What happens when I… get stressed?

What is stress?
Stress is different to pressure, Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University explains: ‘Pressure is motivating but stress is when the pressure exceeds your ability to cope.’ One in five people suffer from work-related stress. Add in home and social life, and it’s not surprising many are pushed to the limit.

How does it affect your body?
‘Stress developed in order for us to deal with danger,’ says Elisabeth Wilson, author of Stress Proof Your Life (Infinite Ideas, £12.99). When we get stressed, adrenaline is released, in turn causing noradrenaline and cortisol to be released. ‘These three hormones together divert resources to the bits where we need it most,’ says Wilson. This is the fight or flight response. The problem is our bodies haven’t kept up – they don’t know we deal with traffic jams and a daily dripfeed of bad news rather than the occasional sabre-tooth tiger attack. This means we’re constantly exposed to a low-level stream of stress chemicals rather than the odd burst.

What are the usual stress signs?
Typical signs of stress include a change in your behaviour, getting constantly ill, lack of concentration and over- and under-eating. ‘Chronic stress could eventually lead to gastrointestinal problems such as IBS, colds and flu, heart disease, and even cancer,’ adds Professor Cooper.

What helps you reduce stress?
‘First, identify what’s causing the stress,’ says Professor Cooper. ‘You need to ask yourself why it’s stressing you, what your options are for dealing with it, and then find a suitable solution.’ Sometimes the best way to identify the cause is to relax yourself, as that will enable you to really look objectively at your problems. Talking therapies, hypnotherapy, meditation or yoga can help. ‘Exercise is the single best thing you can do to reduce your stress levels and the best thing you can do for your health full-stop,’ says Wilson. Anything from squash (take your frustrations out on the ball!) to running can put you in the right frame of mind to deal with your worries.

Can supplements help with stress?
‘Managing stress is simply a matter of managing your body’s chemistry,’ says Wilson. ‘There is a whole battery of supplements that can help you do this.’ Wilson recommends investing in a vitamin B complex supplement if you’re anticipating a stressful period such as sitting exams, as they support the nervous system. ‘Zinc is very good for combating the effects of stress,’ adds Wilson. She also recommends the herbal supplements ginseng (as it’s an adaptogen so it increases the body’s resistance to stress) and rhodiola, which may help improve focus and concentration under stressful conditions.

Words: Hannah Fox