Lori Pieper says, “Stress makes you stupid.” She’s not wrong. Lori is the founder of Journey to Inner Joy. Before starting her private practice, she worked for more than 30 years in the computer and tech industries, and she watched the World Trade Centers come down on 9/11. She knows stress. I’ve had the opportunity to listen to her present on a few occasions, and through her extensive background and training, she understands what stress does to your brain. Stress causes your brain to go into a primordial fight, flight, or freeze response, and it really does make you stupid.
When you experience something that you perceive to be stressful, your senses send information to the part of your brain that responds to emotion, the amygdala. Regardless of the size or severity of the stress, the response is the same. The amygdala interprets the information and immediately launches a distress signal to the hypothalamus, the command center of the brain.
What happens next happens so fast that you aren’t even aware of what is going on. An April 2024 article from Harvard Health Publishing indicates that “the wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus start this cascade even before the brain's visual centers have had a chance to fully process what is happening. That's why people are able to jump out of the path of an oncoming car even before they think about what they are doing.” Your brain immediately and subconsciously assesses the situation to determine: do I battle, do I run, or do I stay still? Fight, flight, or freeze?
Adrenaline, blood sugars (glucose), and fats are pumped into the bloodstream. Your lungs expand to take in more oxygen. Your body acts to protect itself by sending blood into your heart, muscles, and vital organs. Blood is pulled away from the brain to fuel the rest of your body.
The thing is that you aren’t wired to handle chronic stress. Humans are good at managing short-term difficult events, but prolonged stress can affect your ability to retain information, to learn new things, and to regulate your emotional well-being. In addition to increasing the risk of stroke and depression, stress can decrease the size of your brain. Over time, if you don’t manage your stress properly, it becomes harder and harder to respond to and bounce back from challenging situations. Stress literally makes you stupid.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Fortunately, the human brain is extremely resilient, and you can reverse the effects of stress with three very simple techniques:
Exercise. You don’t need to do anything crazy. Even 15 minutes of walking each day has been shown to improve mood and outlook. Bonus: if you can move your body outside, even better! Time in nature proven to improve sleep, reduce depression, and increase overall feelings of happiness. Another bonus: exercise with others. Whether a close friend or merely an acquaintance, social interactions provide community and a sense of support.
Relax. Many researchers have discussed the positive effects of meditation, and many Type A or alpha personalities have a tough time with the thought of sitting still. In reality, relaxation doesn’t have to be meditation (though it’s really good, and you should give it a chance. The Headspace app is a great place to start). Deep breathing, prayer, yoga, and even visualization of a calming scene lower blood pressure and improve the immune system.
Sleep. When you sleep, your body is repairing and restoring itself. For many of us, sleep is elusive. Maybe you fall asleep easily, but wake up in the night. Maybe you can’t fall asleep because your brain is going and going. Maybe the intensity of your dreams affect the restfulness of your sleep. Start with practicing good sleep hygiene. Drink enough water through the day and establish a sleep routine each night. Turn off your electronics, stay away from late night heavy meals, go to bed at about the same time each night, and keep your bedroom cool and clutter-free.
None of this is perfect, and it’s all easier said than done . . . but it can be done. You CAN reduce your stress levels. You CAN improve your mind and body. You don’t have to let stress make you stupid. What smart thing will you do for yourself today?
If you want to read more from Harvard on the stress response and how you can alleviate stress, click here.
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