But Now We're Stressed Out

Wish we could turn back time To the good old days When the mama put us to sleep But now we’re stressed out

While these are just lyrics from a Twenty One Pilots song, they hold a timeless truth in our lives. As we grow older, our responsibilities increase and we feel as though our freedom is fading away. Anxiety, burnout, the sensation of being overwhelmed- all of these can be categorized under the topic of ‘Stress’.

During exams, personal battles, and other conflicts, we always tend to exclaim that we’re stressed and we can barely handle what we’re going through. The reality is that we as resilient human beings have the ability to rise above whatever we are facing. Our insecurities and feelings of self-doubt get in the way, and even that is because of stress.

So, what is stress?

In psychology, it is essentially a product of physical and emotional tension. Any event can trigger stress if it incites emotions like frustration, anger, and nervousness. It is the body’s reaction to any challenge or demand.

Going into scientific detail, there are many ways stress can affect the human brain if it becomes a chronic condition.

Signs Of Stress

• Irritability

• Panic attacks

• Fatigue

• Burnout

• Headaches and Migraines

• High blood pressure

• Chest pains

• Indigestion

• Losing appetite

• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and melancholy

• Crying outbursts

Yes, Your Brain Can Actually Shrink

To people who have casual scientific knowledge, it can be quite shocking to realize that a vital organ like the brain can physically shrink due to extended mental tension. Among the many parts of the brain is the Amygdala, which is commonly called the ‘fear center’ of the brain. The weight we give to our insecurities, concerns, and responsibilities, is attributed to this center.

This isn’t to claim that your brain can recede into the size of a ball and bounce around your skull if every moment of life stresses you out. While the residual volume of the brain stays about the same, other parts of the brain which are associated with emotions, memory, and metabolism will shrink under duress.

Intense stressors can make it difficult for people to deal with future stress.

A Fast Track To Forgetfulness

There are a fair amount of mental illnesses which include memory dysfunction as a symptom. In the case of stress, certain specific details are impossible to remember and cause a lot of disruption in the afflicted person’s life. Stress is quite detrimental to short-term memory as the brain tends to be in survival mode rather than memory mode, according to Dr. Kerry Russler, who is a professor at Harvard Medical School.

Diagnoses, Diagnoses

When brain shrinkage and general memory impairment occur, this can cause a strain on the brain and allow mental illnesses to develop over time. Anxiety and depression are the common end results.

The brain is composed of what is called ‘white matter’ and ‘gray matter’. Gray matter is dedicated to decision-making and problem-solving, while white matter is a network used to connect regions of the brain and pass on information. So, when these two are imbalanced, a natural segue to mental illness is formed.

Productivity Extreme

Though it can cause long-term damage, stress can be good for the short-term to complete tasks quickly. Human beings can be pressured into doing something they don’t want to through external tensions and intrusive thoughts.

Hence, we can improve brain performance and cognitive function for a short period of time to execute tasks perfectly before deadlines.

Ways To Eliminate Stress

Since stress does more harm than good, we should actively avoid it by following simple tips.

1) Get Organized

When your space is clean, your mind can’t be distracted by stepping over scattered book stacks and slipping on stray objects. Leaving what you need to do in a central spot can help you concentrate on your work rather than your stress.

2) Eat Some Chocolate

Unless you don’t like it, which is understandable, you’ll love to know that even chocolate can help reduce stress. Chocolate is known to calm nerves. Dark chocolate in particular regulates the production of the stress hormone Cortisol and steadies metabolism.

3) Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Laughing can accelerate blood flow and boost immunity.

4) Articulate Your Feelings In Writing

When you write it down, you can figure out why you are stressed and rationalize your feelings. The problems can seem less intimidating on paper.

5) Find Calmness in the Lonely

Being alone in a quiet or soothing zone can allow you to collect your thoughts and clear your head of unnecessary clutter.

6) Melodies Are The Classic Stress Reliever

Listening to music is my personal favorite as it induces enjoyment and a temporary sensation of blitheness.

7) Talk To A Friend

Venting to someone who’s willing to listen or even your pet can get you advice and reassurance against your difficulties.

Like our organization’s name advocates, the best efforts to evade stress should be to just relax and let it go. We can defeat any obstacles that come in our way with the help of other people and resources surrounding us, and we will survive after facing our adversities, so spending too much time thinking rather than acting is pointless.

Just remember: Whatever you’re facing is not the end of the world. You’ll get through it. And you’ll realize that all the stress was for nothing!

Sources: Colorado Edu, Premier Neurology and Wellness Center

Written by - Maleeha Asif Damda