Chronic Stress: What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Heal

For years, I thought that feeling constantly stressed was just part of life and something that I had to put up with – until my body said otherwise.

Fast forward a few years, and my perspective on stress has completely changed. I no longer see stress as something I have to put up with or fight against; but something to support my body through.

A big part of this shift? Understanding the difference between acute and chronic stress. Stress isn’t bad. However, chronic stress can be extremely problematic – in fact, it’s estimated that 50% of employee absenteeism is caused by stress, and upwards of 75% of medical visits are related to stress.

In this post, I’ll break down what ‘chronic stress’ really is, why it matters and what you can do to support your body.

Chronic stress is a state of prolonged or long-term stress, experienced as a result of exposure to a persistent or recurring stressor. For example, a demanding workload, financial troubles, busy commutes, difficult relationships and constant notifications. All of these stressors are ongoing (especially when combined), so - if we're not careful - can leave us in a state of chronic stress. This means that we get ‘stuck’ in a state of flight or flight – for weeks, months or even years.

This differs from ‘acute stress’, which is a one-off, short-term stress response to a specific event or stressor. For example, chairing an important client meeting or sitting an exam. Yes, these events are stressful – but once they’re over, we can relax again and switch off our fight or flight response.

When we turn on our 'fight or flight' or 'stress response', almost every cell and system in our body is impacted. For example:

• We release glycogen (energy stores) from our muscles, increasing our blood sugar levels

• We experience an increase in blood pressure

• We release ‘stress hormones’ such as cortisol and adrenaline

• We slow down stomach activity and inhibit digestion

• We experience a change in brain activity

In the short-term (when stress is ‘acute’), there is nothing wrong with these adaptations – in fact, they can be pretty helpful! However, when stress is chronic, they can become extremely problematic.

• Increased blood sugar may increase our risk of type 2 diabetes and/or show up as sugar cravings, energy crashes & fatigue  

• Increased blood pressure may increase our risk of cardiovascular disease

• Elevated stress hormones may impact our reproductive health, show up as PMS symptoms, and worsen our sleep

• Impaired digestion may lead to bloating, IBS symptoms and poor absorption of nutrients

• Change in brain activity may show up as brain fog and/or increase the likelihood of mental health conditions

So, chronic stress is something which we really can’t afford to ignore!

Luckily, there’s lots we can do to support recovery from chronic stress and bring our bodies back into balance. Each of our lives and diets are unique – so, when supporting clients with this, I’ll always take an individualised approach. However, some key pillars to consider are:

• Nutrition: eating to support blood sugar management; replenishing nutrients lost to stress; increasing antioxidants

• Movement: avoiding over-training or excessive high-intensity training; incorporating gentle movement; appropriately fuelling exercise

• Sleep: improving sleep hygiene; limiting caffeine & alcohol

• Nervous System Regulation: breathwork; mindfulness practices

• Mindset: establishing healthy boundaries; re-framing unhelpful beliefs

…and more!

So, there is a LOT we can do to support our bodies to recover from chronic stress and support resilience going forwards. And whilst this might seem like a mammoth task, believe me that it is completely possible – and more than worth it, for your short- and long-term health & happiness.

If you want to dive deeper into the pillars mentioned above & find out exactly how I support people like you to implement these shifts, I’d love to hear from you. Book a 30-min free call (linked at the top of the page) to have your questions answered and discuss exactly what support you’re looking for.