Every Body Stresses

Stress is not one size fits all. Everyone experiences stress. You might experience stress over a broken furnace or an annoying email. Even our ancestors experienced stress as they searched for their next meal. Stress always exists to some degree, but what happens when stress never goes away? When you don’t remember what it feels like to be totally relaxed? When your provider says you need to reduce your stress, it’s not like you can always control what happens to you. But there are ways you can control your level of stress. 

Your allostatic load. When you add up the overall burden of stress on your body, it’s known as your allostatic load. For example, a stressful job, poor sleep at night, a poor diet and your scented candles and perfumes all contribute to your body’s overall stress, or allostatic load. Your body must find a way to respond to stress.   

The things that cause your stress are categorized. The physical stressors can be injuries, poor sleep, or an infection. Psychological stressors can include family, work, or finance concerns. Cellular stressors cause damage to your cells, like toxins or oxidative stress. 

There are also two types of stress. Eustress is “positive” stress, like a deadline to keep you motivated or strength training. Distress is “negative” stress like an infection or loss of a job. Stress can also be categorized based on the length of time you experience it. Acute stress only lasts for short periods, perhaps an hour or a day, like that deadline approaching. Chronic stress, however, persists for years. This could be from poverty or years in a dissatisfying job.  

Stress and disease. Your provider doesn’t tell you to reduce your stress just because. They have a reason. Stress leads to disease- no ifs, ands, or buts. Chronic stress can lead to blood sugar dysregulation, which long term can lead to type 2 diabetes. Stress leads to weight gain, cardiovascular disease, decreased immune function, decreased bone health, disrupted digestion and gut dysbiosis, decreased reproductive function in both males and females, and of course, mental health disorders.  

Take action. The good news is that you have quite a bit of control over your allostatic load. Some stressors are out of your control, like your access to healthy food or your neighbors barking dog. Other stressors are controllable, like choosing to eat the apple instead of the apple pie. 

Perceived stress. You can reduce your stress levels from non-controllable stressors, like someone rear ending you on your way to work, by controlling the way you respond to the situation, like being grateful no one was injured. The way you perceive stress has a large impact on the overall effect it has on you and your health.  

Cellular stress. You will never eliminate all toxins that cause stress on a cellular level, but you can reduce the amount present in your life. Drink filtered water out of glass or stainless steel, avoid heating food in plastic, choose fragrance free products, purchase an air filter, follow the EWG’s Dirty Dozen when possible: EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce | Dirty Dozen. Reducing your cellular stressors can help your body have more time and resources to fight daily stressors. 

Physical stress. Reduce this stressor by taking care of yourself. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Reduce or limit caffeine intake. Eating a nutritious diet. Find an exercise routine that works for you, and more. These lifestyle practices help you fight infection, sleep better, and give you more energy, all of which help you better handle stress.  

Psychological stress. Find ways to calm your nervous system and reduce your psychological stress so you can shift from “fight or flight” state to “rest and digest.” It may take some trial and error to find what works best for you. Try including meditation, journaling, walking, deep breathing exercises, connecting with loved ones, spending time in nature, yoga, or getting a message or acupuncture at ViaroTherapeutics. Make an appointment 

Every body stresses. It’s useful when it’s helping you reach a deadline on time, but when it becomes chronic, when there is no “rest and digest,” only constant “fight or flight,” then it becomes an issue. Finding ways to manage stress and reducing your allostatic load is doable. It may take a bit of effort to figure out at first, but in the long run, you’ll be healthier and happier because of it. 

Lila Tully, CHES 

Health Education Specialist, ViaroThrive 

For questions or comments, contact wellness@viarohealth.com