In our research, students and their supporters often spoke about feelings of stress and how this had impacted on them, particularly in a negative way. In this blog, we will explore exactly what stress is, why we may feel certain responses to stress & ways in which we may be able to help manage stress more effectively.
What is stress?
We experience stress when we perceive situations as challenging and/or threatening. For example, we might not be able to adequately cope with the demands being placed on us; we might have little or no control over a situation; we worry over things that have happened and/or things that will happen to us. It’s important to remember that what one person perceives as stressful might not be perceived as stressful to another person, or it might be stressful to a lesser extent.
Stress today is a lot more psychosocial than physical; our ancestors faced physical stress such as physical fights, being attacked by lions/tigers/bears, hunting for food, and our stress response systems evolved in response to these environmental threats. Although we might experience some physical stressors (such as sky-diving, climbing a mountain) we experience these less frequently and they might not be as damaging.
In the short-term stress is needed for us to deal with the demands of our day, however, when we experience stress over a sustained time, stress becomes chronic and this negatively impacts our wellbeing and health. In our research, students & supporters reported a variety of ways that stress affects them. For example;
Emotions:
Loss of humour, laughing excessively, crying, sadness, frustration, argumentative, feelings of low self-worth, despair, numbness, worry, fear, feelings of failure, shame, embarrassment, depression/low mood
Our thoughts:
Negative self-talk (e.g. ‘I can’t cope’, ‘I’m stupid’, ‘I’m useless’ etc, which may be projected onto others), black/white thinking, lack of focus/concentration, distracted, memory loss, selective attention and memory, distorted thinking, paranoid thinking, rumination (i.e. over-thinking), cognitive overload (i.e. too many thoughts)
Behaviour:
Eating habits (over/under), alcohol, drugs, caffeine, sleep problems, violence, avoidance, isolation, lack of personal hygiene, self-harm, hair pulling, etc.
“…you know, you get to University and all this binge-drinking is really encouraged… that had quite an impact on the severity and frequency of my SH personally.”
So what can we do to help?
Physiological stress response
During situations perceived as stressful we have a physiological response to stress: key parts of the brain are involved in deciding if we find a situation challenging and/or threatening; this is based on the things we see and hear and also our memory (i.e. if we’ve experienced similar situations before).
The hypothalamus is a key part of the brain involved in our response to stress. In the short-term we go in to ‘fight or flight’ mode via activation of the adrenal medullary system. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal medulla to secrete adrenaline resulting in increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and reduced activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (branches of the autonomic nervous system). Activation of the SNS (the so called ‘fight or flight’ response) results in bodily changes i.e. increase heart rate and blood pressure allowing oxygen flow to muscles enabling increased physical activity; diverting energy resources; decrease in digestive system so you don’t feel hungry; to allow us to respond to the stressful situation. Once the demands or threats are dealt with, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over (known as the ‘rest and digest’ branch).
When stress is experienced for longer and/or when the situation is more challenging/threatening the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system is activated. The hormone cortisol is activated from the adrenal glands, having a variety of functions (e.g. suppress the immune system, increase blood pressure, provide energy etc.). Together these systems regulate our stress response. But when they become overworked (i.e. in the context of chronic stress) the systems become dysregulated and this can result in poor mental and physical ill-health.
The things we find stressful might have changed over time and occur more frequently, but our response to stress hasn’t, and repeated activation of our stress response systems can have an affect on our health. Cortisol is a powerful, stress-responsive hormone, but it isn’t only released during times of stress. It follows a 24-hr circadian cycle, characterised by a peak of cortisol following awakening and declining levels throughout the day, which is essential for healthy functioning. Theses daily cycles become dysregulated (i.e. flattened) under chronic stress, and dysregulated cortisol cycles predict the onset and progression of physical/mental diseases (e.g. heart disease, cancer, obesity, depression). Irregular cortisol levels and patterns in the morning have been observed in adults with a history of attempting suicide and adolescents who self-harm1-4.
The Psychophysiology and Stress research group at Westminster examines cortisol patterns in relation to mental and physical health and ways to maintain healthy cortisol patterns (see Smyth et al., 2013; Smyth et al 2020). There are many strategies that have been shown to relieve stress and are associated with health benefits; below is an overview of some strategies along with some research showing the associated health benefits (see Smyth et al., 2020 for a review).
