Monday, 19 December 2011

Feeling down? Could it be stress?

By William Jones


Brain stress is a unavoidable part of daily life and is brought on when the brain reacts to any situation that it thinks of as serious or threatening. When the brain senses a threat, it sends a signal to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. This spikes blood sugar analysis readings and drives up heart rate and blood pressure. During this process another hormone called "cortisol" is released - which maintains heartbeat rate and blood pressure and "buys" us time to "escape" from danger. Signs of brain stress typically include a feeling of a heavy heart beat.

Life may cause high levels of stress over a short period of time as well as enduring periods of stress. Physical fatigue, heavy work loads, mentally unstable relationships, psychological shock, unbalanced diets, sleep disorders and unhealthy ways of life all contribute to long term brain stress.

Continuing stress over extended periods not only impacts brain health but can also seriously affect physical health. As the body doesn't differentiate between physical and psychological stress, continuing (protracted) brain stress can affect all systems in the body. High blood pressure, weakened immune response, higher risk of heart attack, infertility, and speeded up ageing are heavy effects of brain stress.

Other problems associated with mental stress are physical pain, indigestion, nervous sleep, hysteria, weight issues depression, hyper-tension, short temper, autoimmune diseases, and weakness and exhaustion. Any of these issues can adversely impact daily life and cause negative "attitudes".

People subjected to brain stress are likely to adopt unhealthy lifestyles and undesirable behaviors including: Smoking Drinking Abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs

Taking illegal drugs

Oversleeping

Procrastinating

Violent or aggressive behavior

Abandoning loved ones

There are a number of paths to help deal with brain stress and prevent damage from the effects of stress: Supportive social network: Connecting with positive people keeps you away from the negative effects of stress. Healthy Diet: Good healthy food gives you energy to hit back and deal with unwanted circumstances. Do something you enjoy: Whether it's listening music or playing games, take a bit of time to do activities that bring you joy. Exercise regularly: Be active, go for a walk, or a fast 30 minutes at the fitness center is a way to boost not only physical health but also brain health. Get proper amounts of sleep: Most people in western cultures are always short of sleep. A good night's sleeps helps rejuvinate the brain and body.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment