Good Stress: Bad Stress
Allostasis: the ability of an organism to achieve stability through change
Stress is a word that gets thrown around lightly these days. It’s truly subjective. What is important to remember, is that stress can be both beneficial and detrimental to our overall health. It all depends on the level of allostatic load and the ability for that person to adapt. Allostatic load is essentially all of the cumulative stress from both the psychological and physiological demands of life.
In this fast paced modern age, it’s easy to get caught up in life’s busy-ness. Over time I think we have accepted a new norm of what I would call “wired & tired”, which overtime tends become “flat out exhausted”. The effects of stress on the body can be quite profound, and I think most people underestimate it.
Now don’t get me wrong, stress is not only normal, it is required for our survival and adaptation as a species and without it, we would have been extinct thousands of years ago. The problem is, the chronic nature of stress and our insistence of living in it.
Allostatic load reflects the accumulative effect of experiences in daily life that involve ordinary events (let’s say #kidlife or #worklife) as well as major challenges (think financial hardship, loss of a loved one, separation and the like). The never ending to-do list, social engagements, work deadlines, the daily juggle of trying to be everything to everyone. This load also includes the physiological consequences of health damaging behaviours such as poor sleep; circadian disruption (shift work); lack of exercise/ or too much; smoking; alcohol consumption and an unhealthy diet.
When these challenges exceed the individuals ability to cope, allostatic overload occurs.
To get to overload, there are a few factors at play:
The exposure to frequent stressors, leading to chronic stress and repeated physiological stimulation. I call this the bucket theory, how full is your stress bucket, and how much more can you afford to pour in?
The inability to shut off the stress response when the stressor has finished. That stress switch should be flicked off when that lion stops chasing you, unfortunately modern life sees the whole pride coming at you constantly.
A lack of adaptation to these stressors. Overtime your stress resilience drops and you might find you become more reactive to the little things #cueanxiety. There also becomes an insufficient allostatic response to stressors, or what I like to call burnout.
Have you noticed how some people seem to cope with a never ending barrage of huge stressors while you’re over here worrying yourself sick about things that aren’t even actually happening yet, and probably won’t? I would suggest these people tend to be the ones who have learnt strategies to turn down that response, or switch it off when necessary. This makes them seem like their stress bucket is so much larger, where in fact they are constantly draining the level of their stress bucket and adapting.
Most of us know that stress can affect our mood, sleep and energy levels, but there is far more involved than meets the eye. Changes in immune function occur over time, with immunosuppression when that bucket overflows. We see alterations in the cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal system, with gut related issues sneaking in. The endocrine system, that beautiful symphony of hormones becomes disturbed, with reproductive hormone changes, thyroid suppression, metabolic issues due to blood sugar irregularities and insulin resistance, resulting in weight gain and diabetic risk. And of course mental health takes a beating, with mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse…. the list goes on.
I’ve lost count how many times patients have been in a state of burnout, needing to make major life changes, and when they finally make that leap, whether that be moving towns, a new job, having a break from work, leaving a life partner, or simply learning to say no, the extensive list of seemingly random ailments they had, vanish. It is quite remarkable.
What can you do to stay in that allostatic sweet spot though?
To be honest, it’s a constant juggling act, learning to truly listen to your body, and make adjustments along the way is the key to your success. We are of course human, and we love pushing those boundaries, so if you do get to that state of burnout, it’s ok. There is a way out.
First of all we need to adjust our lifestyle.
Learn to say NO! You do not need to do all the things for all the people. It is ok to say no. It is ok to choose yourself.
Move your body, but not too much. Overtraining is just as physiologically stressful as being sedentary. Aim for 150-220 minutes of exercise per week, mix it up, and do something you love.
Prioritise sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours per night. If you are not sleeping well, have a read here Sleep Hygiene 101 for some handy tips.
Learn to decompress. Practice mindfulness or breathwork, every day. You do have time, so make it. Even 5-10 minutes daily can have a profound effect. I really love apps like smiling mind and calm which help to guide you through the process.
Practice gratitude. Using a journal write down something that makes you feel grateful every day!
Get back to nature. Take a beach walk, take the kids for a scooter ride, just get outside and do it daily. Studies show that time out in nature truly is good for the soul.
Get off your phone. Set a plan to lower your screen time and delete some timewaster apps (and use it for Smiling Mind instead!). Head into your phone settings and have a look at your screen time: I guarantee halving it will make a world of difference.
Schedule time to yourself. Maybe it’s an hour a week, or a day a week, whatever it is, no work/ no to do list/ no appointments, just be.
Eat real food. Stop abusing your body with stuff you know isn’t good for you! Don’t overthink it, just take the time to meal plan, shop and make good old fashion real food.
Quit the stimulants. I’m looking at you alcohol and caffeine. They might give you a quick lift, but I can assure you, they are adding to the problem. Caffeine may be ok in smaller doses so don’t fret, your morning coffee might be safe for now.
If you tick off all of these boxes, and still can’t seem to dig yourself out of the hole then you may need some extra support from your Naturopath.
Personally, I love using herbs and nutritionals in these situations. Of course, everybody is different but my go to formulas usually have a combo of Magnesium, Zinc and B Vitamins. Herbal adaptogens and tonics can be a lifesaver to help jumpstart the journey. My mixes usually contain at least a few of the following herbals: Withania; Siberian Ginseng; Licorice; Rhodiola; Schisandra; Hypericum; Oats; Passionflower; Holy Basil…. The list goes on. The use of herbs is highly dependant on meeting the patient where they are at so never self prescribe these things.
As always, no supplement will fix an issue if you aren’t willing to put in the hard work with your diet & lifestyle. Always seek professional help when using nutritional and herbal supplements to ensure they are safe and applicable for you. You are unique and so are your health needs.
So go forward and find that allostatic sweet spot, when you do, hold on to it!
J Xx