Your brain on stress

/

I confess that this newsletter topic is a bit selfishly motivated … my brain has been “on stress” for years, and I’m quietly researching how I can counter the toll that it’s taken. 
 
Why? Because stress can literally change our brains - both temporarily and permanently. Like so many things in life, I wish I had known this years ago. The good news?  There are lots of things that can be done to both minimize and counter the impact that stress has on our brains.
 
A quick recap
Our acute stress response (ie – short term) is essential for our existence – it protected our ancestors against imminent danger and still plays a role to this day, although not necessarily because we are in danger (aka being pursued by a tiger).  The response nowadays could be activated by an argument, a tight deadline, an embarrassing situation, or stop and go traffic when you are in a rush.
 
Whatever the event, in the first few moments our stress hormones sharpen our senses – our pupils dilate and we become more alert.  Our blood pressure and blood sugar increase, and blood rushes to our extremities (and away from processes like digestion and reproduction) to ensure we have energy to “run away”. Our fight or flight response in all its glory.
 
Eventually, as long as the stressor doesn’t linger (aka we don’t hold onto it), our bodily processes go back to normal.
 
The problem is that we have evolved to turn on that same physiology for chronic stress, when the effects of the stressors, which of course are different for everyone, don’t turn off.
 
The fallout can manifest itself in a myriad of ways. 
 
Behaviourally, we can see changes in sleep, mood, appetite, concentrating, focusing, learning and memory.  And physiologically, we can suffer from anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal issues, reproductive ability, cardiovascular disease, low immunity, increased inflammation and chronic illnesses. 
 
In fact, Gabor Mate, a renowned physician, author and speaker, who has extensively researched the connection between stress and chronic illness, would say that all chronic illnesses are a result of chronic stress.  Strong words.
 
Aside from chronic diseases of the brain (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, etc), stress also accelerates brain aging and cognitive decline. And cortisol is the most notorious of the stress hormones that facilitate this aging and decline.
 
So what exactly goes on in our brain?
There are three key areas in the brain that are impacted by stress:

  • Hippocampus

  • Amygdala

  • Prefrontal cortex

Hippocampus
The hippocampus plays a major role in learning and memory. It’s often referred to as the memory centre, although it doesn’t actually store our memories. Rather, it’s involved in forming explicit memories, and facilitates recalling them. 
 
Robert Sapolsky, a neuroendocronologist, researcher and author, states that during times of crisis, the hippocampus “marinates” in stress hormones, such as cortisol, stifling its ability to function properly.   
 
For example, during times of stress (both acute and chronic), our brain needs to focus on sensory stimuli and quick problem solving.  Now think of those times when you are in a stressful situation and your memory fails you – such as just before delivering a big presentation. You go to introduce a close work associate to someone… and you forget their name. That’s a simple example of your hippocampus being hijacked by stress. 
 
New memory suppression can also occur. There are certain receptors in the hippocampus that are only activated when cortisol is high. And when this occurs, the neuronal action responsible for forming new memories is suppressed.
 
And if our hippocampus is exposed to chronic stress over the longterm, it can literally shrink in size under the “weight” of that stress.
 
Amygdala
This is our major processing centre for emotions, including fear, anxiety and aggression.
 
During times of extreme stress, the amygdala takes over the hippocampus.  Unfortunately, the amygdala is not very good at this job. Hence not only can the intense emotional memories formed at this time be inaccurate, but when alongside a hippocampus running at half speed, our cognition is also highly distracted and often inaccurate.
 
Prefrontal Cortex
This is the newest part of our brain. It makes us do the right thing when it’s the harder thing to do.  Think impulse control, gratification and emotional regulation.  It is also the centre for critical thinking, decision making and planning.
 
During major stress, the prefrontal cortex is basically taken offline and replaced by emotional parts of the brain that make really bad decisions and are incapable of long term planning. 
 
I’m not sure if any of you can relate to this, but I sure can. 
 

So… what can we do to help relieve the impact of stress?
 
Unfortunately, many of the ways we respond to stress are patterns that have existed within us since our younger days, hence are very entrenched. That is far out of my realm of expertise. But, there are ways to increase our resilience and reduce the impact that stress has on our brain and body.
 
Ways to reduce the number of stressors

  • Just say no - set boundaries. Often we are saying yes to things we don’t want to do, or where we feel we are being taken advantage of, both at work and in our personal life

  • Limit social media and engaging in the comparison game - some people are more susceptible to this than others (stress affects everyone differently)

  • Limit negative people and influences in our lives

  • Ask for help when we feel overwhelmed - we have permission

Ways to increase our resilience

 Exercise / Movement
No matter what age/stage we are at, studies show that exercise is essential on many fronts when it comes to helping get our hippocampus back online, reducing anxiety, increasing focus and thought processes, and reducing the chances of neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases.  I’m not suggesting intense exercise, especially if you are under a great deal of stress, but ideally a combination of different types of exercise (and/or sports) can be life changing.
 
