Have you been having difficulty escaping from your daily stressors? Trust me, I know how unpleasant and tiring these negative feelings can be. But don’t worry! Stress is a normal human response designed to keep us alert and focused during important tasks and keep us safe during emergencies. Our natural warning system protects us from danger and is closely interconnected with the parts of the brain in charge of emotion, drive, and fear. Let us talk more about the Stress Paradox.
The Stress Paradox
In fact, stress is something of a paradox. Why? Because not all stress is bad. Stress is interpreted by your brain either as positive (eustress) or negative (distress), depending on the specific nature of the stressful situation you are in. Let us talk about the difference and similarities between the two. By being aware of the difference between both, we can better analyze and interpret the feelings of stress and potentially put a positive spin on it!
Eustress
First, let us talk about eustress, the stress related to positive events. In technical terms, eustress is considered a moderate psychological tension within the body that is interpreted as being beneficial for the person experiencing it. It can provide you with that extra mental and physical push to get your task done in the short-term.
In fact, most people thrive under low loads of eustress, and depend on it to succeed in certain circumstances. While this sudden emotional load can be demanding, it heightens our senses and keeps us alert and motivated.
Examples of eustress include the positive anxiety you feel when you’re about to take an exam that you know you are going to ace; the anticipatory stress when you are about to destroy your brother in your favorite video game; the “can’t wait to get started” feelings you experience when you are about to start that new job; and the enjoyable stresses related to various positive experiences such as traveling, marrying, having a child, or the excitement you feel for the upcoming holidays.
Physical exercise is another great example of eustress. Exercise can cause you to experience great amounts of physiological and mental stress that your body and mind interpret positively, if performed at light to moderate intensities.
Distress
On the other hand, there’s the bad side of stress, which is called distress. This is the type of stress that causes you to feel anxious and worried, and leaves you in a state of uncertainty, fear, and in some circumstances even panic. Examples of distress include not meeting a critical deadline at work, being bullied at school, having persistent problems communicating with a spouse or child, frequently engaging in conflicts with others, financial problems, academic difficulties, etc.
While you may be able to handle one of these previously mentioned situations without a problem, it is frequently the combination of multiple sources of distress that can make you feel so miserable. For example, if you face an issue with a disappointed boss because you are not meeting deadlines at work, you may indirectly, and not knowingly, release some of this anger in a way by not being communicative with your loved ones and isolating yourself more frequently, which may cause conflict with your partner.
Distress is your body’s reaction to the removal from your life of something that provides you with happiness, or the addition to your life of something that generates negative emotions, such as anger, frustration, or uncertainty about the future.
Signs and Symptoms
Sadly, when negative life events occur, we sometimes needlessly compound our problems by diving into rabbit holes, creating extreme scenarios in our minds that are way worse than what is actually happening and worrying excessively about possible worst-case scenarios. This mental state can be quite difficult to break out of. It causes a spike in the glands producing stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline), and once this stress has become chronic, it impacts our ability to feel good.
Beyond emotional issues, negative stress can also produce a laundry list of unpleasant physical symptoms. Muscles can become tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. The mouth can become dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches.
The skin can become pale, sweaty, and clammy. Intestinal symptoms range from “butterflies” to heartburn, cramps, or diarrhea. Bothersome frequent urination may occur. A pounding pulse is common, as is rapid breathing and chest tightness.
The Solution
Believe it or not, feelings of both eustress and distress are caused by the same type of hormones, but both are interpreted in totally different ways by your brain. Isn’t it interesting how both types of stress cause a very similar internal physiological environment, yet have such a different effect on our mood and overall health?
Luckily for us, there are techniques that can help us to break out of these vicious cycles in the short-term, and if implemented on a regular basis, in the long-term.
To get us out of distress and promote a greater sense of well-being that can be achieved quickly, let us talk about some efficient and effective relaxation techniques.
Combating Negative Stress Through Exercise
You knew this section was going to come up! Exercise is by far the best stress-reliever. No matter how much stress you still may have built up inside of you, now is the time to press the reset button. Exercise has the same, if not better, outcomes on reducing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to strong medication (and without all the negative side effects): source.
In fact, exercise has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate feelings of stress.
How Does Exercise Help?
So how does exercise reduce feelings of stress? Exercise elevates your levels of mood-elevating happy hormones such as endorphins, endocannabinoids, serotonin, and dopamine, which work to induce physical and mental relaxation and decrease physical and mental pain. At the same time, exercise also causes your body to reduce its levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.
This combination of hormonal changes creates the perfect cocktail to make feelings of stress disappear and have you feeling like a new person, refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to take on life again.
Does it matter what activities exercise to perform to optimize the stress-relieving effects of exercise? Based on my personal experience, as well as scientific literature, a simple ten-minute stroll in your neighborhood can help to clear your mind and reduce stress.
But can you think of something that is even more beneficial and even longer lasting? Running. I am not talking about a sprint that just causes you to feel awful. No. While a mixture of high and low intensity training (such as interval training) have shown to be effective in reducing stress, saving you time, and boosting your mood, moderate intensity running has shown to be one of the best mood elevators and stress-hormone busters!
Final Words
For my clients that wanted to make running work for them, I have seen astonishing, and almost immediate results. There are many types of running, but the main thing is to make the type of running you choose work for you.
We will cover the details, as well as many other mood-boosting types of exercise in my book. Get your free physical copy today to find out what exercise is most effective in decreasing chronic stress levels.
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