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Naturopath
A healthy and balanced mind is considered to be the most important thing of all. Everyday life often brings with it situations that trigger stress in us. Constant pressure, the feeling of not doing justice to others and constant physical and mental strain not only have negative consequences for our bodies, but also affect our mental health in undesirable ways. Many people know the consequences: Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, poor concentration, inner restlessness or even burnout.
Under stress, our body releases messenger substances that activate our performance reserves. This enables us to flee quickly from danger, to fight and to cope with great mental stress. The body mobilizes all available energy reserves. The stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline put us on high alert. Our blood pressure rises, our heart beats faster and our muscles tense up. What used to be irreplaceable in our fight for survival proves to be a disadvantage in today's stressful situations.
In the event of a real crisis, your actions will cause many of these processes to be reversed. If you were to fight or flee, the problem would be resolved. Then you would seek contact with loved ones or rejoice in your abilities. This would allow you to reduce your adrenaline level to a normal level through stimulation or other calming measures and restore your metabolic and hormonal balance.
However, our modern lifestyle often does not offer us the opportunity to experience a complete stress reaction and resolution. Instead, we act as if we are in a constant state of emergency - with no foreseeable end. Many of us don't take the time to really reduce stress hormones or solve our real problems. We don't calm down and don't take the time to question our priorities.
The thing is, stress is not all bad. Without stress, we would lack the motivation to protect ourselves or achieve something. A certain amount of stress ensures that we can adapt to our environment and perform at our best.
BUT: It becomes problematic when we suffer from chronic stress, which has a negative impact on us in many ways.
A new study confirms that chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels in midlife can shrink brain mass and lead to memory impairment.
How can you tell whether you are suffering from good or chronic stress? Let's take a closer look, especially at how chronic stress affects your quality of life and what natural ways to reduce stress you should try.
Chronic stress impairs your quality of life!
You may think it's necessary to work like you're energized all the time. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), chronic stress impairs your ability to focus and perform and makes you more prone to making mistakes.
Chronic stress has a devastating effect on memory and learning ability. It literally kills brain cells. Studies show that in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, shrinks by eight percent and stress particularly impairs children's ability to learn.
The Franklin Institute explains that the stress hormone cortisol directs glucose into the muscles during a stress response, leaving less energy available for the brain. Cortisol also interrupts communication with brain cells by impairing the function of neurotransmitters.
All learning processes are based on our memory capacity. Stress impairs your ability to recall memories and prevents you from storing new ones.
Worse still, your hippocampus is involved in switching off cortisol. If it is damaged by chronic stress, it is less and less able to do this and thus suffers even more damage. The Franklin Institute refers to these processes as a "degenerative cascade".
A study published in the journal "Neurology" in 2018 confirms that the brain shrinks in middle-aged people with chronically elevated cortisol levels. But it gets worse! The brain begins to shrink without symptoms being noticeable at first.
"Our research has found memory loss and brain shrinkage in middle-aged people before symptoms became apparent. It is therefore important that people find ways to reduce stress. These include getting enough sleep, regular moderate exercise and incorporating relaxation techniques into everyday life. You can also ask your doctor to check your cortisol levels and take a cortisol-lowering medication if needed," said study author Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui, MD, PhD of Harvard Medical School. "It is especially important that physicians provide comprehensive information to people with elevated cortisol levels."
Until now, scientists have not been able to establish a direct link between chronic stress and an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart disease. However, studies confirm that chronic stress has an influence on the risk factors for these diseases.
Stress increases the heart rate and the strength of contractions, constricts the arteries and impairs the heart rhythm. The blood thickens, which, according to scientists, protects against blood loss in the event of an injury. Stress increases blood pressure. Chronic stress damages the lining of the blood vessels as it increases the risk of inflammation.
High blood pressure is one of the risk factors for strokes. The Franklin Institute also confirms that high stress levels can increase atherosclerosis - another risk factor for strokes.
Chronic stress depletes the immune system so that it is no longer able to fight off infections properly. Those affected are much more susceptible to infections. The severity of symptoms when suffering from a cold or the flu also seems to increase in people who are always under stress.
Stress can also trigger a harmful overdrive of the immune system. Stress contributes to inflammation in the body. Your immune system may react to damage caused by stress in the body and send out an immune response known as cytokines, which contribute to the inflammatory response. These compounds can interfere with healthy cells in their efforts to fight unhealthy factors in the body.
