Harnessing the Stress Response: The Science Behind Stress and Recovery
It’s easy to think that stress is inherently bad, especially with all the misinformation about how cortisol is detrimental to health. However, not all stress is created equal. The body’s ability to recognise and respond to stressors is a vital survival mechanism.
Let’s take a look at why the fear around acute stress is overblown, how we can use it to our advantage, and why recovery from stress is crucial for widening our window of tolerance for stress the next time arises.
The Nature of Acute Stress
Acute stress is the body’s short-term response to an immediate challenge or threat. This “fight-or-flight” response, which has evolved over millennia, involves the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare us to either confront the danger or escape it, increasing our alertness, energy, and focus. This response can enhance our performance in high-pressure situations.
For more information on what happens in the body when you are stressed, click here.
Think of stress as a sliding scale: at one end is no stress, and at the other is complete overwhelm, where the emotional brain completely takes over. In the middle is the sweet spot, known as eustress (from the Greek ‘eu’ meaning good), where stress can actually be beneficial. This is where the prefrontal cortex remains active, allowing us to use stress to our advantage.
The Benefits of Acute Stress
Enhanced Performance: Acute stress can boost cognitive function and physical performance. Athletes often perform better under competition pressure, and students may find that a bit of stress helps them focus during exams. Even in professional settings, the immediate stress response can help us deliver on our work.
Improved Resilience: Experiencing and overcoming acute stress builds resilience. Each time we navigate a stressful situation successfully, we become better equipped to handle future challenges.
Motivation and Adaptation: Acute stress can serve as a motivator, pushing us to take action and adapt to new circumstances. It drives us to meet deadlines, solve problems, and innovate.
Using Acute Stress to Our Advantage
To harness the benefits of acute stress, it’s important to recognise it as a natural, and sometimes necessary, part of life. Here are some strategies to make the most of it:
Reframe Your Mindset: Instead of viewing stress as purely negative, see it as a challenge that can help you grow. This shift in perspective can reduce anxiety around it and improve performance.
Practise Mindfulness: Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing (see later), meditation, and mindfulness can help you stay grounded and focused during stressful situations, allowing you to respond more effectively.
Sit with the Discomfort: Often, we avoid discomfort but facing it can help us overcome stress. Being mindful of physical and emotional sensations, reminding ourselves that they are temporary, and using techniques like “urge surfing” can help us manage stress better and not avoid.
Build Mastery: This is technique that requires you to do something every day that makes you feel confident and competent. Doing this creates a reserve of good chemical and neurotransmitters that we can return to when we feel stressed. Furthermore, feeling confident when you approach a task is generally a great way to help you work through the stress.
Recovering from Stress
Recovery is key to benefiting from stress. Without recovery, we risk becoming overwhelmed and unable to use stress to our advantage. Additionally, each time we experience stress and recover, we widen our window of tolerance for future stressors meaning we are more likely to be able to use the stress response to our advantage next time it is needed.
Recovery involves a process called allostasis, where the body adapts its internal environment to external demands. Here are some ways to recover from stress:
Diaphragmatic Breathing: this type of breath can counteract stress. Shallow breathing (which is the breath we use when we are in our stress response) keeps us in the sympathetic nervous system, but diaphragmatic breathing shifts us to the parasympathetic system, signalling safety to the brain and activating the vagus nerve. To practise, soften your belly, let it inflate as you inhale, and deflate as you exhale. This will allow the diaphragm to move up and down as you breathe. Extend your exhale to be at least two counts longer than your inhale for added benefit.
Socialising: Spending time with friends, family, and loved ones can provide comfort and safety. Talking about stressors helps process emotions and find solutions. Social support is an important part of health and well-being.
Physical Exercise: Exercise reduces stress hormones and boosts endorphins, improving mood and negating the stress response. Activities like yoga, strength training, walking, and sports can be beneficial.
Spending Time in Nature: Nature can help recover from stress. Hearing birds, for example, signals safety to the brain. Walking outside and observing the environment can also help process emotions through eye movements, similar to EMDR therapy.
The Real Culprit: Chronic Stress
While acute stress can be beneficial, chronic stress is a different story. Chronic stress occurs when we are exposed to stressors over a prolonged period, leading to a constant state of heightened alertness. This can have serious negative effects on our health, including:
Physical Health Issues: Chronic stress is linked to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and weakened immune function.
Mental Health Problems: Long-term stress can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.
Cognitive Impairment: Prolonged stress can impair memory, concentration, and decision-making abilities.
Managing Chronic Stress
To mitigate the effects of chronic stress, develop healthy coping mechanisms and lifestyle habits:
Regular Exercise: Physical activity reduces stress hormones and triggers the release of endorphins, improving mood.
Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet supports overall health and helps manage stress levels. Some types of whole foods are even able to absorb some of the adrenaline and cortisol that is in the body. Additionally, not eating enough or having some nutritional deficiencies can be a form of internal stress that that may compound the issue.
Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for recovery and stress management. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Social Support: Building strong relationships and seeking support from friends, family, or professionals can provide emotional relief and practical assistance.
Conclusion
Acute stress, when managed properly, can be a powerful tool that enhances performance, resilience, and adaptability. By understanding and embracing the benefits of acute stress, we can use it to our advantage. However, it’s important to be vigilant about chronic stress and take proactive steps to manage it. By doing so, we can maintain our health and well-being in the long run.
There are so many other things that can help you to process stress and other acute emotions. Take a little bit of time to sit down and write what yours are so you have a little toolbox to turn to whenever you need it.
I hope this blog helps shed light on the positive aspects of acute stress and the importance of managing chronic stress. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to ask!