Do burning shoulders, a pounding head and an absent mind sound familiar? These symptoms are signs of stress. The cause of stress is often known; the severity of keeping it under control is less acknowledged. Stress is not something that should be ignored. Studies show that prolonged stress is detrimental to the body and the mind. For this reason, it is imperative to bring awareness to how stress affects both the body and the mind and how to keep it under control.
When the body remains under stress for long periods of time the brain reacts; releasing a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex of the kidney. Throughout the day, this hormone maintains blood glucose and suppresses non vital organ systems to provide energy to an actively functioning brain and neuromuscular system (Hannibal &Bishop p.1817, 2014). When a person is under a lot of stress this hormone will increase. When this happens the body reacts by going into defense mode. In turn, this hormone will consolidate ones memory, deeming it an unnecessary source for survival. Several test conducted on rats confirm that stress hormones play a major role in the learning process (Schmidt & Schwabe, 2011). Not only does chronic stress hinder the learning process, it is also one of the most common categories of anxiety and stress disorder. These life altering chemicals never go away completely causing less strenuous circumstances seem like horrific ones. This in turn, can cause anxiety and stress disorders to occur (Duval, Javanbakht & Liberzon, 2015). Consequently this hormone does not only affect the mind, it also affects the body, from weight gain to severe pain and long term illnesses. …show more content…
Georgetown University conducted a study on mice, providing evidence that NPY stimulates cause growth of abdominal fat cells when the subject experiences chronic stress (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2007). Not only does stress increase one’s appetite, it increases the chances of reaching an unhealthy weight. This in turn can increase blood pressure and the chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. In additional studies, severe pain links back to chronic stress. As mentioned previously, when the body is under stress it produces a hormone called Cortisol. When cortisol levels remain elevated for long periods of time it mobilizes glucose, and decreases inflammation. The longer stress remains the bigger chance cortisol levels will become unstable. When Cortisol becomes unstable it causes inflammation which can lead to disease such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, pelvic, joint, and back pain (Hannibal & Bishop, 2014). “Chronic stress is like poison to the body”. It slowly eats away at the nervous system, causing changes in blood flow; suspending the body’s ability to fight infection. Stanford University states” that the body turns off everything that’s not essential to survival, such as digestion, growth and reproduction, during the adaptive phase of stress” (Redmon, 2015 p.27). The stress mechanism in the body does not only control emotion; it’s the hub of the body that affects the immune and cardiovascular system. Therefore, making stress a silent killer (Carpi, 1996). There are many benefits to keeping stress under control. Controlling stress is not only a personal gain it allows productivity to increase all the way around. “Stress in the workplace is one of the number one problems a business will face” (Cranes Cleveland Business, 2015). It inflates absenteeism, unfinished projects and an overall belligerent attitude. This type of structure also migrates into the home. Decreasing stress, improves health, attitude and overall perception of things. In turn, increases productivity, allowing work to be completed in a timely manner with a “want to” attitude. Once hormone levels stabilize calming factors can be reintroduced to the body changing perception. This in turn provides a positive demeanor, making a better employee, parent, spouse or even a friend (Cranes Cleveland Business, 2015). Stress can be identified easily by taking the time to see or even feel the signs provided. There are small signs and there are large signs, providing an alarm that stress is present. The small signs may be something as simple as a racing heart, sweaty palms, or an over whelming feeling of fear. This may be from excitement, nervousness or anger. It all depends on one’s state of
When the body remains under stress for long periods of time the brain reacts; releasing a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex of the kidney. Throughout the day, this hormone maintains blood glucose and suppresses non vital organ systems to provide energy to an actively functioning brain and neuromuscular system (Hannibal &Bishop p.1817, 2014). When a person is under a lot of stress this hormone will increase. When this happens the body reacts by going into defense mode. In turn, this hormone will consolidate ones memory, deeming it an unnecessary source for survival. Several test conducted on rats confirm that stress hormones play a major role in the learning process (Schmidt & Schwabe, 2011). Not only does chronic stress hinder the learning process, it is also one of the most common categories of anxiety and stress disorder. These life altering chemicals never go away completely causing less strenuous circumstances seem like horrific ones. This in turn, can cause anxiety and stress disorders to occur (Duval, Javanbakht & Liberzon, 2015). Consequently this hormone does not only affect the mind, it also affects the body, from weight gain to severe pain and long term illnesses. …show more content…
Georgetown University conducted a study on mice, providing evidence that NPY stimulates cause growth of abdominal fat cells when the subject experiences chronic stress (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2007). Not only does stress increase one’s appetite, it increases the chances of reaching an unhealthy weight. This in turn can increase blood pressure and the chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. In additional studies, severe pain links back to chronic stress. As mentioned previously, when the body is under stress it produces a hormone called Cortisol. When cortisol levels remain elevated for long periods of time it mobilizes glucose, and decreases inflammation. The longer stress remains the bigger chance cortisol levels will become unstable. When Cortisol becomes unstable it causes inflammation which can lead to disease such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, pelvic, joint, and back pain (Hannibal & Bishop, 2014). “Chronic stress is like poison to the body”. It slowly eats away at the nervous system, causing changes in blood flow; suspending the body’s ability to fight infection. Stanford University states” that the body turns off everything that’s not essential to survival, such as digestion, growth and reproduction, during the adaptive phase of stress” (Redmon, 2015 p.27). The stress mechanism in the body does not only control emotion; it’s the hub of the body that affects the immune and cardiovascular system. Therefore, making stress a silent killer (Carpi, 1996). There are many benefits to keeping stress under control. Controlling stress is not only a personal gain it allows productivity to increase all the way around. “Stress in the workplace is one of the number one problems a business will face” (Cranes Cleveland Business, 2015). It inflates absenteeism, unfinished projects and an overall belligerent attitude. This type of structure also migrates into the home. Decreasing stress, improves health, attitude and overall perception of things. In turn, increases productivity, allowing work to be completed in a timely manner with a “want to” attitude. Once hormone levels stabilize calming factors can be reintroduced to the body changing perception. This in turn provides a positive demeanor, making a better employee, parent, spouse or even a friend (Cranes Cleveland Business, 2015). Stress can be identified easily by taking the time to see or even feel the signs provided. There are small signs and there are large signs, providing an alarm that stress is present. The small signs may be something as simple as a racing heart, sweaty palms, or an over whelming feeling of fear. This may be from excitement, nervousness or anger. It all depends on one’s state of