Re-Wire Your Brain to Stress Less

Do you feel frustrated, moody, overwhelmed, have a hard time quieting your mind or have low self-esteem? These feelings could be related to stress.

Stress is a part of normal living—and some stress is healthy. Unfortunately, becoming overly stressed can affect our physical body, relationships and mental functioning. A recent U.S. survey stated approximately 54% of respondents reported high stress levels. Stress in women is increasing, as about 50% of women reported higher stress over the past five years, while only 39% of men reported increased stress over the same time period.

What are we stressed about?

The America Psychological Association’s (APA) 2018 survey reports that Americans are stressed over the future of our nation, money, work, health care, violence and crime. Technology is also affecting our stress levels, with 43% of Americans constantly checking emails, texts or social media accounts. Approximately one in five Americans identifies technology as a source of stress, especially when it doesn’t work. People who constantly check emails, texts or social media feeds feel less connected to their families, even when they are together. They report social media keeps them from meeting with family and friends in person.

Women tend to feel the symptoms of stress more and have more symptoms of stress than men. It is common for women to get tension-type headaches and insomnia more often than men. By identifying your individual stress symptoms, you can determine what strategies may help.

Retrain your brain with these stress management tips

Everyone has stress to varying degrees, but some people are able to handle stressors more effectively than others. People try many ways to manage their stress levels, but one popular method is to retrain your brain.

1. Recognize the signs of stress on your body.

Do you experience any of the following symptoms of stress?

2. Get enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation can happen to anyone—whether it’s due to work, family, school or other situations. Research shows a chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression and obesity.

However, getting enough sleep forms and maintains pathways in your brain. This helps you learn and creates new memories, increases your ability to concentrate and helps you respond rapidly to various life circumstances.

3. Schedule time in your day for relaxation or to play.

Quickly doing two or more things at once can feel like a natural high, but it is a myth that you can be more productive by multitasking. Multitasking and overwork can exhaust the brain by reducing your ability to control your emotions, make decisions and have empathy.

Try to stick to one task at a time and take breaks by engaging in relaxing activities. Schedule regular quiet times for meditation, yoga or journaling, visit a friend or spend time enjoying in a hobby. The American Institute of Stress reports there has been a 51% increase in women taking up knitting and sewing in the past decade. Crafting has increased more than 150% in 25-34 year olds and by 100% in people 18 years and under. The revival of hobbies has been attributed to stress reduction as people are able to slow down, breathe and concentrate on one thing. It gives your brain a chance to rest from the scheduling, analyzing and organizing that stresses people out every day.

4. Take a "digital detox" or "unplug" from technology.

Many people relax or “turn off their brain” after a hard day by watching TV or playing games on their phones. A 2019 study found that people who were dependent on screens for entertainment or social networking had 19% more emotional stress and 14% more perceptual stress.

Although 65% of Americans agree it’s important for their mental health to occasionally unplug from technology, only 28% report actually doing it. Many millennials state they found their identity with the help of social media, but about half still worry that social media negatively affects their physical and mental health.

Try these strategies to take a break from technology:

• Don’t allow electronic devices at the dinner table, during family time or time with friends.
• Take a digital detox periodically from an hour to a day at a time.
• Turn off notification for social media apps.
• Limit time spent watching TV.

5. Change your attitude.

Do you see the glass half full or half empty? A positive attitude encompasses joy, contentment and love while accepting events out of your control rather than becoming angry, passive or defensive. Having a positive attitude has been shown to broaden your ability to see possibilities and opens your brain up to more options. Seek the good in others and yourself. Everything will not always be perfect, so try your best not to stress about it. Positivity has been shown to result in a better mood, fewer trips to the doctor and fewer illnesses.

6. Set goals and priorities.

Identify what your personal goals and priorities are so that you can focus on them and let go of less important things. Then you will be able to say “no” so you are not overwhelmed with too many obligations. There may even be tasks you can share or delegate.

7. Exercise.

Physical activity causes your body to release dopamine and norepinephrine, a neuromodulator that has shown to enhance the body’s ability to respond to stress.

While the popular theory that exercise causes a rush of endorphins has little evidence for lowering stress levels, working out helps your body handle stress in other ways. Exercise forces the body’s central and sympathetic nervous systems which control the cardiovascular, renal and muscular systems to work together more effectively—which allows your body to handle reactions to stress better.

A workout gives your body a chance to practice dealing with stress during exercise and makes your body handle stress better when not exercising. Conversely, if we are sedentary, our bodies become less efficient with handling stress.

Take action to manage stress now. If you have chronic stress, talk to your health care provider so they can help.

Updated on November 6th, 2019

References

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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 2016. NIH: What health issues or conditions affect women differently than men? 12 01. Accessed 09 20, 2019. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/womenshealth/conditioninfo/howconditionsaffect.

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https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2017/technology-social-media.pdf