When you’re thirsty, you drink water.
When you’re hungry, you eat food.
When you’re stressed… what do you do?
A lot of us don’t do much except maybe ignore it and hope tomorrow is better.
And does that work? Sometimes. But mostly not.
A 2024 market research poll assessed the stress levels in America and found that a staggering 90% of adults feel stressed at work. The poll revealed a combination of factors to blame, including workload, unrealistic expectations, deadlines, and lack of time. And living with chronic stress isn’t just unpleasant and painful—it’s also dangerous.
Stress starts with a trigger, like the sound of a Slack notification in the midst of a busy day. PING! Your brain interprets this trigger as danger and signals your body to release adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones physically activate you. Red cheeks, sweaty hands, beating heart. Maybe you start to get a headache or find it harder to focus. Eventually, your nervous system will stabilize. Unless—PING!—and you’re activated all over again.
Before you know it, you’ve spent most of the day locked in fight or flight. Experience too many of these days and the effects of stress begin to compound. You might start to have digestive issues, insomnia, or even serious cardiovascular problems.
So, what should we do?
Combat your stress at a neurological level. The hard truth is that many of our stress triggers are beyond our control, but you can balance those stress hormones with the so-called “feel good” hormones, oxytocin and dopamine.
Next time you feel your stress responses tingling, try one of the following:
- Snuggle your pet and gaze lovingly into their eyes. Studies show that prolonged eye contact releases oxytocin—for the human and the dog!
- Meditate with movement. Dancing releases oxytocin, so go ahead and bust a move. You’re literally shaking the stress from your body
- Take a walk and try to coordinate your breath with your steps. Go slow!
- Do a random act of kindness. Hold the door for a mom with a stroller, help someone across the street, buy someone’s coffee. Even small acts of kindness can trigger the release of oxytocin
- Literally go touch grass. Studies show that spending time with nature can reduce cortisol levels and help ease anxiety
Stress is something we as humans will all experience. But it doesn’t have to define us. And it certainly shouldn’t be shortening our lives. Listen to your body and respect your internal boundaries. If you feel yourself getting activated, it’s okay. We all do. If you can step away for 5 minutes, please do. It might not seem like much, but it can make a big difference.
