Stress is an inexorable part of life. However, too much chronic stress can seriously impair both your mental health and memory.
Hormones like adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol have the ability to alter how your brain works. They may impact memory formation as well as learning. Furthermore, these hormones could even slow or prevent new brain cell formation in some individuals.
1. Change Your Environment
The human and other mammal stress response evolved as an adaptive strategy that helps humans quickly react to potentially life-threatening situations by activating a carefully orchestrated sequence of physiological changes – including adrenaline for quick energy boosts and stronger, longer-acting hormones known as glucocorticoids that provide a stable source of long-term support.
Acute stress usually passes quickly once its source is addressed; but chronic stress, which lasts longer and may develop into mental illness issues, is more dangerous.
Stressors encompass a range of issues, from traffic jams and financial strains to family conflicts. But many can be managed with lifestyle adjustments; Snow suggests beginning by making small changes such as organizing your environment or purchasing a sound machine to muffle street noise.
2. Exercise
Exercise regularly can help improve blood flow to your brain, providing more oxygen to combat stressors more effectively. Exercise also releases chemicals which make us feel good, helping reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Stress is a natural response and has evolved as a survival mechanism, allowing humans and other mammals to quickly react when faced with life-threatening situations. Unfortunately, however, chronic stress can put undue strain on your body and mind.
Chronic stress can lead to both psychological and physical ailments, including memory decline. One explanation for memory losses among stressed individuals may lie within a three-component stress model that includes an arousal factor, affective (perceived aversiveness) factor, and cognitive (lack of controllability) factor.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential to our wellbeing, yet many aren’t getting enough restful slumber. Adequate rest allows the brain to rejuvenate itself and boost both mental and emotional wellness.
Stressful situations cause our brains to send signals that instruct the body to produce adrenaline and cortisol, raising our blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels and prepare us for either fight or flight response. While this natural defense mechanism helped our ancestors avoid dangerous predators such as saber-toothed tigers, traffic jams or work pressure also trigger this response.
Sleep is essential in clearing away waste products from your brain, but if you don’t get enough restful slumber it may disrupt this process. Try setting an early bedtime and avoid screen time before bed.
4. Change Your Diet
At times of sudden stress, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol into your system to provide quick bursts of energy and activate your fight or flight response. Our ancient ancestors needed this response in order to survive; but when left in your bloodstream for too long these hormones can create lasting health problems.
While you may not be able to change certain sources of stress, such as your demanding job or the illness of a loved one, you can change how you respond. By practicing deep breathing techniques, yoga, tai chi and meditation as coping skills you can find relief from them more quickly. Avoid unhealthy methods of relieving anxiety such as binging junk food or binging on TV shows on laptop or smartphone instead opt for eating balanced nutrition-rich diet with nutrients-rich foods to help the brain and body manage stress more easily.
5. Seek Help
Stress is an inevitable part of life and should serve as motivation to get things done, but if it becomes chronic or continual you must find ways to address it so as to preserve cognitive health.
People often equate stress with large, potentially life-altering issues like work deadlines or family problems; however, smaller daily stresses like traffic jams, noise pollution, poor sleeping habits or loneliness may also have an adverse impact. If this becomes unmanageable for you, professional advice should be sought in order to alleviate it.
Reach out to your physician for advice, and they may recommend a therapist or counselor who can help you develop healthy coping mechanisms. Most individuals who seek assistance experience significant improvement in both mental and emotional well-being.
