Stress: Causes, Natural Remedies, and Prevention

Stress, unfortunately, is rampant. Intense work schedules, family problems, the inability to stop and unplug: stress, often combined with anxiety, is truly the plague of our century. Each of us experiences it differently; for some, it causes stomach problems, for others, mouth ulcers, and for still others, it causes headaches. Overall, it prevents us from living a peaceful life and turns even the smallest problems into insurmountable mountains. To overcome these moments of psychological and emotional tension, don't be fooled by marketing ploys, and absolutely avoid wasting unnecessary medications. Instead, try resorting to simple yet powerful natural remedies.

Index of topics

Who is affected

According to a survey by the Unisalute/Nomisma Health Observatory, approximately 30 percent of the Italian adult population reports experiencing significant stress in their daily lives. The majority of these are women and young people under 30 (47 percent of the total).

A research coordinated by Kirsi Honkalampi of the Institute of clinical medicine at the University of Oslo, and published in the Journal of affective disorders, demonstrates a clear increase (45 percent in the last ten years) in what is defined as “allostatic load”, or the accumulation of stressful experiences in everyday life.

Types of stress

There are, in summary, three types of stress:

Work-related stress. It affects 40 million men and women in Europe and is the cause of 50 percent of work absences.
Parenting stress. Five percent of mothers and fathers worldwide suffer from it, but this percentage doubles in Western countries.
Stress and depressive disorder during pregnancy. One in five women experiences a depressive condition, minor or major, during pregnancy and in the first three months after giving birth.

Cause

The types of stress already provide significant clues as to the causes. A parent who feels inadequate is likely to experience stress, as is an employee pressured by a superior at work. Then there are other causes, which can be divided into psychological, physiological, and environmental factors.

I psychological factors which can most cause a state of stress are:

The tendency to have negative thoughts, to look at things, and the future, with pessimism, to brood;
Perfectionism, which makes people vulnerable, such as the continuous procrastinate;
The fear of failure, of not being up to the situation, of not making it and of disappointing those close to us;
The poor esteem

The physiological factors instead they concern:

Some pathologies such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, a difficult post-operative phase;
Lack of sleep, natural medicine against stress and anxiety;
Hormonal imbalances which can lead to excessive production of cortisol;
The malfunction of the adrenal glands and the thyroid.

Environmental factors include:

Financial and work problems;
Difficulties and struggles in human relationships;
Traumas such as sudden bereavement or a separation not foreseen;
Excessive use of electronic devices and technology;
The constant flow of information, often not reassuring.

Symptoms

The symptoms of stress are both physical and psychological. The most common physical symptoms are:

Accelerated heartbeat
Cold hands and feet
Dry mouth
Increased sweating
Ringing in the ears
Insomnia
Headache
Stomach problems such as Diarrhea, nausea and constipation.

The emotional symptoms instead are:

Difficulty relaxing
Little desire for relationships with others
Constant concern
Cosmic pessimism
Sudden mood swings
Agitation and frustration
Depression

Stress damage

Stress affects our health in many ways. It makes us more fragile, more lonely, and less energetic in facing even the most trivial challenges. Stress also has a long-term effect: it accelerates cellular aging, as it affects DNA, speeding up the biological clock. Stress can worsen some of our illnesses, delaying the time for recovery. And it can lead us to seek refuge in alcohol and drugs, two solutions that only worsen the stress situation.

Stress and the intestines

An American study published in the journal Cell links, very precisely, stress with the worsening ofintestinal inflammation or with the worsening of inflammatory phenomena. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that, in cases of stress, the brain sends signals to the adrenal glands to release substances such as cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol acts directly on intestinal nerve cells, causing them to release inflammatory substances. Hence the conclusion that, among the causes of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, there is also stress.

Furthermore, stressed people constantly feel like their throats are dry. In reality, the activity of the salivary glands, regulated by the nervous system, isn't working properly. And saliva production dwindles.

Stress and the immune system

Recent research published in Nature It links stress to the immune system and the brain. Experiments on mice have discovered that, under stress, they exhibit increased levels of enzymes typical of depression in their blood, as well as altered neuronal function. Follow-up studies on humans have confirmed the same findings discovered in the mouse study. Stress more easily causes memory lapses: weakened by this psychological state and bombarded by so many stimuli, the brain ends up selectively remembering things. And we easily forget our cell phones at home, our car keys in our purses. Or we often yawn during meetings.

Stress and heart attack

This is the greatest danger: prolonged states of tension and agitation, according to several studies, determine a greater risk of cardiovascular accidents. Stress causes an increase in blood pressure, and hence the risk of tachycardia, arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and brain stroke.

