Another busy week? Explore when too much stress is impacting your mental and physical health

What exactly is stress?

The word stress is well integrated in our daily use, but what exactly happens in our bodies when we are stressed? While we often use the word stress when we have too much on our plate, stress is also an automatic response from our bodies. In the presence of danger, our bodies go into the so-called fight-or-flight response, which leads to an increased heart rate, increased breathing, muscle tension, reduced activation in the digestive system and sweating, just to name a few symptoms. Although we are not always faced with a real-life- threatening situation, perceived threats, such as not finding a car park, being late to a meeting, too many deadlines, increasing bills, and other daily stressors, may lead to the activation of the body’s stress response.

What is the impact of stress?

Overwhelm and exhaustion are common in our modern day lifestyle. We often can’t escape some stress. Short-term stress could be beneficial in getting many things organised in a short time. Have you ever had a visitor at short notice and were able to clean up your house in no time? Research shows that some people actually benefit from deadlines to work more efficiently.

Long-term or chronic stressors are more concerning as they can lead to physical and mental health problems. Ongoing release of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, can lead to mental health problems such as burnout, depression and anxiety, and also to physical problems, for example, a weakened immune system, reduced fertility, higher risks of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure and strokes.

What can we do to de-stress?

Although a holiday sounds like a perfect opportunity to relax and get away from the daily stressors, it is equally important to de-stress in our daily lives. There are many ways to manage stress and start a more balanced lifestyle. Physical exercises and yoga may be one way to start tackling daily stress. And remember, it doesn’t have to be the gym; it is important that you enjoy the physical exercise. Other fundamental needs for the body include enough sleep and a healthy, varied diet. And then there are the small pleasures of life that are equally important. Close your eyes for a moment (after you finish reading this sentence) and think about some small things that make your day. Is it the cup of tea you can have on your own, a chat with a friend, spending quality time with your kids (not driving them to an activity), or is it having a bath at night?

Need help to de-stress?

Sometimes it is much harder to relax and sleep when the mind is full of thoughts and endless worries. If you need help with managing your stress, we are here to help and provide you with techniques on how to manage your stress and worries.

Carolin Hayes

Registered Psychologist

B Psych Sci (Hons), M Prof Psych, MAPS

Carolin Hayes is a Registered Psychologist at Clinical Therapy. Carolin enjoys both clinical work and psychological assessment, with a particular fascination for the unique ways different brains function. She is especially inspired by advances in neuroplasticity, finding hope in the knowledge that our brains have the capacity to change and adapt. 

Content note: Unless otherwise labelled, all blog posts are intended as discussion pieces, and are not academic texts. Articles pertaining to research or making an academic argument will be labelled as such and include supporting evidence/references. All examples (including client names) are fictitious, to illustrate a point, and are not based on actual clients.