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Focusing on positive characteristics |
– Expressing gratitude to others – Identifying and using your personal strengths – Writing about the good things in your life – Writing about the small things you are grateful for |
There is lots of research showing that engaging in these activities reduces stress and improves mood (e.g. happiness, depression, anxiety). Most of the evidence is based on self-reported changes in stress and mood. |
| Art-based activities and music |
– Painting, colouring (e.g. paint by numbers, adult colouring books) – Visiting an art gallery – Listening to music |
Evidence suggests that these activities reduce stress (e.g. lower levels of cortisol) during stressful situations. For example, Clow & Fredhoi (2006)5 showed that a lunchtime visit to an art gallery for London City workers resulted in a marked decrease in self-reported levels of stress and cortisol levels. |
|
Mindfulness: consciously focusing one’s attention on the present moment Yoga: a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation |
– Individual or group-based practice – Face-to-face practice – Practice using online systems or applications (e.g. headspace, NHS approved ) (read Tina’s blog here to find out more) |
There is a large literature base demonstrating the favourable health benefits of these activities, for example reducing stress (Cartwright et al., 2019)6. There is evidence showing that engagement in these activities reduces cortisol secretion under stressful situations. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that those who engage in these activities have healthier cortisol patterns over the day and that engagement in these activities can restore cortisol patterns. |
| Physical activity |
– Moderate to vigorous exercise (e.g. endurance exercise such as running, high intensity workouts). – Lighter exercise, such as aerobic or dance exercises (e.g. Zumba, dance classes) |
Exercise improves our mood and relieves stress. For example, responses to a psychosocial stressor induced in the laboratory is lower in those who engage in regular moderate to vigorous physically active compared to those less physically active (e.g. Wood et al., 2018). In the longer term, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity may prevent or delay ill-health and morbidity via regulation of daily cortisol patterns. For example, studies show that endurance exercise interventions can improve daily patterns of cortisol in older adults with health problems (e.g. Smyth et al., 2019). Less intensive exercise has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels and some studies show that individuals engaging in this type of exercise have healthier daily cortisol patterns, however, more evidence is needed. Single bouts of exercise are likely to reduce stress levels but exercising on a regular basis will help keep daily cortisol patterns healthy. |
| Engagement and access to nature (e.g. forests, parks, beaches) |
– Sitting, walking, exercising in nature – Gardening in your homes, community settings – Planting in outside space such as yards, balconies |
– Exposure and/or access to nature facilitates physical activity. It has been shown to be associated with additive health benefits rather than engaging with nature or physical activity alone. – Nature and physical activity can encourage social interaction, which is associated with reducing stress and healthier cortisol patterns. – Individuals with more access to green space near their homes have been shown to have healthier cortisol patterns (e.g. Ward Thomson et al., 2012)7. – Planting pots in outside yards was associated with improved mood and healthier cortisol patterns (e.g. Chalmin-Pui, 2019)8. |
It is important to remember that choosing which activities to engage in should be based on what you most enjoy and what makes you feel good. What is suitable for one person might not be for another. If you enjoy the activity you are more likely to see more positive effects but remember to give different activities a try as your enjoyment might increase over time!
References
- Reichl C, Heyer A, Brunner R, Parzer P, Völker JM, Resch F, et al. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, childhood adversity and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016;74:203-11.
- O’Connor DB, Green JA, Ferguson E, O’Carroll RE, O’Connor RC. Cortisol reactivity and suicidal behavior: investigating the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress in suicide attempters and ideators. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017;75:183-91.
- O’Connor DB, Ferguson E, Green JA, O’Carroll RE, O’Connor RC. Cortisol levels and suicidal behavior: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016;63:370-9.
- Kaess M, Hille M, Parzer P, Maser-Gluth C, Resch F, Brunner R. Alterations in the neuroendocrinological stress response to acute psychosocial stress in adolescents engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012;37(1):157-61.
- Clow, A., & Fredhoi, C. (2006). Normalisation of salivary cortisol levels and self-report stress by a brief lunchtime visit to an art gallery by London City workers. Journal of Holistic Healthcare, 3(2), 29-32.
- Cartwright, T, Richards, R, Edwards, A, & Cheshire, A. (2019). Yoga4Health on social prescription: A mixed methods evaluation. University of Westminster.
- Thompson, C. W., Roe, J., Aspinall, P., Mitchell, R., Clow, A., & Miller, D. (2012). More green space is linked to less stress in deprived communities: Evidence from salivary cortisol patterns. Landscape and urban planning, 105(3), 221-229.
- Chalmin-Pui, L. S. (2019). How do Front Gardens Influence Health and Well-being?(Doctoral dissertation, University of Sheffield)