Stress and tumors

Several studies have shown that chronic stress significantly increases the risk of certain types of cancer. In this case too, there is a study, published in Cancer, which shows how stress, by altering the body's immune response, opens the way to the progression of various types of cancer.

Stress and skin diseases

A recent review published in Brain Behavior and Immunity confirms what had already been discovered by some scientific studies: stress amplifies and creates skin diseases and amplifies skin-related pain. Even the Psoriasis It gets worse due to stress, and in fact it usually improves during the holidays.

Positive aspects of stress

Some studies have shown that there are also some positive aspects of stress. A group of researchers from Harvard and Duke University, in a study published in Cell Metabolism, demonstrated a sort of fluidity of age linked precisely to stress. Conclusion: if well managed, for example through physical exercise And with a healthy diet, stress translates into a rejuvenation of the body. And on the other hand, we don't need scientific confirmation to be certain that some stressful life experiences strengthen us and help us cope.

Natural remedies against stress

Many consider it an insurmountable problem precisely because we can no longer carve out moments just for ourselves to decompress the tensions that accumulate during the day. First, we should start appreciating ourselves again. the slowness In a society that never stops rushing. Natural remedies for stress range from exercise to breathing, from relaxation techniques to sleep hygiene, and even the ability to consistently maintain good human relationships. But let's take a closer look at the truly effective natural remedies for stress.

Positive thoughts. One path that certainly leads to the darkness of stress is to always hypothesize negative and even tragic solutions. Do the opposite. Think with theoptimism of the will, even if you must give up some of the pessimism of the intellect, and use your active imagination. Your perspectives on the future will soon be overturned.
Appreciate what you have. The numbers speak for themselves. Thinking about the good things you have, according to calculations by researchers at the University of California, reduces the stress hormone by 23 percent. That's a lot. And it doesn't cost anything.
Take breaks. We're all useful, but no one is indispensable. So we can take some breaks and be sure that nothing serious will happen. It makes no sense, for example, to keep the computer on. smartphone tutti i giorni, 24 hours a day. Turn off your computer and cell phone when you take a break.
Sleep well. Sleep was and remains man's first medicine. Sleep well It means having a fresh mind, as well as recovering energy, and therefore being clear-headed when making decisions.
Don't overdo it with the coffee. Caffeine, by increasing adrenaline, puts the brain into a state of agitation and therefore opens the door to a constant state of stress.
Learn to say no. Don't always give in, even when faced with orders from your superiors. Also learn to say no a few times: it helps boost your self-esteem and authority.
Lots of sport. Unfortunately, tiredness from work keeps us from engaging in even minimal physical activity. Laziness takes over, and we give up. And yet, the opposite is true: with gymnastics, or even a good workout, walk, strength returns and the brain gains in oxygenation.
Don't be rigidWhen something goes wrong, don't act like you've been offended forever. Don't hold grudgesThey only serve to increase negative impulses and thus stress and anxiety. Instead, if necessary, and when all possible mediations have failed, prepare for battle. Do so knowing that it must be faced with clarity, rationality, and determination. And without the fear of possible failure.
Use meditation. Meditation is a great help against any form of stress. In particular, yoga It helps you regain calm and increases your self-control. All things that are useful.

Anti-stress exercise

A simple exercise, which can be done at any time, can be very helpful in blocking stress.

Close your eyes and focus on the air. Now, you can begin inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Breathing will help you relax your muscles, giving you a sense of calm and well-being.
Think about light things, pushing away the clouds in your head.
Make sure that at this point there is only the silence to surround you, to focus on your deepest self. Where you will find serenity.

Anti-stress massage

One of the most effective massages for stress relief is craniosacral massage, which uses a very light manipulation technique that "touches" the meningeal membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. The pressure of the hands should be equivalent to that of a five-gram coin. The massage involves very light strokes and touches, applied to the bones of the skull and the spine to stimulate the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. This massage also helps improve stance, to relax the gastrointestinal system, and to loosen contractures in the neck and shoulders due to chronic stress, which traps emotions in a muscular cage.

Difference between stress and anxiety

Stress should not be confused withanxietyThese are two very different situations. Anxiety is a condition tied to temporal factors, to something that could happen or has already happened in the past and could happen again. It's an anticipated fear, almost never justified, that can paralyze a person. Stress, on the other hand, is experienced directly, in the present, and is a response to an external stimulus. Stress refers to a moment in which we are under pressure, while anxiety concerns the realm of our emotions. Stress is caused externally, while anxiety comes from within.