Stress: We've all felt it. Sometimes stress can be a positive
force, motivating you to perform well at your piano recital or job
interview. But often — like when you're stuck in traffic — it's a
negative force. If you experience stress over a prolonged period of
time, it could become chronic — unless you take action.
A natural reaction
Have you ever found yourself with sweaty hands on a first date
or felt your heart pound during a scary movie? Then you know you can
feel stress in both your mind and body.
This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors as a
way to protect them from predators and other threats. Faced with
danger, the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with hormones that
elevate your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, boost your energy
and prepare you to deal with the problem.
These days, you're not likely to face the threat of being
eaten. But you probably do confront multiple challenges every day, such
as meeting deadlines, paying bills and juggling childcare that make your
body react the same way. As a result, your body's natural alarm system —
the “fight or flight” response — may be stuck in the on position. And
that can have serious consequences for your health.
Pressure points
Even short-lived, minor stress can have an impact. You might
get a stomach-ache before you have to give a presentation, for example.
More major acute stress, whether caused by a fight with your spouse or
an event like an earthquake or terrorist attack, can have an even bigger
impact.
Multiple studies have shown that these sudden emotional
stresses — especially anger — can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmias and
even sudden death.
1 Although this happens mostly in people
who already have heart disease, some people don't know they have a
problem until acute stress causes a heart attack or something worse.
Chronic stress
When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a
normal life for an extended period, it becomes even more dangerous. The
longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body.
You might feel fatigued, unable to concentrate or irritable for no good
reason, for example. But chronic stress causes wear and tear on your
body, too.
Stress can make existing problems worse.
2 In one
study, for example, about half the participants saw improvements in
chronic headaches after learning how to stop the stress-producing habit
of “catastrophizing,” or constantly thinking negative thoughts about
their pain.
3 Chronic stress may also cause disease, either
because of changes in your body or the overeating, smoking and other bad
habits people use to cope with stress. Job strain — high demands
coupled with low decision-making latitude — is associated with increased
risk of coronary disease, for example.
4 Other forms of
chronic stress, such as depression and low levels of social support,
have also been implicated in increased cardiovascular risk. And once
you're sick, stress can also make it harder to recover. One analysis of
past studies, for instance, suggests that cardiac patients with
so-called “Type D” personalities — characterized by chronic distress —
face higher risks of bad outcomes.
5
What you can do
Reducing your stress levels can not only make you feel better right now, but may also protect your health long-term.
In one study, researchers examined the association between
“positive affect” — feelings like happiness, joy, contentment and
enthusiasm — and the development of coronary heart disease over a
decade.
6 They found that for every one-point increase in
positive affect on a five-point scale, the rate of heart disease dropped
by 22 percent.
While the study doesn't prove that increasing positive affect
decreases cardiovascular risks, the researchers recommend boosting your
positive affect by making a little time for enjoyable activities every
day.
Other strategies for reducing stress include:
-
Identify what's causing stress. Monitor your
state of mind throughout the day. If you feel stressed, write down the
cause, your thoughts and your mood. Once you know what's bothering you,
develop a plan for addressing it. That might mean setting more
reasonable expectations for yourself and others or asking for help with
household responsibilities, job assignments or other tasks. List all
your commitments, assess your priorities and then eliminate any tasks
that are not absolutely essential.
-
Build strong relationships. Relationships can
be a source of stress. Research has found that negative, hostile
reactions with your spouse cause immediate changes in stress-sensitive
hormones, for example.7 But relationships can also serve as
stress buffers. Reach out to family members or close friends and let
them know you're having a tough time. They may be able to offer
practical assistance and support, useful ideas or just a fresh
perspective as you begin to tackle whatever's causing your stress.
-
Walk away when you're angry. Before you react,
take time to regroup by counting to 10. Then reconsider. Walking or
other physical activities can also help you work off steam. Plus,
exercise increases the production of endorphins, your body's natural
mood-booster. Commit to a daily walk or other form of exercise — a small
step that can make a big difference in reducing stress levels.
-
Rest your mind. According to APA's 2012 Stress in America survey,
stress keeps more than 40 percent of adults lying awake at night. To
help ensure you get the recommended seven or eight hours of shut-eye,
cut back on caffeine, remove distractions such as television or
computers from your bedroom and go to bed at the same time each night.
Research shows that activities like yoga and relaxation exercises not
only help reduce stress, but also boost immune functioning.8
-
Get help. If you continue to feel overwhelmed,
consult with a psychologist or other licensed mental health
professional who can help you learn how to manage stress effectively. He
or she can help you identify situations or behaviors that contribute to
your chronic stress and then develop an action plan for changing them.
The American Psychological Association's Practice Directorate
gratefully acknowledges the assistance of David S. Krantz, PhD, Beverly
Thorn, PhD, and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, in developing this fact
sheet.
References
1 Krantz, D.S., Whittaker, K.S. & Sheps, D.S.
(2011). “Psychosocial risk factors for coronary artery disease:
Pathophysiologic mechanisms.” In
Heart and Mind: Evolution of Cardiac Psychology . Washington, DC: APA.
2 Kiecolt-Glaser, J. & Glaser, R.
3 Thorn, B.E., Pence, L.B., et al. (2007). “A randomized
clinical trial of targeted cognitive behavioral treatment to reduce
catastrophizing in chronic headache sufferers.”
Journal of Pain 8 , 938-949.
4 Krantz, D.S. & McCeney, M.K. (2002). “Effects of
psychological and social factors on organic disease: A critical
assessment of research on coronary heart disease.”
Annual Review of Psychology, 53 , 341-369.
5 Denollet, J., et al. (2010). “A general propensity
to psychological distress affects cardiovascular outcomes: Evidence from
research on the type D (distressed) personality profile.”
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 3, 546-557.
6 Davidson, K.W., Mostofsky, E. & Whang, W.
(2010). “Don't worry, by happy: Positive affect and reduced 10-year
incident coronary heart disease: The Canadian Nova Scotia Health
Survey.”
European Heart Journal, 31 , 1065-1070.
7 Kiecolt-Glaser, J. & Glaser, R.
8 Kiecolt-Glaser, J. & Glaser,