Scientists have been able to link inflammation to a whole range of health complaints and diseases - from asthma and diabetes to cancer and heart disease.
The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that stress negatively affects the body's ability to recover from a heart attack and that stress management techniques can speed up the healing process.
According to the Franklin Institute, stress can affect the blood-brain barrier. This barrier protects the body from harmful substances entering the brain. These include drugs, toxins, viruses and poisonous substances. Scientists found that stress increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in Gulf War soldiers. Drugs that were supposed to protect the body from chemical weapons and should never have entered the brain were detected there.
A stress reaction switches off many physiological processes that are not considered urgent. One example is reduced blood circulation in the skin. This affects how old you look. Even more serious, however, is how much chronic stress affects the aging process of the brain. We all lose brain cells as we age. Toxins, monotony, an unhealthy diet, a lack of exercise and loss of social contact also contribute. As stress allows toxins to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily and cortisol damages the hippocampus, brain function, learning ability and memory are severely damaged.
An impaired blood-brain barrier often occurs in Alzheimer's patients. This "degenerative cascade" accelerates in an ageing brain. A study of older people found that the hippocampus shrank by 14 percent when patients had high cortisol levels. These patients showed a significantly reduced ability to remember new things or learn new skills. In another study, scientists found that the size of the hippocampus is associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
The APA cites a study that compared actual age with physiological age under the effect of stress. Women who cared for disabled or sick children for years were physiologically ten years older. The reason for this was chronic stress, which impaired the body's ability to regenerate blood cells. Chronic stress also contributes to premature ageing when it comes to arthritis, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
The body shuts down digestion in stressful situations. Chronic stress therefore contributes to a number of digestive disorders. Flatulence, cramps, constipation and diarrhea are common symptoms of stress. Heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome are also among them. Stress can exacerbate existing ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease.
Cortisol contributes to the accumulation of dangerous belly fat and increases cravings for fatty, salty and sugary foods. Eating unhealthy carbohydrates has a calming effect as it reduces the hormonal imbalances and behavioral patterns that occur as part of a stress response. Unfortunately, this can become a habit and lead to other ailments such as diabetes and heart disease.
Constant stress can affect your sleep patterns and lead to irritability and fatigue, difficulty concentrating and high reactivity. As a result, you can no longer relax and find yourself in a state of anxiety and worry. Depression often occurs as a result of chronic stress. All of these things reduce your quality of life and also affect your relationships with other people.
Chronic stress is associated with a feeling of helplessness and loss of control. Perfectionists often suffer from impaired serotonin levels, the "good mood neurotransmitter" in the brain, due to stress.
Scientists have been able to establish a link between pain intensity and chronic stress in head, joint and muscle pain. Stress appears to increase back pain and pain associated with existing arthritis. Work-related stress is associated with back pain. Stress also leads to a higher incidence of tension headaches and exacerbates them.
Chronic stress lowers sexual desire in women and can lead to erectile dysfunction in men. Chronic stress is linked to the severity of PMS and can affect women's fertility. Stress during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of premature birth and miscarriage. In addition, stress during pregnancy affects how the baby itself can cope with stress after birth. Chronic stress can also increase hormonal mood swings that occur during the menopause.
Hormonal fluctuations due to stress and impaired blood circulation in the skin as a result of a stress reaction affect the skin, hair and teeth. Eczema is a common side effect. Acne, hives, psoriasis and rosacea are also associated with stress, as are hair loss and gum disease.
Many people try to escape the negative feelings associated with chronic stress and turn to behaviors and activities with calming effects that temporarily increase dopamine and serotonin levels. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs are often used to cope with stress. Food addictions, gambling, addictive use of television and video games are also common stress coping behaviors. All of these behaviors exacerbate the problem in the long term and affect both mental and physical health.
Just because you can't conquer your demon doesn't mean you can't learn to manage stress better. Scientific research has confirmed time and time again that stress management and relaxation techniques can help people better adapt to stressful events, function better in the process and recover better from stress afterwards.
The best way to reduce stress is through exercise. Physical exercise is also good for treating anxiety, as it releases powerful endorphins in the brain, which act as endogenous painkillers in the body and lift the mood.
