Stress comes in many forms; it can be situational, or it can be perceived. Sometimes it looks like wondering if your outfit makes sense for a specific occasion, and other times it’s stressing over a family member’s health (or your own). We all experience inevitable stress during our lives, and although we know that some stress is normal and healthy, how do we know when the stress is too much?

It’s true that some amount of stress can help us to be productive, i.e. when you are in a time crunch and somehow you are able to work at lightning speed to get the work done on time. But sometimes excess stress can cause changes in our body chemistry. That’s right…when stress builds up, we can experience hormonal and even behavioral changes.

Our stress levels are monitored by our autonomic nervous system, which is further differentiated as our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is activated by a threat or perceived danger, also known as our flight/flight/freeze mode. This is the “crap- a tiger is coming after me!” mode if we think about our prehistoric brains. The parasympathetic nervous system restores our body’s state of calm and harmony (think deep, relaxed breathing).

Let’s chat about some of the primary hormones at play when it comes to stress:

Cortisol

When we feel stress, our fight-or-flight mechanism is activated. In preparation for the potential need to run for safety, cortisol signals for increased release of glucose into the blood. Remember, glucose is our body’s preferred source of energy. Glucose = quick energy. At the same time, cortisol works to regulate insulin and in times of high stress, cortisol prevents insulin from signaling to cells that this newly available glucose is for storage. If this is prolonged, people can experience some insulin resistance, meaning that the insulin is unable to function at its regular capacity and blood sugars may range on the higher end. Additionally, cortisol works to regulate inflammation. When stress is consistently high and cortisol levels are elevated, cortisol can be seen to function less effectively, and its anti-inflammatory property is diminished.

Feelings associated with increased cortisol: quick heartbeat, heavy breathing, GI discomfort, craving simple carbohydrates (think: sugar = quick energy)

Our bodies ask for quick energy when we’re in a stressed state, largely because digestion slows down and quicker energy is preferable to foods that require more energy to break down and absorb. This is not something to judge, just something to notice and be aware of!

Progesterone

In times of stress, our bodies prioritize cortisol production. As a result, some of our other hormones experience reduced production as the energy of the body is focused on saving us from the approaching tiger, or the fear of losing our job (which may be more relatable for some of us). In this shift of hormone production, we can sometimes feel and see the impact of decreased sex hormones. When progesterone drops, abnormalities in ovulation can occur. Progesterone is essential for thickening the uterine wall in preparation for receiving an egg, but when there isn’t enough available, our bodies adapt and our periods may cease. This is not permanent, but this is our body’s way of saying ‘hey, we can’t make and keep a baby in here without resources.’

Feelings associated with decreased progesterone: poor mood, missed periods, low sex-drive

Estrogen

When progesterone is low, estrogen becomes the more available sex hormone. You may be familiar with estrogen for its well-known performance of PMS. Ah yes, PMS. Everybody’s favorite. Additionally, when estrogen is the dominant sex hormone, bleeding may become irregular in menstruating folks, with potentially heavier periods, or spotting in between. In times of stress, estrogen levels are not increasing, rather as progesterone decreases, people tend to feel more of the impact of estrogen which is usually balanced by progesterone.

Feelings associated with estrogen as the dominant hormone: mood swings, bloating, irregular period

Testosterone

Everyone has testosterone- not just male-identifying folks. And just like the other sex hormones in times of stress, there is decreased production as the body channels its energy to create more cortisol.

Feelings associated with low testosterone: fatigue, low sex drive, depression, feeling achy

What’s allostatic load?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allostatic_load#/media/File:Allostatic_Load_Model.png

Everyone has a unique window of tolerance when it comes to stress. Our allostatic load can be imagined like a bucket. When we put too much into this bucket, it can start to spill over the sides. This overflow is burnout. Burnout can look like sleeplessness, fatigue, intense mood swings, depression, muscle stiffness, difficulty concentrating and total body exhaustion.

An example of how each of our stress tolerance is different from one another would be how some people who menstruate lose their periods from engaging in a certain level of exercise (say, training for a marathon), while others may maintain their cycle, even if both women maintain the same energy intake. This is true of all genders- some may experience symptoms of hormone imbalances from engaging in intense forms of movement while others may not. It’s up to the individual (and the support of their health care providers), to determine the appropriate amount of movement for their bodies. This applies to all sources of stress; some have a greater capacity for tolerating stress while others may feel the effects of burnout with fewer stressors. This is very individual and requires awareness of one’s own body, and knowing when it’s time to take some stressors out of the stress bucket. Some people have a bigger bucket, some have a smaller one, one is not better than the other.

Again, not all stress is inherently bad for us. It would be pretty unrealistic to expect ourselves to never experience any degree of stress. HOWEVER, too much of it over extended periods of time can lead to not so great outcomes.

Some stressors we don’t have so much control over, like work, family, current global events, the weather, deadlines, relationships, etc. It’s best to focus on what is within our control, like how we respond to those stressors, as well as finding ways to mitigate stress when possible.

This might mean that when we’re in a particularly stressful season of life, it means other priorities take a back seat. It’s our job to evaluate when we’re putting too much into our stress buckets. First determine what those priorities are, and what that things that are within your control are.

Things that are within our control (to name a few):

The number of things we say ‘yes’ to (it’s okay to say “no”!)
Our exercise routine: frequency, duration, level of exertion...
Our sleep hygiene
Self care
Feeding ourselves enough food

Tactics for coping with stress:

Everyone’s experience is individual and there is no one-size-fits-all suggestion for coping with stress, so here are a few ideas that could help!

Spend some time outside
- Connecting with nature has proven benefits to our health, including activating our relaxation response
Get takeout or delivery if you need a break from cooking
- Are you putting pressure on yourself to eat a certain way? While cooking can be a form of self-care, so can ordering take out or going out to eat!
Breathe!! Our breath is our body’s remote control. You can connect to your breath whenever you need it.
- Try Headspace or Calm for guided meditations
Get plenty of sleep (7-9 hours, ideally) and/or take a quick nap if you need one
- Everything feels worse when we are sleep deprived, and not getting enough sleep can increase cortisol levels. Rest is underrated!
Try to be mindful of caffeine and alcohol intake. Consider herbal tea.
Practice yoga or another form of gentle movement like walking
Call a friend or family member
Drink plenty of water
Have a snack
Cook or bake something that brings you joy
Put on sweatpants and watch a movie or three
Snuggle up and read a book
Call or text a friend
Limit your screen-time
- Consider setting time limits for social media, or turn off notifications for things like email and news
Consider finding a mental health professional for support. You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis or for something to be “wrong” in order to get help.

And remember to eat! Eating a balanced meal or snack with a combination of food groups (think: complex carbs, protein, fat, produce) will help prevent the crummy moods associated with blood glucose fluctuations. Nuance: having sweets when you’re feeling stressed or anxious is also A-OK!

I could give you a list of a bunch of nutrients to help with stress, but to be honest....the list would contain every nutrient. One of the best things we can do for our bodies is eat a variety of foods, and enough food-- not only kale and chickpeas, but also bread and waffles, yogurt and watermelon, ice cream and chicken. Being energy deprived is also stressful for our bodies, so focus on getting enough and eating a wide variety of food!