or not - stress is vital for a healthy life! When we talk about stress or say we are under pressure it’s almost always in a negative context. Surprisingly the reality is completely different because there are two kinds of stress. One causes us to feel sick and interrupts our systems from regular function (this is the one most of us are familiar with). The other one helps us recover, deal with unexpected situations, makes us feel good, and even stronger.
If we want to identify which is which, for a start, we need to understand the differences between good and bad stress. Afterward, we need to learn how we can benefit from good stress and deal with bad stress.
Stress is an instinctive response of your body to changes and perceived internal and external threats. In reaction to these, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol which are stress hormones. These hormones are responsible for switching on your flight-or-fight mode and affect the way you deal with different situations.
As opposed to our ancestors, nowadays we are not dealing with situations that require us to physically run or fight. As a result, we stay reactive, and the levels of our stress hormones rise. Moreover, symptoms like neck aches, irritable bowel syndrome, food cravings, lack of sleep, and loss of appetite may appear.
The main difference between the two is how you perceive a stressful situation. Stress is a subjective reaction, and what may feel very stressful for one can be exciting for another. Anything that challenges you or puts you under high demands can be stressful, but it can go both ways. Either it gives you the push that you need to accomplish achievements, or it destroys you physically and mentally.
Events like the death of a loved one, divorce, moving, major illness or injury, job loss are major stressors in one's life. As a result, bad stress triggers various diseases and pathological conditions. Moreover, staying under continuous stress can lead to serious health conditions and harm your well-being.
On the other hand, events like getting a promotion, going on a first date, riding a roller coaster, and different competitions will promote good stress. It usually happens when you are excited and there’s no threat or fear to deal with, effects like increased pulse and surges in hormones are normal reactions to good stress. This is the kind of stress that keeps us alive and happy, the one we want to increase and use.
There are a few options when it comes to fighting bad stress, more so you can even turn bad stress to good stress. As I mentioned earlier in this article, it’s a matter of perception. If you perceive a situation as something which is outside your capacity, and you believe you can't control it, the result will usually be a negative effect.
Let’s have a look at some options that can calm your nerves:
Tip: There are great apps that can help you with guided meditation and breathing exercises, I’m personally using ‘Prime Mind’ and I used ‘Calm' before, both are great in my opinion. Most of these apps suggest a free trial or free membership, just test them until you find the one that suits you best.
Stress isn’t always a bad thing! Moreover, you can control it, manage it, and even benefit from it. My biggest advice to you is to practice looking at threats as challenges when they appear in your life. After you practice it for a while, it becomes more automatic. As a result, you will experience more good stress and less bad stress. Again, it’s a matter of perception in combination with creating new and healthy habits in your life that will support you in stressful situations.
If you believe that your stress levels can be lower, and interested in exploring it with the right food choices, please contact me. There’s a lot more you can learn about stress and nutrition. I can provide the right tools and meal plans that will help to achieve your goal. Don’t give up on stressless and chilled days!
