We hear a lot about stress in the modern world, and it can seem somewhat abstract. I mean, you can certainly feel stressed out at times, but you can also be under stress and not feel all that stressed out. So it is a bit abstract and as a result, a lot of people ignore stress until they reach a tipping point. 

 

What is stress?

 

Stress is actually just the bodily response to a stimulus or stressor. It is a completely normal process, and it is meant to allow you to actually interact with the world and stay alive. Stress can be both a positive and a negative response, however, what we are often talking about when we discuss stress is the negative response. It is negative in the modern world, but that response is what got us to survive for all these years, and it also what allows you to actually do things in the real world.

 

You see, the nervous system is responsible for the stress response. When confronted with a stressor, the body will activate the sympathetic nervous system and initiate a “fight or flight” response. This is where the heart rate elevates and you feel that sudden feeling of stress. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for bringing you back to baseline and also for bringing you into that relaxed state. It is often called the “rest and digest” system, and I always associate it with that feeling after a big meal where you just want to have a nap. You are relaxed and content, and stress is low.

 

Well, in the modern world, we activate the sympathetic system far too much. Think of how much stressors you subject yourself to each day, from the alarm clock blaring, to the 5 cups of coffee you have per day, to the stressful commute, to the constantly on your phone mentality, to checking emails every few minutes etc. etc. You are under a lot of background stress. 

 

Now, as long as you actually do some activities that activate that parasympathetic system, you can come back to baseline and you can balance out that stress. However, in the modern world, people don’t really do a lot of restful and rejuvenating activities. Seriously, right now, list off the 5 things you do each day/week to reduce stress. Now, actually remove all the ones that are actually stressors themselves (because I know half the items on your list are stressors in and of themselves, such as going to the gym and crushing yourself under heavy weights for 60-90 minutes). You will quickly realise that you don’t do a whole lot of stuff that actually activates your parasympathetic system. You likely also cut out on some sleep too, further reducing your ability to deal with stress.

 

This can all compound over time, and it can be hard to see it creep up.

A tool we often use is heart rate variability (HRV) to help people get control over their stress levels. HRV measures the variability between the beats of your heart, and this gives us a window into your nervous system activity. If you have a higher HRV, you are generally balancing your stress levels better. If you have chronically low HRV, you are likely experiencing higher levels of stress.