Managing Stress: Your Response Matters More than You Think

On its own, stress won’t directly kill you. But left unmanaged, stress can take a major toll on both your physical and emotional health.

Life can be full of stressful situations. No matter how small or severe the stressor, your body responds in the same way.

This response doesn’t directly result in death, but it can have serious health consequences over a length of time.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to help you stay on top of events in your life.

So, if you’re finding it difficult to work remotely or are nervous about your future, read on to learn how to recognize stress and manage it in your everyday life.

Why do people say that stress can do you in?

Firstly, it’s important to understand there are two different types of stress: the good kind and the bad kind.

Both result in a fight-or-flight response that sends hormonal signals around your body, causing an increase in cortisol and adrenaline.

This leads to a rise in heart rate and blood pressure and, in turn, changes to almost every bodily system. This includes the immune system, digestive system, and brain.

Cortisol “can be beneficial in some circumstances, such as when it motivates you to complete your work on time,” notes Dr. Patricia Celan, a psychiatry resident at Canada’s Dalhousie University.

Similarly, a 2013 animal study found a short-term, moderate level of stress improved memory and increased alertness and performance in rats.

Researchers believe the same effect occurs in humans, though this requires further examination.

But long-term — also known as chronic — stress doesn’t have the same motivational effects.

“Cortisol gets toxic in high doses over a chronic period of time,” Celan explains, adding that this is what leads to serious health issues.

If not stress, then what?

Stress itself can’t kill you.

But, “over time, [it] can cause damage that leads to premature death,” Celan says.

This damage can be anything from cardiovascular issues to encouraging unhealthy habits, like smoking and alcohol misuse.

“You could live longer if you had less stress in your life,” Celan says. “That’s why taking control over your stress is important.”