Mental health update: The impact of stress hormones
There’s a lot of connections made between stress and mental health, and while excessive stress can lead to poor mental health, a little stress is not always a bad thing.
It’s important to remember that your body is made to deal with sporadic periods of stress. It’s the foundation of the so-called fight or flight response, and in the right measures can improve performance. But you need to be aware of its benefits and risks and find your personal balance.
During times of stress or anxiety, your body will release adrenaline to help you cope. Adrenaline will increase your heart rate and breathing patterns to help you deal with your impending challenge.
After a short while, your body will begin to release cortisol, which releases glucose from your liver to help you manage your stress levels. This is why It’s unhealthy to stay in a stress condition for extended periods, as your body is in a heightened state that is not suited to long-term support.
While the effects of adrenaline are well known, cortisol is not so well known by most people.
In short, cortisol is simply a hormone that can help control your moods and fear. It is also an important element for good sleep, as well as managing your blood sugar levels, so you should take time to learn how it works for you.
Your cortisol will rise and fall throughout the day and will be impacted by high or low-stress situations, and just like adrenaline, it can be managed.
While there’s plenty of pills on the market to help, you can probably do it yourself using these simple tactics.
Sleep is important
Managing a sensible sleep regime will help a lot. Try to operate on a regular sleep routine (as best you can) and limit your caffeine intake before bedtime. It’s also a good idea to limit your blue light exposure, so set your device to minimise blue light (if you use a device to read at night), or stay off your device all together.
Exercise regularly
It’s an old chestnut, but regular exercise is a great way to manage your physical health, as well as your mental health and broader wellness.
A good exercise pattern will help you feel more energetic, more alert and can help you cope through stress periods. However, overdoing exercise just before sleep can have the opposite effect and put you in an adrenaline state.
You are what you eat
A healthy diet is a great way to stabilise moods and mental health. Just like exercise, a good balanced diet is a great platform for general health and wellness. A healthy diet will help your body to better manage its hormones, and you’ll probably feel better as well.
Relax and breathe
Be mindful of your general health and take time out to relax and de-stress. Being purposeful in managing your breathing may sound obvious, but most of us don’t do it. Relax, taking deep breaths in and slowly drawing-out the release will help your body reset and relax. If you struggle with this, there are plenty of apps that can help you learn simple techniques. It’s a great way to reduce stress.
Take time out for you
As prolonged stress periods kick in, we often stop taking time out for ourselves, which ironically then puts more focus on the stress.
It may be a morning walk, a swim at the beach, surfing, a passion for photography, or even just watching the sun rise or set. If you love doing these things, then make them a priority. A little ‘me time’ will go a long way to helping you reset.