An integral part of everyday life, stress can take different forms. It's sometimes positive, sometimes negative. What exactly are good stress and bad stress, and how can you manage them for a better quality of life?
Regarded as the health epidemic of the century by the World Health Organization (WHO), stress is a built-in part of our modern lives. Bills arrive every month, children's activities run all year, and work never seems to slow down. A little stress is inevitable, and that can be a good thing, but it can become harmful to health in some cases.
Today, I'm stressed. I missed my bus. A lion is chasing me. I went through a childhood trauma. What are the different kinds of stress? How do we experience them? What do they express? What can we do to accept them more easily and/or fight them effectively? All the answers are in this article.
What exactly is stress?
Stress is defined as the body's emotional and physical reactions to a particular situation. It's a natural reaction as long as it isn't excessive. It potentially concerns everyone, most often over a short period.
This reaction is triggered by situations associated with a potential "danger." Signs are then often directly observable: rapid breathing, muscle tension, an increased heart rate.
A chronic stress situation, however, is pathological. It can, for example, lead to digestive disorders, headaches, or sleep disorders. Very often, a chronic state of stress is the result of an underlying anxious state. Likewise, exposure to traumatic situations (bereavement, accident, illness…) can also be behind chronic stress. A distinction is then made between acute stress and post-traumatic stress.
People in a state of chronic stress, faced with stressful situations over the long term, also have a higher mortality rate than average.
Who is affected by stress?
Everyone! Stress is a common part of everyday life and can affect any of us. However, the intensity of stress varies from person to person depending on their personality and their ability to manage the stressful situation.
A stressful situation can take different forms. For example:
- routine pressure (at work, at school, within the family…)
- stress caused by a sudden change (divorce, a change in professional situation, illness…)
- a traumatic event (natural disaster, terrorist attack…).
You might think all stress is bad, but that's not the case. Good stress, or eustress, is the type of stress you feel when you're excited or enthusiastic. Your pulse quickens and hormones surge, but there's no threat and no fear.
This type of stress can be felt when riding a roller coaster, playing a game, or on a first romantic date, for example. Good stress is short-lived, it inspires and motivates, and it focuses our energy and improves our performance.
Bad stress, on the other hand, is the kind that wears us out, makes us on edge, and harms our health. Bad stress can lead to anxiety, confusion, poor concentration, and reduced performance.
Cortisol, the stress hormone
Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. It helps the body cope with stressful situations, as the brain triggers its release via the sympathetic nervous system, our "natural defence" system, in response to many types of stress.
While a brief release of cortisol can help us quickly flee danger, when cortisol levels stay too high for too long, this hormone can harm our health more than it helps.
Normally, once the pressure or danger has passed, cortisol levels should return to normal, and our heart, blood pressure, and other bodily systems return to normal.
If not, if the stress is chronic, these mechanisms don't return to normal. The result is that, over time, this can lead to a whole range of health problems.
The complications caused by bad stress
The symptoms of bad stress can affect health, even if we don't realise it. Maybe illness is responsible for that nagging headache, frequent insomnia, or a drop in productivity at work. But in the end, most of the time, it's stress that's the cause.
Following a period of stress, the immune system can weaken, making the individual more at risk of developing infections and illnesses, digestive disorders, and sleep disorders. Headaches, a chronic negative state, irritability, and mood disorders can also appear.
It's true that the symptoms of stress can affect our body, our thoughts and feelings, and our behaviour. Being able to recognise the common symptoms of stress can help us manage them. Below are a few tips for better managing your stress day to day.
A few tips for managing your stress
Here are a few tips and tricks for detecting and managing your stress levels:
- learn to recognise the signs of stress (emotional, physical, and mental). Once you become aware of your state, observation and detachment already allow you to gain some distance from your stress,
- eliminate stress where you can. Learn to say "no" more often, cut down your to-do list, and avoid people who stress you out,
- talk to loved ones and/or your doctor, don't face your stress alone,
- a daily physical activity helps release negative energy,
- relax (meditation sessions, even short ones, mindful breathing exercises…),
- identify and clearly define your goals and priorities. By seeing more clearly what you need to do, you reduce uncertainty and anxiety.
It's best to try to find active ways of managing stress. Passive ways of managing stress, such as watching TV, browsing the internet, or playing video games, may seem relaxing, but they can increase stress in the long run.
It's also important to make sure you get enough sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Tobacco, excess caffeine and alcohol, and the use of illegal substances should be avoided, as these substances tend to keep the body in a state of stress and cause further problems.
What to eat during stressful periods?
A healthy, balanced diet is part of a good lifestyle, especially during busy periods. Here are a few foods that are often highlighted.
Foods featured in the so-called "Mediterranean" diet are frequently mentioned: fish, poultry, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Foods rich in omega-3 are also worth mentioning, such as: anchovies, avocado, chia seeds, flaxseed, herring, mackerel, olive oil, oysters, salmon, sardines, tuna, and walnuts.
Certain minerals and vitamins, notably magnesium and calcium, also have their place in a balanced diet:
Calcium: calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission and normal muscle function. If your diet doesn't provide you with enough calcium, calcium supplementation can be an option to cover your needs.
Magnesium: magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Diet alone should always be able to provide a person with all the magnesium they need – and there are plenty of magnesium-rich foods (spinach, bananas, avocados, dark chocolate…).
Zinc: zinc contributes to normal cognitive function and to the normal function of the immune system. In the diet, zinc is found in shellfish, lentils, eggs, and potatoes.
Iron: iron deficiencies are very common. This situation can lead to quite unpleasant symptoms, such as extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and brittle nails. What's more, low iron levels mean the blood circulating in our body carries less oxygen.
Vegans and vegetarians are more likely to suffer from iron deficiencies, since meat is generally a better source of iron than plant-based foods. This partly explains why iron supplements are becoming increasingly popular.
Vitamin D: vitamin D contributes to normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus and to the normal function of the immune system.
Vitamin D differs from other nutrients because it can't come from diet alone. It's exposure to sunlight that allows the body to synthesise vitamin D. As sunny days aren't always guaranteed, vitamin D deficiency is very common. So many people turn to vitamin D supplements.
If you do need to turn to supplements, it's worth choosing a product that provides several nutrients.
B vitamins: the various B-complex vitamins each play a very specific role in the body. However, several have in common that they contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function.
- Vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12, biotin, niacin, and vitamin C contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system,
- Vitamins B2, C, and E help protect cells against oxidative stress,
- Vitamins B2, B6, B12, niacin, and vitamin C contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue,
- Vitamins B1, B6, B12, biotin, niacin, and vitamin C contribute to normal psychological function,
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) contributes to normal mental performance.
It's important to get enough B vitamins through diet. Indeed, several B vitamins contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function. For example, vitamins B1, B6, and B12 contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.
In summary
It's possible to fight stress. While stress is a natural reaction that alerts us to potential danger, it's possible to limit its devastating effects.
First, the key is to distinguish good stress from bad. As long as it isn't chronic, stress can be a positive element in our lives. By making an effort to reduce our chronic stress as much as possible and adding positive activities that encourage good stress, it's possible to create a balance and enjoy a better quality of life.
