Stress Awareness
Understanding Stress and Its Impact on Your Body
When we think about stress, we often picture feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, fatigue, or mood issues. These are the moments when stress is most obvious, and we can clearly feel its effects.
However, stress doesn’t always manifest in such obvious ways. Even if we don’t feel completely overwhelmed, we could still be experiencing stress that impacts our health in subtle, yet significant, ways.
Stress is often underrated or dismissed as a health issue, but it has a profound effect on our body’s ability to function optimally. While we may not always be able to change the sources of our stress, we can change how we respond to it. By improving our response to stress, we can build resilience and manage stress in a more balanced way.
The Role of Cortisol in Stress
When we’re stressed, our body releases cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Cortisol serves several functions in the body, such as:
Increasing blood sugar
Suppressing the immune system
Assisting with the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
Reducing bone formation
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, located above your kidneys, which are responsible for regulating metabolism, blood pressure, and stress response.
While cortisol is necessary for many bodily functions, chronic or ongoing stress leads to its prolonged release, which can cause several negative side effects, including:
Increased inflammation
Suppressed gut function
Suppressed reproductive system
These effects are more pronounced with chronic stress.
Cortisol and the Circadian Rhythm
Cortisol levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day. We should experience a peak of cortisol early in the morning to help us wake up, and lower levels in the evening to promote the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. When we experience ongoing stress, this rhythm can be disrupted, leading to difficulty falling asleep and poor-quality sleep.
Stress and Inflammation
In short bursts, cortisol suppresses inflammation and supports the immune system. However, with chronic stress, the opposite occurs: inflammation increases, and the immune system weakens, making us more susceptible to illness.
Stress and Gut Health
Elevated cortisol levels can negatively affect gut function by diverting resources away from digestion. As a result, digestive enzyme production is reduced, impairing nutrient absorption and gut health. This disruption can harm the microbiome, further weakening the immune system, as a significant portion of immunity is linked to gut health.
Stress and Sleep
As mentioned, cortisol levels are highest in the morning and should decline at night to facilitate the production of melatonin. Chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated at night, making it difficult to fall asleep and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.
Stress and the Reproductive System
While cortisol is necessary during the early and mid-follicular stage of the menstrual cycle, prolonged elevated cortisol can suppress other reproductive hormones like progesterone and estrogen. This imbalance can lead to symptoms such as:
Heavy or irregular periods
Absence of periods
Anovulation (lack of ovulation)
Low libido
Managing Stress and Its Effects
While it’s ideal to reduce the sources of stress, this isn’t always possible. However, there are several strategies you can implement to mitigate the effects of stress:
Deep breathing exercises
Meditation
Keeping a gratitude journal
Journaling for reflection
Relaxing in a warm bath with essential oils
Limiting social media and screen time (especially 30 minutes before bed)
Getting lost in a good book
Catching up with friends
If you’ve been experiencing stress, anxiety, or sleep disturbances for a prolonged period without seeing improvement, it might be time to seek professional support.
The 6-Week Stress Less Program
The 6-Week Stress Less Program is designed to help you better manage stress through tailored nutrition and herbal treatments. This program focuses on providing the nutrients your body needs for a healthy stress response, promoting better sleep, and improving mood.
The program includes:
1 x initial consultation
1 x second follow-up consultation
2 x standard consultations
2 x 200ml herbal treatments (personalized for you)
Stress Less Guide
Weekly educational handouts
This program will provide you with the tools and knowledge to identify stress triggers, understand how stress affects your body, and implement strategies for long-term stress management.
You can check out the program here