The Health Reset Podcast
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The Health Reset Podcast
The Hidden Toll of Stress: Unraveling its Impact on Body and Mind
Can stress really make your hair fall out or upset your stomach? Prepare to be astonished as we uncover the unexpected ways stress creeps into our lives and takes a toll on our physical well-being. From sneaky hair loss, known as telogen effluvium, to the intricate dance between our gut and brain, this episode dives into the hidden impacts of stress that go far beyond feeling frazzled. We unravel the complex science behind the body's stress responses, exploring how hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, while initially protective, can lead to chronic issues if left unchecked.
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Okay, so we're diving into stress today.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know, we all know about that feeling overwhelmed thing, right, or like when your heart starts racing a million miles an hour.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:But you sent over some notes and articles and it seems like you're more interested in like the sneakier ways that stress can affect us.
Speaker 2:Well, that's the thing about stress.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It can be really sneaky and like manifest in all these weird symptoms that you wouldn't think are related at all.
Speaker 1:Like what.
Speaker 2:Well, for example, hair loss. Wait, you can lose your hair from stress.
Speaker 1:You can Seriously. It's called talogen effluvium.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And basically when you're under a lot of stress, it can actually shock your hair follicles and push them into like this resting phase and then weeks or even months later they just start falling out.
Speaker 2:It's like your hair is staging a walkout in protest.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and it's not just like major life events either. Even like everyday stressors like work deadlines or relationship problems, can trigger it.
Speaker 2:Wow. So it's not just the big stuff, even little things can add up.
Speaker 1:So like, have you noticed more hair in your brush lately, or anything?
Speaker 2:It's definitely something to think about, right.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And it just goes to show that stress isn't all in your head. It really does affect your body in very real ways.
Speaker 1:Okay, so moving on to something that I think a lot of people can relate to digestive problems. Oh yeah, I mean we've all had that nervous stomach before a big pre-sustation, but is there more to it than just butterflies?
Speaker 2:There's a lot more to it, really. It all comes down to this connection between your brain and your gut, which is called the gut-brain axis.
Speaker 1:Okay, the gut-brain axis.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's basically a two-way communication highway between your brain and your gut.
Speaker 1:Interesting.
Speaker 2:So, like stress in your brain, can directly affect your gut and vice versa, and one of the key players here is the vagus nerve, which acts as a messenger between these two systems. So when you're stressed, signals travel down the vagus nerve and trigger all sorts of changes in your gut.
Speaker 1:And that's what causes the digestive problems.
Speaker 2:Exactly, it can lead to diarrhea, nausea, even IBS.
Speaker 1:So that upset stomach might not just be something you ate. It could be a sign that you need to de-stress.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Sometimes the solution isn't just treating the symptoms. It's about addressing that underlying stress.
Speaker 1:Okay, that makes sense. What about sleep?
Speaker 2:Ah sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we all know how hard it is to sleep when you're stressed.
Speaker 2:It's the worst.
Speaker 1:But what's actually happening in our brains when we're tossing and turning all night?
Speaker 2:Well, when you're stressed, your body pumps out all these hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Speaker 1:Cortisol again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cortisol is a big one when it comes to sleep.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And while these hormones are helpful for dealing with immediate threats, they can really mess with your sleep cycles.
Speaker 1:How so?
Speaker 2:Cortisol in particular can make it really hard to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Speaker 1:And then the lack of sleep just makes you even more stressed.
Speaker 2:Exactly, it becomes a vicious cycle.
Speaker 1:Ugh a downward spiral.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Poor sleep makes your mood worse, impairs your focus, increases your risk of other health problems. It's like a domino effect.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. When I'm sleep deprived, everything feels like a much bigger deal.
Speaker 2:That's a classic sign that your stress and sleep are all tangled up.
Speaker 1:So this next one is something I've definitely experienced firsthand skin problem. Oh yeah, like sudden breakouts or eczema flare-ups. Is there a connection between stress and our skin?
Speaker 2:There definitely is, really. Remember cortisol, that stress hormone we were talking about? Yeah, well, it can actually stimulate your skin's oil production, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Stimulate your skin's oil production, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts, and it can also trigger inflammation, which makes existing skin conditions, like eczema or psoriasis, even worse.
Speaker 1:So it's not just about having a good skincare routine. It's about managing your stress too.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Your skin is a reflection of what's going on inside.
Speaker 1:Interesting. Okay, this next one kind of surprised me Slow healing.
