Managing Toxic Stress
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” This quote by William James, the father of American Psychology, illustrates how we can’t choose what happens to us, but we can learn how to better navigate our response to what happens to us.
As we close out National Stress Awareness Month and move into Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to reflect on the impact stress has on not only our physical health but also our mental health and overall wellbeing. While the function of certain kinds of stress can sometimes be productive and even healthy for us, other forms of stress can be destructive and harmful.
Eustress, Acute Stress, and Toxic Stress
There are many types of stress, including eustress, acute stress, and toxic stress. Eustress, or the good kind of stress, might show up when we are starting a new job or trying a new activity for the first time. While our bodies may be buzzing with a mixture of anxiety and excitement, this kind of stress is often mild, short-term, and can even energize and motivate us to perform tasks better. Acute stress is often tied to specific negative events such as trying to meet a high-pressure, tight work deadline or experiencing conflict with a loved one. While the nervous system’s “fight or flight” response is activated, the effects of this kind of stress usually wear off within a few hours to a few days. Toxic stress, however, is characterized by experiencing a traumatic event without receiving the support we need to heal and continue moving forward. Experiencing abuse, neglect, poverty, discrimination, and violence can all lead to toxic stress, especially without protective factors in place to ensure we feel cared for and safe.
Impact of Toxic Stress
Toxic stress wreaks havoc on the nervous system. This constant wear-and-tear on the mind and body, called allostatic load, can lead to long-term physical health, mental health, behavioral, immune system, and even brain structure changes. For example, prolonged exposure to cortisol can damage organs, shrink the hippocampus, and impair the amygdala, all of which results in heart problems, chronic inflammation, poor impulse control, learning challenges, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, relational issues, and much more.
Stress Management Techniques
Because all types of stress can have negative effects, it’s vital to learn stress management techniques that work for you. One Dialectical Behavioral Therapy technique for distress tolerance is using TIPP skills, which stands for temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation, to rapidly reduce physical arousal. If accessible, use ice or cold water to shock and reset the system, triggering the diving reflex and slowing the heart rate. To release pent-up tension and stress as well as redirect the brain’s response to a racing heartbeat from stress to movement, engage in high-intensity aerobic exercise. For a technique you can utilize anywhere, try grounding yourself using deep belly breathing, inhaling for four beats, holding for five, and exhaling for seven. Lastly, progressive muscle relaxation allows you to start at the top of your head and move slowly down your body, tensing each muscle group for five seconds before releasing. Gentle, somatic movement such as yoga or nature hiking are often beneficial for releasing stress from the body and clearing the mind. Others may prefer journaling, meditation, or utilizing the container exercise, which involves dumping all of their worries into a literal or symbolic vessel. It is also paramount to be mindful of sleep, nutrition, social connection, and boundaries as part of both self-care and community care.
Stress doesn’t have to consume you or prevent you from having the quality of life you deserve. If you or someone you know is struggling with elevated stress levels that are impacting aspects of daily life and functioning, consider reaching out to Embrace Therapy or another mental health professional for more information, resources, and support.