At minimum, spend 30 minutes a day doing something – anything – that is going to get your blood moving.  Depending on your situation, it could be brisk walking, cycling, running, yoga, pilates, stretching, strength training, playing pickleball, tennis, hockey, soccer, dancing… the list is endless.  Just move.
 
Breathing
Breathing is so important and accessible to all. It can be done anywhere, anytime. Sitting at your desk, driving your car, walking, etc. 
 
It’s impact on stress and calming your nervous system can be profound. And the more you do it, the more impactful it becomes over time.
 
There are many different breathing techniques, but the ones below, which I’ve mentioned before, are the easiest, least time consuming, and very effective. 
 
4-7-8 Breathing

  • Dr. Andrew Weil was the original creator of 4-7-8 - this video is a good, succinct example of how to do it, alongside the positive impact it can have

  • Dr. Sara Gottfried’s version of it has a longer intro/explanation at the beginning, which might be of interest to some of you.

Key elements

  • This is a practice to be done daily for benefits

  • No longer than four rounds at once, although after a month you might consider up to 8 rounds

  • No more than 2x/day

  • You can play around with the cadence (how slowly or quickly you count)

  • After 4-6 weeks, you should be able to start feeling the benefits of a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, improved circulation, improved digestion and better sleep (you can also use this if you wake up in the middle of the night)


Physiological Sigh
I think all of us by now know about Andrew Huberman’s physiological sigh – not created by him, but certainly re-popularized by him. 

  • Here is a slightly longer explanation of what it is, and why it works

  • This is a short and sweet version

 
Box breathing
This is another good one, with the same end goals. 
 
Just breathe
Even simply doing some long, slow inhales through your nose, filling your belly and chest, and then longer exhales through your mouth (it’s the exhales that slow our heart rate and calm us down), will be beneficial. Some people find it easier if they count the length of each inhale and exhale, usually anywhere from 1-5.
 
Social interactions
Having or building a strong support network has been proven to decrease stress. If you feel lonely, or if you are alone more often than you would like, think about getting involved in something, such as joining a group. Meetup offers lots of different options in one’s area – from hobbies to sports, whereas Eventbrite has listings of upcoming events in one’s area.
 
Otherwise, think about trying to deepen existing relationships by reading this interesting article I recently read in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, and see how you might apply it. It shows that many of us are craving deeper connections. 
 
Give yourself a hug
Humans respond to touch.  Gentle, affectionate touch helps calm the nervous system and can trigger the release of oxytocin, the attachment hormone.  Our bodies do not differentiate between when someone we love touches us and when we are touching or holding ourselves – the calming release of oxytocin occurs in both instances.  So when you are feeling stressed, upset, ungrounded or agitated, try giving yourself a hug.
 
Even placing your hands over your heart can be calming. 
 
Immerse yourself in nature
The term forest bathing emerged in Japan in the 1980’s, called shinrin-yoku in Japanese (literally translated to “taking in the forest atmosphere”).  Walking or sitting in nature provides both physical and physiological benefits. Trees give off a chemical called phytoncides, which can increase our immunity and lower our stress levels. Evergreens produce the highest levels, along with Oak trees.  . 
 
Mindfulness and Meditation
The studies are endless when it comes to the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, but I know for many the idea of sitting quietly while attempting to stay present with focused awareness seems unattainable. 
 
There is a great app called Waking Up, with Sam Harris, that includes a 28 day introductory session, which you can access for free (30 day free trial).  At the same time, you get access to an amazing array of interviews, talks, series, etc on the app itself. 

And of course there are many other sites, including Calm, Headspace and Insight Timer. Here is NYT's Wirecutter selection (and reviews) of their picks for the Top 4 Mindfulness apps.  
 
Talking
Whether to a close friend, a therapist… even a stranger.  Getting things off your chest can do wonders to lower our stress levels.  Keeping it in does the opposite.
 
Net net
If you are feeling the mental repercussions of stress (and there are many more than I’ve described above), don’t just bury your head in the sand and soldier on. It won’t go away on its own. We need to be proactive. Sadly there seems to be an element of shame that accompanies “not being able to handle it all” or taking “time out”, especially with women. There is no shame, only strength, in taking steps to help manage/alleviate it.

The bottom line is that our health is at the foundation of everything we do, no matter what our role is in life.
 
At the bare minimum, we all have time to breathe. 
 
Thanks for reading.

Gillian x