Speaker 2:Slow healing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have you ever noticed that, like a minor cut or scrape, seems to take forever to heal when you're stressed out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not just your imagination. Research has actually shown that stress can slow down your body's ability to repair itself.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's because those stress hormones, particularly cortisol, can suppress your immune system and interfere with the production of collagen, which is a protein that's essential for wound healing.
Speaker 1:So that paper cut that just won't go away might be a sign that you need to chill out.
Speaker 2:It could be. It's a subtle reminder that stress is impacting us on a very fundamental level.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we all have moments where we feel distracted. But what about that feeling of brain fog, like you just can't focus on anything? Could that be stress related too?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. When you're stressed, those same hormones that disrupt your sleep also interfere with your brain's ability to function properly.
Speaker 1:So it's not just laziness or lack of willpower.
Speaker 2:Nope, stress is literally hijacking your brain power.
Speaker 1:And I think we've all felt that at some point.
Speaker 2:It's incredibly common and it really shows how stress affects us on multiple levels, both physically and mentally.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we all get tired sometimes, but what about that feeling of just being completely drained all the time? Is that just lack of sleep, or could stress be a bigger factor?
Speaker 2:While lack of sleep definitely plays a role, chronic stress can lead to a much deeper fatigue that goes beyond just being tired.
Speaker 1:So even if you're getting enough sleep, you might still feel exhausted if you're dealing with chronic stress.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's like your body is constantly running a marathon, even when you're trying to rest.
Speaker 1:OK, this next one can be a bit scary breathing difficulties.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like when I get anxious, I sometimes feel short of breath or have a tight chest. Is that just a panic response or is there like the deeper connection to stress?
Speaker 2:There's definitely a connection. Stress can actually trigger or worsen respiratory issues like asthma. Oh wow. It can also lead to hyperventilation, where you breathe too rapidly, and that causes a drop in carbon dioxide levels in your blood, which can make you feel dizzy and lightheaded.
Speaker 1:So it's not just in my head, it's really affecting my breathing.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and if you have any pre-existing respiratory conditions, managing stress becomes even more important.
Speaker 1:Okay, this last one really surprised me. Vision changes.
Speaker 2:Vision changes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can stress actually affect your eyesight.
Speaker 2:It might sound strange, but it's true. Stress hormones can affect your vision in a few different ways. They can cause dry eyes, blurred vision, even difficulty focusing.
Speaker 1:Wait, how does that even happen?
Speaker 2:Well, they can restrict blood flow to the eyes and also affect the muscles that control your pupils.
Speaker 1:So if you've been blaming your screen time for your blurry vision, it might actually be stress.
Speaker 2:It's definitely something to consider, especially if you're experiencing other stress-related symptoms.
Speaker 1:Wow, so we've covered a lot of ground here, from hair loss to vision changes. It's incredible how far-reaching the effects of stress can be.
Speaker 2:It really is.
Speaker 1:But before we move on, is there anything that stood out to you, any particular sign that resonates with your experience?
Speaker 2:Hmm, I think what's fascinating is how all these seemingly unrelated symptoms can all be traced back to stress.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think understanding the science behind it can help us connect the dots.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:So we've touched on how stress is the culprit, but how does it actually pull off all these sneaky tricks like what's happening inside our bodies?
Speaker 2:Well, it all comes down to your body's stress response system, also known as the fight or flight response.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, the fight or flight response.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's basically an ancient survival mechanism that's designed to protect us from danger.
Speaker 1:So, like when you're facing a threat, your body kicks into gear.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Whether it's a physical threat, like a predator, or a more modern day threat, like a work deadline, your body reacts the same way, releasing a flood of hormones, mainly adrenaline and cortisol.
Speaker 1:Ah, cortisol, I feel like that one gets a bad rap.
Speaker 2:Well, it's not inherently bad, actually. In short, bursts Cortisol is quite helpful Really. Yeah, it gives you that burst of energy you need to deal with a challenge. It sharpens your focus and can even temporarily boost your pain tolerance.
Speaker 1:So it's like our body's own superpower.
Speaker 2:Exactly. But here's the catch when stress becomes chronic, meaning it's ongoing and persistent, those high levels of cortisol start to have a negative impact on your body.
Speaker 1:It's like having your superpowers turned on all the time. Eventually it starts to wear you down. So those 10 unexpected signs we talked about are basically side effects of this long-term stress response.
Speaker 2:Precisely. It's like your body's way of waving a red flag and saying, hey, something that right here.
Speaker 1:So let's take hair loss, for example. How does that work?
