Neuroscientists Share Tips for Coping with Stress
Stress is annoying, feels terrible, and can wreck your peace of mind. While it's true that nobody likes being stressed, it's useful to remember that stress has its place: It makes us pay attention and, in short bursts, can help us hone our focus.
When there’s a threat, stress can trigger our brain to set off a cascade of reactions that can protect us from danger like a chain of dominoes. When we're frightened by an encounter with a snake, for example, the amygdala, the almond-shaped bundle of neurons that forms part of the limbic system, gets activated. That, in turn, sets off the hypothalamus, which releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), the main driver of the body's stress hormone system. CRH suppresses appetite, increases anxiety, and improves memory and selective attention—all of which helps fine tune the body's response to stress. It also stimulates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which travels through the bloodstream to the adrenal glands, where it causes the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.
Within the brain during times of stress, the limbic system dominates, and the prefrontal cortex, where we do executive functioning like problem-solving, becomes less prominent. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase, and blood is directed away from nonvital functions, such as digestion and reproduction, towards muscles, which may be called upon to either fight or flee. “The body allocates resources as is needed,” says Daniela Kaufer, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and associate dean of biological sciences at University of California, Berkeley.
Moments of high anxiety are supposed to be, well, momentary. Unfortunately, extended periods of stress are all too common. But, say experts, rather than attempting to live a completely stress-free life—which is nearly impossible—we should instead try to minimize stressful moments so that they don't take over. When we learn to keep it in check, we can build strength and resilience. “It’s like weight lifting,” says Richard Hunter, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and director of the Lab of Neuroepigenetics and Genomics at University of Massachusetts Boston.
When it comes to getting a handle on stress, calibration is key. “It’s all about the intensity,” Hunter says. And it’s all about managing the response and learning how to engage with stress and tune it out when necessary.
The following can help:
Breathe Deeply
When you start to recognize that familiar clenched jaw, shallow-breathing reaction to a stressful situation, try taking deep breaths while noticing your body in full. Listen for one sound, then another farther away. Doing this helps to you reorient and widen your lens. “That way, you’re taking everything in and are able to recognize that you're not under threat,” says Doug Mennin, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University and director of the Regulation of Emotion in Anxiety and Depression Lab.
Engaging the diaphragm sends a signal that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts as a brake on the runaway train that is the stress response. “It’s like flipping a switch," says Kaufer. "You can’t be in both at the same time,” she adds. "Diaphragmatic breathing also inhibits the over-activity of the locus coeruleus, located in the brain stem, which releases norepinephrine and gets the body ready for action," says Amy Arnsten, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale University.
Get Moving
Exercise increases the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system, which are important to shutting down the stress response, Kaufer says. Hunter adds that when the hippocampus grows, it increases our social memory and recognition. "It helps us be better able to identify between friend and enemy and makes the environment look less threatening," he says.
Maintain Your Connections
When you keep contact with friends and family, you get support and other perspectives. “Threat functions ramp up and cognitive capacities wind down,” Hunter says. But it’s not merely making contact. You want to do enjoyable things rather than go over the same worries or constantly checking in with your circle for reassurance, neither of which fosters problem-solving. “That way you don’t actually learn to manage the anxiety,” says Bethany Teachman, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and director of clinical training at University of Virginia. “You only learn to keep asking if it’s all right.”
Create a Reasonable Schedule
It’s easy to overestimate your time and load up your to-do list only to end up feeling like you underperformed when you couldn’t get it all done. This can create a stress that can carry over to the next day. Instead, prioritize what’s probable versus possible. “Creating control reduces the physiological response to stress,” Arnsten says. Teachman suggests setting three specific goals for the day, breaking each task down into small steps. "This will allow you to check things off and feel a sense of accomplishment," she says.
Engage Yourself
The prefrontal cortex is responsible for the executive functions of the brain, like logic, judgment, planning, willpower, and decision-making. Engaging in activities that you like or that have meaning for you activates this region, which can improve your ability to find a solution to the problems that can cause you stress.
And whether it’s cooking, painting, or refinishing a chair, when you’re done, you’re left with something of value. “Part of stress is feeling your life has no meaning,” says Hunter. “At the end, you’re creating something meaningful to you. It makes you feel good. You’re not just surviving.”
Cut Yourself a Break
Sometimes, the best way to relieve tension is to realize that we're not in charge of every occurrence. “We can handle not having total control,” Teachman says. Accepting that might be harder for some people based of their histories, but that doesn’t lock us in forever. Kaufer says mindfulness—another useful tool—can help us reassess and not be attached to specific outcomes. “It can change your relationship to stress,” she says, “and you can change how you perceive it and what you can do.”
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