I recently came across an article that made me think about how our modern lives are really doing a number on not just our bodies, but our most vital organ that controls it all, our brain.
We have all been witness to the affects that stress can have on our bodies. Tight muscles, poor posture, weight gain or weight loss, skin reactions, dysfunctional breathing, etc. But have you considered how stress and the mismanagement of perceived stress could change your brain?
Recent studies have shown that people with higher rates of cortisol (the stress hormone) experienced significant impacts on cognitive and physiological performance compared to those with lower levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a necessary chemical in our bodies, as it is essentially hard wired to our survival instincts (flight, fight, or freeze response in the sympathetic nervous system.) Over production of cortisol, whether it's born out of legitimate stress or perceived stress has a cumulative and negative impact on our health.
A study done in 2017 revealed a correlation between cortisol and dementia risk, but the demographic studied was limited primarily to elderly populations, and the memory center of the brain.
New longer term studies, like the Framingham Heart Study, found that subjects in my age demographic with higher levels of cortisol showed signs of memory changes, cognitive impairment, and lower brain volume overall. That means the brains of people with higher cortisol could actually be experiencing a reduction/shrinkage of brain mass.
And can we talk about stress for a minute? This may not be a popular opinion but I'm going to say it anyway. Most of our stress is self induced. We no longer have to worry about hunting and gathering, and being stalked by predators in doing so. We can go to Whole Foods or Sprouts and buy our organic food, drive home (moderately) safely in our air conditioned vehicles, pull into the garage and walk straight into our kitchen stocked with modern conveniences. We get to sleep in warm, comfortable beds, we are snappy dressers, and we have Amazon. We have clean, fresh water, electricity, and all of our basic needs are met every single day. Yet, we're wired for survival. Have you heard of the term "negativity bias" ? We all have it...we're predisposed to be vigilant and anxious. The brain typically detects negative information faster than positive. Fear is perceived more rapidly than contentment.
With our basic needs met, we might start to INVENT things to be stressed about, and our mind tries to mislead us by exaggerating these perceived stressors. Sometimes the stress is real (our life is threatened, we are in real danger, we have a car accident, we experience the illness or death of a family, friend or pet.) Often, the "stress" is merely inconvenience which is amplified by our reaction to it (Hit one too many red lights, Starbucks ran out of pumpkin spice latte, or the dog just tromped through mud and back onto your clean floors.) The HORROR!
We might make mountains out of molehills, not because we're overly dramatic and like to suffer, but maybe because we aren't challenged enough in interesting ways. Maybe we're bored. Maybe we're lacking stimulation, learning, and growth. Maybe we're too sedentary, or not getting good enough nutrients through the foods that we eat. I'll be bold and say that most of the stress we perceive isn't the type of stress that warrants a full blown cortisol flood rushing into our bloodstream. We also need to learn how to bring those cortisol levels back to a normal range after the stressful event has passed. How? You know this one! Meditation. Movement. Nature. Real food. Adequate sleep. Humming. Whistling. Binaural beats. Art. Whatever gets YOU back into your parasympathetic nervous system response of "Hey, everything is gonna be OK!"
So now, do you want to read this article? It's from CNN, but I can assure you that it's not fake news. The studies it cites are legitimate scientific studies with measurable results (I've also linked to them here in this newsletter, see blue links above.)
So now that you know WHY stress is bad for your brain, HOW can you create change in your life to support a healthier response to the stimulus? The answers aren't in this newsletter...they lie ahead in your path of exploration, observation, and recognition of your own samskaras (mental patterns, habits and "grooves.")
Need a book to add to your library? I highly recommend "Buddha's Brain, the Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom" by Rick Hanson PhD & Richard Mendius, MD. This book could be subtitled "How the Flow of Thoughts Sculpt your Brain." This book has me captivated, I haven't even finished reading it yet but it's remarkable so far.
I also wanted to share with you two infographics from my anatomy teacher, Dr. Mary Ellen Yasay that shows how stress is related to physical pain. This blew my mind. Pun unintended.
CRH = Corticotropin-releasing hormone
If you want to continue down this rabbit hole of exploration about how stress affects your brain and your overall health, here is another article about why your health problems tend to worsen after a stressful life event. If you can get past the first few annoying pop-ups, it's good information (oopsie, there's that perceived stress again!) Web pop-ups! First world problems.
Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions about this. You can comment below, or e-mail me. Have ideas for subjects I should explore in my blog? Fire away!