Speaker 2:Well, high levels of cortisol can disrupt the normal hair growth cycle, pushing more hair follicles into that resting phase which leads to increased shedding.
Speaker 1:And what about digestive issues? How does cortisol mess with our guts?
Speaker 2:Well, for one thing, cortisol can increase inflammation in the digestive tract, which leads to discomfort and a bunch of other problems.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It can also alter gut motility, meaning it affects how quickly food moves through your system, which can lead to constipation or diarrhea. And here's a really interesting finding constipation or diarrhea? Oh, and here's a really interesting finding Studies have shown that chronic stress can even disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome.
Speaker 1:Your gut microbiome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that can have a ripple effect on your overall health.
Speaker 1:Wow, so it's not just about an upset stomach, it's about the health of your whole digestive system, exactly, and I imagine cortisol plays a role in those other symptoms too, like the sleep disturbances and concentration problems.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Cortisol disrupts your sleep by messing with your natural sleep-wake cycle. It affects your skin by increasing oil production and inflammation, and it impairs concentration by impacting the parts of your brain that control focus and memory.
Speaker 1:It's crazy to think that something as intangible as stress can have such real physical effects on our bodies.
Speaker 2:I know it's pretty wild.
Speaker 1:But we've been talking a lot about cortisol. What about adrenaline? Doesn't that play a role in the stress response too?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, adrenaline is a key player. It's responsible for that classic fight or flight feeling, giving you that surge of energy to either confront a threat or run away from it.
Speaker 1:So that's why I feel like I can jump out of my skin when I'm super stressed.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's adrenaline kicking and preparing you for action.
Speaker 1:But the problem is, in today's world, we're constantly bombarded with stressors that aren't actually life-threatening.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:But our bodies still react as if they are.
Speaker 2:Exactly Releasing adrenaline and putting us in that heightened state of alertness, even when we're just dealing with traffic or a demanding boss.
Speaker 1:So we're stuck in this constant state of fight or flight, even when there's no real danger present.
Speaker 2:That's the challenge of modern life. Our bodies haven't quite caught up to the fact that most of our stressors are chronic and psychological rather than acute and physical.
Speaker 1:This is all starting to make sense now, but it also feels a bit overwhelming, Like if stress is doing all this damage behind the scenes. How can we possibly keep up? I mean, we can't just eliminate stress from our lives completely, right?
Speaker 2:That's true, stress is a part of life, but what we can do is learn to manage it effectively, and that's what we'll explore in the next part of our deep dive.
Speaker 1:Okay good, Because I think we could all use a little less cortisol and a lot more calm in our lives.
Speaker 2:I agree, yeah, it is pretty wild.
Speaker 1:But we've been talking a lot about cortisol. What about adrenaline?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Doesn't that play a role in the stress response too?
Speaker 2:For sure. Adrenaline is another key player. It's actually responsible for that classic fight or flight feeling, you know. Oh yeah, it gives you that surge of energy to either confront a threat or run away from it.
Speaker 1:So that's why I feel like I can jump out of my skin when I'm super stressed.
Speaker 2:Exactly that's adrenaline kicking in preparing you for action.
Speaker 1:But the problem is, in today's world, we're constantly bombarded with stressors that aren't actually life-threatening.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, it's not like we're running from predators every day.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:But our bodies still react as if we are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, but our bodies still react as if we are, yeah, it's like our internal alarm system is stuck on high alert.
Speaker 1:So we're stuck in this constant state of fight or flight, even when there's no real danger.
Speaker 2:That's the challenge of modern life. Our bodies haven't quite caught up to the fact that most of our stressors are chronic and psychological rather than acute and physical.
Speaker 1:This is all starting to make sense now, but it also feels a bit overwhelming.
Speaker 2:I can see that.
Speaker 1:Like, if stress is doing all this damage behind the scenes, how can we possibly keep up? I mean, we can't just eliminate stress from our lives completely, right?
Speaker 2:That's true, stress is a part of life, but what we can do is learn to manage it effectively.
Speaker 1:Okay, good. And that's what we'll explore in the next part of our deep dive. Okay, good, because I think we could all use a little less cortisol and a lot more calm in our lives.
Speaker 2:I agree.
Speaker 1:So we've uncovered all these sneaky ways stress can mess with our bodies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a lot.
Speaker 1:But now let's talk solutions. What can we actually do to fight back against all this cortisol, chaos?
Speaker 2:Well, the good news is that there are a ton of different strategies out there.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It's really all about finding what works best for you and making it a part of your routine.
