Employee Wellness, Fitness, and Health: Managing Stress and Maintaining Mental Health

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, anxious or afraid? Do you sometimes have a hard time falling and staying asleep? How about struggling with uneasiness and worrying? Let's face it, life can be stressful. Everyone experiences it from time to time. But what is stress? Stress is the physical or mental response to an external cause. It may be a short term occurrence or it can occur repeatedly. Over time it can interfere with your everyday life, cause you to avoid doing the things you usually enjoy, and create unpleasant feelings of dread. Stress, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression. Prolonged or chronic stress impacts the entire body from head to toe. Let's start with the brain. Chronic stress carries with it prolonged elevated cortisol levels that can interfere with and damage the brain's hippocampus, which is critical for long term memory function. When someone experiences chronic stress, the amygdala or fear center of the brain is activated, causing the body to be in a constant state of stress. Cortisol levels are elevated and can cause issues with digestion, sleep and one's immune system as a result. Here are some of the ways stress can affect the Impairs High levels of cortisol in the brain may cause short term memory declines. The brain is reducing its ability to locate its resources because it's in survival mode, not memory mode. This can impact one's work, causing people to forget tasks and and important deadlines and can even impact your relationships. Changes in Brain Structure the brain is composed of both gray and white matter. Gray matter is used for decision making and problem solving and white matter is used to communicate information throughout the various regions of the brain. Stress can cause an imbalance in both gray and white matter, and in some cases this can result in permanent changes to the brain structure. Development of Mental Illness Chronic stress may interfere with the timing and balance of communication, therefore negatively altering hippocampal function. The hippocampus is involved with memory function consolidation and transfer. Reduction in brain Cells Chronic stress can kill neurons in the brain's hippocampus. Shrinking Brain Chronic stress has been found to cause areas of the brain associated with emotions, metabolism and memory to shrink. How do people handle stress? In fact, how do you handle stress? When's the last time you experienced a seriously stressful situation? How'd you respond? I hope it resolved itself well, but either way, you can learn from the experience. When we are faced with challenges that seem overwhelming and may cause serious emotional strain, how can we find ways to cope so that we can sustain optimal mental health? Let's take A look at some healthy ways stress can be handled. Take breaks from social media inputs, watching television, or engaging in anything that may feel upsetting to you. When you can control the inputs you allow into your mind, you can work on managing stressors and how you respond to them. Eat healthfully, exercise and get plenty of sleep to allow your body proper time to rest and refuel. Take deep breaths when you feel stress levels rise. Stretch and take time for a little meditation. Avoid excessive use of alcohol or other substances. Building connections with others you trust also allows you the space to share concerns and how you're feeling. It offers a place of belonging and community. If problems become too intense, consider speaking to a professional who may be able to help. Remember, you're never alone. Have you ever heard of being mindful? It can be a real superpower Mindfulness is the ability to know what's happening in your head at any given moment without getting carried away by it. Take the following example. You're driving down the road and someone in front of you suddenly slams on their brakes. This forces you to brake unexpectedly. All of a sudden, you find yourself feeling very frustrated to the point that you slam your fist into the steering wheel while your blood pressure rises. Being more in touch with your natural reactions in the moment could prepare you to respond more positively without losing your cool. Exploring breathwork, which is purposeful patterned breathing, can also help decrease stress by helping to minimize distraction and develop a greater sense of focus and awareness. Incorporating just five minutes of breath work into your day can make a world of difference. Not only does it improve focus, but it can lead to improved feelings of calmness and relaxation. Here's an example of a brief breathing exercise you can try right now. Sit tall in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes, breathe in slowly through your nose, and then breathe out slowly through your nose. Focus on your breath as you do so. As you breathe, thoughts will enter your mind, taking your attention elsewhere. Use your breath to anchor you p pulling your attention back to this moment. Continue breathing. Now take five more anchoring breaths, pausing after each exhale to feel the calm before the next inhale. When you're ready, open your eyes. How do you feel? Breathing is something we constantly do many times without paying any attention to it. However, learning to be intentional with your breath and thinking about it can deepen relaxation and improve your mood. So so yes, mindfulness is a superpower. Its benefits even go beyond helping manage mental health, as it can also help lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol levels and inflammation, and manage pain. Now let's explore exercise and nutrition and how they both impact and benefit overall wellness.