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| USA TODAY
What to do about the stress of the terrifying American climate
If you’re scared and anxious about scary times like the Capitol Riots and the 2020 presidential election, you are not alone.
Staff Video, USA TODAY
Think of them as warning signs. Something is wrong.
Maybe you are not sleeping well or have more headaches than usual. You have no appetite and bouts of nausea too.
Stress is not just a state of mind. It is something that can create chaos in your body. Experts say poor physical health can often signal poor mental health.
“Often our bodies try to communicate to us when we’re not in the right place,” said Vaile Wright, senior director of healthcare innovation at the American Psychological Association.
The American Psychological Association’s 2020 Stress in America Survey found Americans have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while facing other persistent stressors – such as political polarization and discrimination racial.
The survey found that 80% of American adults say the coronavirus pandemic is a major source of stress in their lives, and 60% said the number of problems America is facing is overwhelming.
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“We would be automatons if we didn’t have an emotional or physical response to stress,” said Vanessa Kennedy, director of psychology at Driftwood, a drug addiction and mental health center in Texas. “But we can certainly tone down the response … by making sure to check in each day and make a conscious effort to really pay attention to our body.”
Inflammation, brain changes: what stress does on the body
When a person experiences increased stress levels, the body releases stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline are some of the best known. It prepares the body for fight or flight, our evolutionary response to a threat.
The problem, Kennedy said, is when stress becomes chronic. The sustained release of stress hormones increases the overall level of inflammation in the body and may lead to longer term health effects.
Research shows that stress affects the nervous system and can even cause structural changes in the brain, which can change the way we think and affect our memory. Stress can weaken our immune system, making us more vulnerable to disease. Prolonged stress can also exacerbate pre-existing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease or respiratory problems.
Nearly one in five Americans say their mental health is worse now than it was around this time last year, according to a report released in October by the APA.
“Maintaining a level of hyper arousal isn’t really sustainable,” Wright said. “It’s too much. It wears you out.”
How to analyze your body for stress
Kennedy said it was sometimes easier for someone to focus on the physical symptoms than to identify what they were feeling emotionally. That is why she advises her patients to perform a daily body scan.
“We’re not going to be day to day aware because we’re just trying to put one foot in front of the other on how we’re feeling or how we’re starting to have a little more muscle tension,” Kennedy said. .
To check in you have to slow down. For 15 minutes, she said, stay still, present, and pay attention to your five senses.
“Check with every muscle group, from your feet to your head,” she says. “You may notice things like, ‘Oh, I feel that lump in my throat, or’ I have a slight headache, come on, ‘or’ maybe I’m tired. ‘”
You may also ask yourself:
- Am I sleeping badly?
- Am I eating well?
- Do I crave unhealthy food?
- Am I grinding my teeth?
- Am I feeling stiffness?
If you answer yes to these questions, then “your body is trying to give you a signal that something has to change in the environment, or you have to change your reaction to what is going on in the environment,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said that while stress may not feel good, our bodies’ responses to it are productive, and probably ultimately a good thing if we can use these signals to change what we are in control of. She also notes that one of the things that can heal a body the most is connecting with another person.
“There are neurochemicals that are released in our brains when we connect with other people in meaningful ways,” she said. “Relationships and connection with others are essential.”
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