Speaker 1:So it's not a one size fits all kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Not at all. Stress management is a very personal journey.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:What works wonders for one person might not do much for another. It's all about experimenting and finding what helps you feel more grounded and in control.
Speaker 1:All right, so where do we even begin?
Speaker 2:One of the most powerful tools you have is your breath.
Speaker 1:My breath.
Speaker 2:Yeah, deep diaphragmatic breathing can quickly calm your nervous system and lower those stress hormones.
Speaker 1:I've heard of deep breathing before, but I'll admit I often forget to do it when I'm actually stressed. Oh yeah, I get that, it's like my brain goes blank.
Speaker 2:That's totally understandable. It can be helpful to have reminders.
Speaker 1:Like what.
Speaker 2:Maybe set alarms on your phone, or even use sticky notes to prompt yourself to take a few deep breaths throughout the day.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It sounds simple, but it can make a big difference.
Speaker 1:I like that idea. Little reminders can go a long way. Exactly I like that idea. Little reminders can go a long way, exactly. So what?
Speaker 2:else can we do? Exercise is another fantastic stress reliever.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And I'm not talking about intense workouts. Even a brisk walk, a yoga class or just dancing around your living room can release endorphins, those feel-good chemicals that naturally combat stress.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great.
Speaker 2:So it's like a natural mood booster.
Speaker 1:Exactly. But what about those of us who are more introverted? Are there any solo activities that can help?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be incredibly effective in reducing stress and anxiety.
Speaker 1:Okay, I've heard about mindfulness, but I'm not sure I fully get it. Yeah, what is it exactly?
Speaker 2:Essentially, it's about training your mind to focus on the present.
Speaker 1:So like not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, exactly. Just being present.
Speaker 2:Exactly. You can do this by paying attention to your breath, your bodily sensations or even just the sounds around you. Okay, it's about noticing what's happening without getting swept away by your thoughts or worries.
Speaker 1:So it's like hitting the pause button on all the mental chatter.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and the more you practice mindfulness, the better you become at managing those stressful thoughts and emotions.
Speaker 1:So that makes sense.
Speaker 2:There are tons of apps and guided meditations out there to get you started.
Speaker 1:Oh cool, I'll have to check those out.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What about lifestyle changes? Are there any other things we can do to like create a less stressful environment for ourselves?
Speaker 2:Sleep is super important. We talked about how stress can disrupt sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But the reverse is also true Poor sleep can make stress worse.
Speaker 1:Ah, so it's a vicious cycle.
Speaker 2:Exactly so. Aim for 78 hours of quality sleep each night.
Speaker 1:Easier said than done sometimes.
Speaker 2:I know, but it's worth it. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool and avoid screen time before bed. Right, and don't underestimate the power of connection. Spending time with loved ones. Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool and avoid screen time before bed, and don't underestimate the power of connection. Spending time with loved ones, whether it's friends, family or even a pet, can release oxytocin, which is a hormone that promotes feelings of well-being and reduces stress.
Speaker 1:So cuddling with my dog is basically a stress management technique.
Speaker 2:Pretty much. And one last thing that's important to mention don't be afraid to seek professional help if you're struggling.
Speaker 1:That's a good point.
Speaker 2:Therapists and counselors can provide you with personalized coping strategies and tools to manage stress effectively.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's no shame in reaching out for support. It's a sign of strength, not weakness.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Sometimes we all need a little extra help.
Speaker 1:OK. So to recap, we've got deep breathing exercise, mindfulness, sleep connection and seeking professional help when needed. It sounds like a really holistic approach to stress management.
Speaker 2:It is. It's about addressing stress on multiple levels physically, mentally and emotionally.
Speaker 1:And remember, it's not about being perfect. It's about finding what works for you and making small, sustainable changes.
Speaker 2:Well said. Even small changes can make a big difference over time.
Speaker 1:This has been such an eye-opening deep dive.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you found it helpful.
Speaker 1:I feel like I have a whole new understanding of stress and how to deal with it in a healthier way.
Speaker 2:That's great to hear. Remember knowledge is power. Now that you're aware of these hidden signs, you can start taking proactive steps to prioritize your well-being.
Speaker 1:So to our listener. We'll leave you with this. Now that you know just how sneaky stress can be, what's one small change you can make today to lessen its impact on your life? It could be as simple as taking a few deep breaths or scheduling a walk in nature.
Speaker 2:Yeah, any small step in the right direction can make a difference.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into the surprising world of stress.
Speaker 2:It was my pleasure.