The Stress Code

Richard Sutton

In today’s fast-paced world, our lives are powered by stress. We hurry from point A to B, barely sleep and exhaust ourselves with a deadline looming over our heads. Stress in the short term causes weight gain, anxiety, and reduced cognitive performance while in the long term may lead to serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes, and autoimmune diseases. But in short bursts, stress can also be useful in chaotic situations. The following details the role stress plays in our everyday lives:

• Hunger for success increases stress – Technology is both a curse and a boon as it increases communication but at the same time leaves us with little to no time for ourselves. There is also the growing trend of an aversion to failure while striving for perfection. People are afraid to fail and so place impossible expectations on themselves which leads to stress. Every day at the workplace is a competition to become a bigger asset to the company. This is wrongly perceived to be through longer hours, an extended work-week, and no vacations.
• Feeling out of control is the reason for stress at work – In 1967, Professor Michael Marmot conducted a study where he observed 28,000 civil employees for 40 years. This study confirmed that long periods of stress in the workplace impacted the lives and health of the workers. The position they held in the company also became a factor for stress. But contrary to popular belief, it was the lower-level employees that had the most stress rather than the higher-ups.

Lower-level employees have a lack of social support, variety within their work, and most significantly lesser control. Stress can have a domino effect on businesses as more stress equals lesser mental health which in turn reduces productivity.

• Pros and cons of stress- Our bodies’ stress response is divided into 2 waves :

One might wonder if these two hormones increase immunity and senses when there is harm. Given below are the cons of chronically high levels of both as well the pros of short term levels: 

• Chronic stress affects long-term health – A state of complete burnout both physically and mentally is called Chronic Stress. The author himself experienced what he termed as an ‘inevitable breakdown’ when he worked as athletic director for the Olympics. He had little to no social interaction and worked 70 hours a week and eventually collapsed from the stress. Stories like these are becoming more commonplace as people prioritize their work over their health. Younger people suffer from ailments that were only seen in the elderly before.
• Small doses of stress are beneficial –When the author was advising a tennis player on his health, the player unexpectedly injured his shoulder.  Initially, Sutton was calm but as the date of the US Open came closer, the stress began getting to him. He worked hard to find a way to heal the player faster. Surprisingly, he found one after days of poring over books and it helped the player get back on the court.

 This short burst of stress became a catalyst for him to think quicker on his feet and the drive to succeed. Acute stress, it is believed, can have positive effects. It helps us to adjust to change, take risks, and find solutions under challenging conditions.

• Learn to manage stress with a holistic approach, like athletes – We can learn a lot from the way athletes deal with stress :

• They are trained to view stress as a helpful part of life – a healthy amount of pressure that spurs them on.
•  They are also taught to channel their stress in healthy ways by seeking the aid of coaches, trainers, and psychologists.
• An athlete’s nutritional and dietary intake is tailored to promote recovery, reduce inflammation, and provide maximum energy.
• They follow relaxation protocol– they get regular massages and follow stretching routines and meditation or yoga to calm them and soothe nerves.

They are like smooth-running machines whose parts all work harmoniously together. Worrying about stress makes you more stressed and this turns into a vicious cycle.

• Activation of the vagus nerve shuts down the stress response – The vagus nerve runs from the brain through the face and thorax to the abdomen. It aids in the communication between the brain and other organs and also soothes the body after a flight or fight response triggered by adrenaline. When the vagus nerve is activated, it can drastically reduce cortisol levels, helps balance our mind, and lessens inflammation. Meditation, yoga, swimming, listening to calming music are some activities that can be done to achieve this.
• Food and exercise maintain healthy amounts of stress – Our hormones become depleted because of the two waves of stress response. Luckily, exercise and diet get these hormones circulating again. High-intensity aerobics has been known to considerably boost Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein molecule that increases the creation of brain cells which in turn enhances cognitive function. Walking increases exposure to Vitamin D that ‘beats the blues’ and energizes you for the rest of the day.

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