Studies suggest that the negative effects of stress on the body are exacerbated in people who do not exercise. The body responds to stress by altering the neuro-endocrine system. Therefore, regular exercise protects against stress by regulating various metabolic and psychological processes in the body, including natural biorhythms, sleep-wake cycles, mood and blood sugar levels.
Can't sleep? Sport can help you with this too. Good sleep is important as it is the only way to regulate hormone levels and allow the body to recover.
It has been shown that yoga has similar effects and strengthens the connection between body and mind. This improves women's perception of their own bodies in particular. Yoga improves the quality of sleep and helps to keep anxiety under control. An evaluation of 35 clinical studies that looked at the effect of regular yoga classes on stress levels and health concluded that, in general, yoga significantly improves various markers of physical and mental health.
Are you looking for a way to make sport even more beneficial to your well-being? Exercise to uplifting music. Scientific studies show that uplifting music has a positive effect on our psycho-biological stress system and supports the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This leads to improved recovery time and also has a positive effect on hormonal balance and brain function in general.
Meditation and prayer have been proven to help reduce stress and help us deal better with our worries and anxieties and find inner peace. The best thing about it is that we can pray and meditate at any time of day and anywhere - without a therapist, doctor or special program.
Both have been used for thousands of years to strengthen well-being and relationships with other people. Nowadays, their effectiveness has even been scientifically confirmed.
Mediation for stress reduction and thoughtful stress management are simple mental techniques that we only need to use for ten to 15 minutes once or twice a day to achieve greater mindfulness and reduce our stress levels and anxiety.
Several other meditation techniques can reduce the physiological stress response, improve mental alertness and help people cope with various emotional and physical ailments, such as:
Acupuncture is increasingly used for stress-related complaints. These include psychiatric disorders, autoimmune diseases, diseases due to immunological disorders, infertility, anxiety and depression. Scientists have found that acupuncture treatments modulate the cardiovascular and immune systems and support the proliferation of protective T-cells and the cellular immune response.
Studies confirm that acupuncture is one of the best ways to relieve stress, especially in patients recovering from heart disease. This is because acupuncture helps to regulate the nervous system and therefore has positive effects on blood pressure, blood circulation, hormonal balance and other factors.
A steady supply of nutrients such as essential vitamins, trace elements, healthy fats, electrolytes, amino acids and antioxidants help the brain to cope better with stress. This benefits the entire body.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that has been shown to relieve anxiety, stress and various disorders, including addictions, eating disorders, insomnia and depression. We now know that at least 50 percent of all mental disorders are caused by chronic, untreated stress reactions. Therapists therefore use cognitive behavioral therapy with all kinds of people to help them learn to respond better to stressful events.
CBT focuses on challenging and changing thought patterns. This is important because the way we perceive a situation (not the situation itself) determines how our body reacts to it. Once a person manages to identify the underlying thought pattern that is causing harmful behaviors, they can work to change it and thus perceive and respond to situations differently.
The idea behind cognitive behavioral therapy is this: If you change the way you think about events in your life - for example, instead of panicking about a career change, look forward to it, prepare accordingly and see it as an opportunity for a fresh start in life - you literally reduce the stress caused by that event. CBT is very useful when it comes to avoiding stress characterized by "all-or-nothing" thinking patterns, jumping to conclusions, pessimism, unrealistic expectations of oneself, thinking patterns where one always assumes the worst, and feelings of guilt for events that are beyond one's control.
Taking time for other people, spending time outdoors or with family, friends or your partner has a stress-relieving and positive effect on your health in many ways. Social relationships extend our lifespan. They give us humans a sense of belonging to something bigger and help us to take a different perspective. Spending time outdoors has similar effects. It reminds us humans that we are part of a huge universe. This lifts our mood and helps us sleep better.
Keeping a diary of your feelings - both negative and positive - along with the events that cause them will help you to identify what is causing you stress. A diary is a simple but effective way to keep track of your state of mind throughout the day and focus on thoughts that are affecting you. It also gives you the opportunity to really find out what is bothering you if you don't recognize it right away.
A diary also has a stress-relieving effect as it helps you to stay organized. Write down the deadlines you have to meet and what you have to do. This will make you less hectic and more likely to meet important deadlines.
