The constant barrage of family activities, jobs, electronic devices attached to our bodies, and a 24-hour news cycle all lead to modern lifestyles filled with chronic stress. Chronic stress keeps us in the fight or flight mode, which is not the way we were created to live. Our ancestors occasionally faced acute stress when they were chased by predatory animals, or when looking for the next water source that also could lead them to find food. On the contrary, most chronic stresses we face today usually are not catastrophic. This mismatch between our genes and stresses of our modern environment appear to drive the current epidemic of chronic, inflammatory disease. (1, 2)
Leading clinicians and researchers across America note the way stress causes inflammation in the brain and body, upsets the balance of our microbiome, negatively affects our sleep, and changes the equilibrium of our hormones. Each of these is bad for our health, and sets in motion a cascade of events that have a cumulative and damaging effect on our health and cognitive function.
We often are expected to multi-task in the jobs we have today, and we pride ourselves on achievement. However, our brains are linear structures, and multitasking reduces efficiency and performance because our brains lack the capacity to successfully perform multiple tasks. In addition to doing multiple things badly, we create urgency states, or micro-stresses, that over time create significant chemical imbalances in our brain that can lead to chronic diseases. Travis Bradberry, PhD, cites research from Stanford University and the University of Sussex in the UK that shows multitasking stress slows us down and even lowers our IQ. (3)
Chronic stress combined with the mismatch of our genes and the modern environment may affect our stress-response system, which is governed by the HPA axis. Dysregulated production of cortisol, the fight or flight hormone, and some neurotransmitters has far-reaching effects throughout the body. For example, excess cortisol affects nerve cells in the hippocampus, our memory center. Although long-term chronic stress can make damage irreversible and permanently damage memory, studies do show that even moderately injured brains can recover following correction of stressful conditions and eating more whole foods. It is important to know that an abnormal cortisol level has many other negative consequences, including imbalance of our sex hormones, which is another reason to reduce stress!
A possible solution is modifying the way we deal with stress. Stress can be a real threat to our body or ego, or a perceived threat, not necessarily reality. For example, the number of Likes on an Instagram post is a perceived threat, and it does influence cortisol production. If we are not in immediate danger, we might find help for our stress from a team of practitioners who can help with each area, including functional medicine clinicians, nutritionists, counselors, and health coaches. Health coaches help you replace stress-related habits with healthier ones that activate your rest-and-digest response, or parasympathetic nervous system. (2)
Stress reduction does take an investment of time and a commitment to change, but your brain and cognitive health are worth it! As a trained health coach, I can help you sort through and take action on lifestyle recommendations that you discover and are approved by your doctor. Together, we will create a plan that works for you. Creative solutions unique to your desires and abilities make the process of change easier and less stressful. I look forward to working with you to reduce stress and strengthen your cognitive health. Available times are on my calendar
(1) https://kresserinstitute.com/adrenal-fatigue-hpa-axis-dysregulation/
(2) https://chriskresser.com/sympathetic-vs-parasympathetic-state-how-stress-affects-your-health/
(4) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39354-4
(5) https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/08/27/adrenals.aspx
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