Health & Fitness

The Surprising Facts About Stress

The Surprising Facts About Stress

Health & Fitness

Stress is a hot topic these days. There are many studies that link stress to inflammation and chronic diseases, and it can also influence our behavior and affect every aspect of our life. But some say that a certain amount of stress can be a good thing, as our emotional experience comes down to our interpretation of a situation.

For example, think back (for some of us, think way back!) to a first date you had with someone you really liked. How did you feel? You might have felt like you had “butterflies in your stomach” or an elevated heart rate. Maybe you were a little sweaty and didn’t feel like eating. Now think about a time when you were anxious about a work project. Did your stomach turn? Maybe your heart pounded and you were sweating? These symptoms sound similar, don’t they? That’s because they are. The difference is how we perceive them.

Stress happens when your brain perceives a disconnect between a situation and our resources to deal with it. But in some instances this can be a good thing. Our fight-or-flight response (also called the hyperarousal) is a stress response that evolved as a survival mechanism so that we could flee life threatening situations. That is a good thing. Without a little stress, most students wouldn’t study for their finals. So the stress that makes them study is also considered a good thing.

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis is a network made up of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, and is involved in our response to acute stress. However, low-level stress that becomes chronic keeps the HPA axis activated and “running in the background” in your body, which contributes to many health issues.

Unfortunately, your body does not always recognize the difference between the stress of a traffic jam and a life-threatening incident, and can overreact to stressors that are non-threatening. If we perceive something as a threat, our body goes into stress mode, releasing hormones into the blood. Over time, long-term effects of chronic stress can impact your physical and psychological health. Therefore, it is important to try to manage your reactions to situations in order to avoid chronic stress.

Here are a few stress management strategies to try:

  • Manage stress by changing the way you perceive things. If a situation is truly stressful, can you change the situation? Or, can you change the way you view the situation?
  • Make sure you get some physical activity.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Try meditation (see our blog post to get started!).
  • Talk with a family member, friend, or professional.
  • Journal to pinpoint what might be triggering your stress if you don’t already know.
  • Limit your caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake.
  • Ultimately, if your stress level is too high or is going on for an extended period of time, always seek professional help.

Living a low-stress lifestyle is one of the best things you can do for your health, so we hope these tips help!

Important Disclosure Information: The information contained within this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations. Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by Schultz Financial Group Incorporated), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this blog will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this blog serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Schultz Financial Group Incorporated. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. Schultz Financial Group Incorporated is neither a law firm nor a certified public accounting firm and no portion of the blog content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of the Schultz Financial Group Incorporated’s current written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available for review upon request. Please Note: Schultz Financial Group Incorporated does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to Schultz Financial Group Incorporated’s web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

Where you want to go in life is up to you. How to help you get there is up to us.

Contact us today to start your journey…

Contact

Schultz Financial Group Inc.
10765 Double R Blvd. Suite 200
Reno, NV 89521
Phone: (775) 850-5620
Fax: (775) 850-5639
Email: [email protected]

Where you want to go in life is up to you. How to help you get there is up to us.

Contact us today to start your journey…

Contact

Schultz Financial Group Inc.
10765 Double R Blvd. Suite 200
Reno, NV 89521
Phone: (775) 850-5620
Fax: (775) 850-5639
Email: [email protected]

Design by Jason Design Studio | Design by Refresh Design Services | Copyright © 2018 Schultz Financial Group Inc.

Design by Jason Design Studio
Design by Refresh Design Services
Copyright © 2018 Schultz Financial Group Inc.

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