Understanding Stress: The Good, The Bad, and How to Manage It

Understanding Stress: The Good, The Bad, and How to Manage It

What comes to mind when you hear the word "stress"? Do you feel a pang of anxiety, or does your heart start racing? Or do you see stress as a motivator—the push you need to check off your to-do list? If you're like most people, you've probably experienced both perspectives at some point.

Stress is defined as “response of the body to any demand, whether it is caused by, or results in, pleasant or unpleasant conditions” (Selye, 1976, p. 74). While it often carries a negative connotation, stress isn’t inherently bad. In fact, acute stress can be beneficial—it triggers physiological changes that help us react and adapt to challenges.

Imagine being in a dangerous situation—someone is chasing you, and your body instinctively goes into "fight-or-flight" mode. Your heart rate increases, your muscles tense, and your mind sharpens—all designed to protect you. This same stress response helped our ancestors survive encounters with wild animals. In everyday life, stress can also be helpful, like when you need to meet a deadline, navigate a major life change, or handle an emergency.

However, while short-term stress can be useful, chronic stress is a different story.

The problem arises when stress becomes constant, leaving your body in a prolonged state of fight-or-flight. When this happens, your body struggles to relax, and you may experience symptoms like tension headaches, tight shoulders, or trouble sleeping. When we experience stress for an extended period of time without being able to alter, change, or ameliorate it, we can begin to feel empty, numb, devoid of motivation, hopeless, and beyond caring. Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

Chronic stress disrupts essential bodily functions, leading to issues such as:

• Depleted minerals and nutrient imbalances
• Dysregulated blood sugar levels
• Increased inflammation
• Digestive problems and gut dysfunction
• Hormonal imbalances
• Impaired brain function
• Desensitization of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis

According to the Nutritional Therapy Association (2020), “The bottom line is that chronic, unmanaged stress will make us sick, tired, wired, and worse.”

Think of stress as water filling a bucket. When the bucket overflows, your body starts showing signs of burnout, illness, and chronic conditions.

Some common contributors to a full stress bucket include:

• Processed foods, sugar, and fast food
• Overworking and lack of boundaries
• Too little time in nature
• Poor eating habits (both undereating and overeating)
• Excessive or prolonged intense exercise
• Too much caffeine or alcohol
• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Excessive screen time and blue light exposure
• A jam-packed schedule with no downtime
• Exposure to toxins (pesticides, plastics, fragrances, household cleaners, etc.)
• Blood sugar fluctuations
• Caregiving responsibilities
• Unresolved past traumas

You can’t change what you don’t recognize, but small changes can have a significant impact. We have many resources to help you identify the stressors in your life and ways to combat those stressors. You can also join us for a master class on stress. 

Managing stress doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are seven practical steps to support your body and maintain healthy stress levels:

1. Breathe Deeply – Take three deep breathing breaks throughout the day. Inhale fully, expand your lungs, and exhale slowly. Repeat five times per session.
2. Spend Time in Nature – Step outside, leave your phone behind, and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of your surroundings. Even five minutes can help.
3. Prioritize Whole Foods – Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, quality proteins, nuts, and seeds. Limit processed foods and artificial ingredients.
4. Eat Mindfully – Sit down for meals, chew thoroughly, and allow your body to shift into a relaxed state for better digestion.
5. Reduce Screen Time at Night – Avoid blue light from screens after sunset to protect your sleep. If necessary, use blue-light-blocking glasses.
6. Stay Hydrated – Drink plenty of water and add a pinch of sea salt or electrolytes for optimal hydration.
7. Start a Hobby- Reading, crafting, building, hiking, bike riding, and the list goes on. Hobbies are fun, relaxing and allow us to digress from our day to day. 

Can you relate to what you've read? Stress is a universal experience, but we all have the power to manage it. Even small changes can make a big difference. What are your favorite ways to reduce stress? Let’s continue the conversation and support each other in creating healthier, more balanced lives. We have many resources available to work on stress. Join us for our master class on Stress and let's work together to get you from surviving to thriving. 

Resources:

• Nutritional Therapy Association (2020). Sleep, Stress, and Movement Student Guide [PDF].
• Roberts, B. L., & Karatsoreos, I. N. (2021). Brain-body responses to chronic stress: a brief review. Faculty Reviews, 10, 83. https://doi.org/10.12703/r/10-83