Various adaptogenic herbs and essential oils can have a positive effect on symptoms of anxiety by reducing the effects of stress and cortisol on the body. Adaptogens (such as ginseng, ashwagandha, maca, rhodiola, holy basil and cacao) are a special class of medicinal plants that heal, protect and balance the body and help manage stress by balancing hormones and physiological functions.
Essential oils such as lavender, myrrh, frankincense and bergamot can also relieve inflammation, improve the immune system, balance hormones and help with sleep and digestive disorders.
Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, influences cortisol levels, stress tolerance and the body's stress response and has been the subject of research for several decades.
In animal studies, ashwagandha root extract showed a reduction in stress levels. The adaptogen also protects against stress-induced stomach ulcers or adrenal weight gain and reduces elevated cortisol levels.
Another study showed that ashwagandha effectively improves stress resistance and thus self-assessed quality of life.
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) or roseroot is an effective adaptogen. Like other adaptogens, rhodiola provides a biological defense against stress.
In an animal study with threadworms, it was found that the plant actually acts as a mild stress trigger, allowing the body to train its own stress defenses. This process is known as "hormesis".
A Swedish study showed that rhodiola produced an anti-fatigue effect in people suffering from stress-related fatigue. Mental performance was increased and the cortisol response to emerging stress was reduced in burnout patients.
Cordyceps has antioxidant properties. Mushrooms may not be adaptogenic in the classic sense, but mushrooms such as cordyceps, reishi or shiitake have adaptogenic, antitumor and immune system-boosting properties.
The Cordyceps mushroom in particular has attracted the interest of researchers due to its effects on cortisol levels and oxidative stress. In a series of experiments conducted in 2006, male adults who led a predominantly sedentary lifestyle were given Cordyceps in powder form. After exercise-induced stress, cortisol levels were shown to be better regulated. The mushroom also counteracted tiredness.
Another study showed that cortisol levels were lower in both men and women than in the placebo group. All subjects recovered from exercise fatigue, a form of stress.
With the anti-stress formula of magnesium, B vitamins and other valuable micronutrients, the effect starts directly in the nerve metabolism and reduces the cortisol level. In this way, the anti-stress formula can effectively counter stress situations in a natural way and increase resistance to all types of stress.
The vitamin B complex contains all the important B vitamins and helps to ensure that brain and nerve functions are supplied with energy. Mental and physical performance can therefore be optimally supported and stress resistance is sustainably increased.
Magnesium deficiency affects us all. Increased stress, alcohol consumption, sporting performance, the industrial processing of food and today's diet are all increasing our need for magnesium. A magnesium deficiency causes restlessness, nervousness, irritability, headaches, lack of concentration, tiredness, a general feeling of weakness, cardiac arrhythmia and muscle cramps - a connection with mental illnesses (depression, psychosis) is also suspected. At the same time, it reduces nerve and muscle excitability and can thus cause calf cramps. By supporting the nervous system, it improves overall sleep behavior and restless states.
One of the keys to restful sleep is the right level of melatonin in the bloodstream. Especially with increasing age, when traveling with time differences or under stress, our sleep patterns change and sleep disorders develop. With a targeted supply of melatonin, we can control our internal clock and achieve an easier ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Especially in today's world, modern lifestyles lead to an undersupply of serotonin in many people. An unhealthy diet, stress (which uses up a lot of serotonin) and a sedentary lifestyle mean that many people can no longer meet their need for trypotophan (5-HTP). This in turn results in a low level of serotonin and thus in a permanent state of low mood, depression and chronic unhappiness. Sleep disorders (fibromyalgia) and problems falling asleep can therefore be prevented in the long term by a sufficient tryptophan concentration.
Scientists have discovered that high vitamin D levels are responsible for a lower risk of depression. People with depression have lower vitamin D levels, and this deficiency also favors other mental illnesses. Vitamin D plays a central role in the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are responsible for a balanced mental well-being.
Maca has the ability to cope with both physical and mental stress and strengthens the immune system. With the combination of zinc, it leads to improved strength and endurance, optimizes the mood and is therefore suitable as support in times of increased overload.
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B vitamins for increased stress resistance and a healthy pregnancy.
Melatonin spray for a restful and relaxed sleep.
Roseroot boosts performance and increases stress tolerance - 100% natural!