The Monster Inside of You – Stress


It is just as essential as it is dangerous, a natural part of everyday life, yet something we all need to look out for — stress. Whether at work, school, or home, at a gathering with friends, or even when training on your own, stress is omnipresent.

What exactly happens in our bodies when experiencing stress? And if stress is a natural response, why is it dangerous? How can I prevent or deal with stress? If that’s what you’re asking, consider yourself lucky because we will be answering all of these questions in this blog entry.


Step 1 – The Body’s Response:

We won’t get too technical in describing your body’s response; this is no biology lesson, but it is insightful to know what generally happens when experiencing stress.


1. Trigger: 

A source of stress is called a stressor. Stressors describe all inner and outer stimuli that lead to a reaction in the affected individual. This means the first thing that happens is the occurrence of a stressor, which is perceived as a threat by your brain.


2. Brain: 

The presence of a threat activates your nervous system. Here’s where it gets important. But first, we need to understand the general structure of our nervous system:

Our nervous system is made up of different parts: the somatic system, the one we can actively control, and the autonomic (or vegetative) system, the one we cannot control. The autonomic system regulates involuntary functions like breathing, digestion, or heartbeat. It is further divided into three categories: the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric systems. For our explanation, we only need the first two, whose functions are often considered contrary.

Now, let’s get back to the brain. What happens is not a random activation of the entire nervous system, but a targeted stimulation of the autonomic system, particularly the sympathetic system.


3. Sympathetic Activation: 

The sympathetic nervous system is our body’s activator. As it’s the system triggered when the brain recognizes a threat, you might guess its primary task: the “fight or flight” responseFor now, we’ll focus on the activation of the adrenal glands.


4. Adrenal Glands: 

The sympathetic system stimulates the adrenal glands, resulting in the release of hormones we’re all familiar with — adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supply. Cortisol raises glucose levels in the blood.


5. Energy Redirection: 

To prepare, your body redirects blood flow to muscles and vital organs. This enhances muscle tension and supply, which is essential for either fighting or fleeing.


6. Suppression: 

Even though many areas of your body are activated by the sympathetic system, non-essential functions are inhibited, meaning they slow down. These include for example digestion and one’s immune response.


7. Parasympathetic Response: 

The parasympathetic system activates the “rest and digest” response, allowing your body to calm down, regenerate, and relax. But the parasympathetic system only activates once the stressor is gone.


The sympathetic response is essential for reacting to stress, and when it’s active for a short time, there’s nothing dangerous about it. Another situation where your body experiences stress is during intense physical activity. This is something we participate in voluntarily, yet it is another stressor for the body. As long as the parasympathetic system activates after the stressor is gone, your body will naturally restore balance.



Step 2 – Unresolved Stress:

When the source of stress remains unresolved and continues to be present for an extended period, the parasympathetic system can’t function properly, and the sympathetic system stays activated. This most often happens with psychological stressors, such as work pressure or unresolved conflicts with friends, and can result in various serious health issues. Here are some examples:


Issues Resulting From Activators:

– Increased risk of heart disease
– Sleep disturbances
– Anxiety, panic attacks
– Lack of concentration and memory, mental fog
– Headaches, migraines


Issues Resulting From Suppressors:

– Weakened immune system
– Digestive and bladder problems
– Dry mouth
– Reduced libido


Issues Resulting From Missing Parasympathetic Activity:

– Lack of regeneration, exhaustion
– Fatigue
– Mood swings
– Depression, burnout



Step 3 – How to Deal with Stress:

If you’re experiencing chronic stress or identify with the problems above, don’t worry. Here’s a short guide on how to manage stress:

  1. Identify the Cause: To eliminate stressors and allow your parasympathetic system to work properly, you need to identify what’s stressing you first.
  2. Distance Yourself: Step away from the situation to evaluate it objectively. Often, we lose perspective and overlook the bigger picture when stressed.
  3. Don’t Forget to Breathe: Inhale, exhale slowly — you can’t control your autonomic system, but you can control the signals you send to your brain.
  4. Get a Different Opinion: Talk to a friend or therapist to get other perspectives. This can help you better understand the situation and often reveals that your situation isn’t as severe as it seemed. Stress can cause a sort of situational blindness, so talking with someone can open your eyes and, sometimes, be enough to resolve the stressor.
  5. Plan and Reassure Yourself: Create a plan and reassure yourself that you can do it. A plan is a source of structure and stability. Combine this with positive self-talk to help signal your brain that things are under control.
  6. Find Solutions: Solutions can take many forms: taking small steps, asking for help, taking a break, or simply going for a walk – anything helping you to relax.


Step .. 0? – Tips to Prevent Stress:

Stay in Balance:

Get enough rest through sleep and stay active with daily exercise — keep your body balanced. If you’re experiencing extreme stress, consider moderate activities like long walks or low-impact workouts. Remember, intense exercise is also a stressor.

You can read more about staying balanced in our “Balance Series.”


Time Management:

A significant amount of modern-day stress is rooted in a lack of time. To avoid issues, plan ahead. A plan provides clear direction and stability. However, planning itself can become a source of stress, as it can lead to a need for control. So, always maintain spontaneity.


Set Boundaries:

If your primary stressor is unequal relationships or always taking on someone else’s tasks, you need to learn to say “no.” 

Fortunately, we have a whole post about setting boundaries — check it out here: “Setting Boundaries – Create Freedom Through Limitations.”


Relaxation Activities and Self-Care:

Deep breathing, meditation, a good meal, a good show, or a long walk – all of these can signal to your brain that there is no threat and help you relax. Self-care is often neglected during stressful times. Incorporating self-care activities can enhance self-worth and help you calm down.

We have many posts related to self-care — check them out here: “Self-Care.



Stress and Self-Improvement?

Even if all of that seems plausible and important, what does stress have to do with self-improvement?

Lasting stress is one of the top reasons for decreased functionality. Whether it’s finishing work assignments, building healthy habits, or improving yourself — stress does not differentiate.

To be able to work on yourself, you need to learn how to deal with and prevent stress from taking over your life. As a result, stress management is an essential aspect of self-improvement.




I know, sometimes there is no way around stress, sometimes the only thing you can do is power through for a short time, sometimes you just have to get things done, sometimes you can only tell yourself that it’ll be over soon  this is reality.

But what you can always do is take notes. Reflect on what went wrong, what took up your time or energy, and use that knowledge to be better prepared the next time a similar situation arises.

Learn to control the uncontrollable.

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