Understanding stress and ways to combat it

Stress causes the “flight-or-fight” response. This evolved over time as a survival instinct, leading to the rapid-fire hormonal changes and physiological responses to help an animal react to danger. In moments of danger, the amygdala transmits a signal to the hypothalamus, which then prompts the adrenal glands to start producing adrenaline. This causes more rapid heart rate and faster breathing, all to maximize oxygen flow. The result of this is that senses sharpen and a person becomes more alert. Simultaneously, glucose in the blood is broken down for more energy.

However, in the many safe environments in our everyday world, too much stress isn’t as helpful as it was in the past. Chronic stress can result in the blockages of arteries, high blood pressure, and brain changes which may lead to addiction, depression, and anxiety. Other consequences of chronic stress include obesity through declining exercise and sleep or stress eating.

Continue reading for some tips on how to manage your stress. But remember that these are just tips — refer to your doctor if stress is severely impacting your life.

Tips for managing stress

1. Take a walk! Enjoy a change of scenery in a more relaxed state. The exercise from walking also can lead to increased production of endorphins, which increase feelings of happiness. Exercise also reduces some of the negative effects of stress, including the fight-or-flight response.

2. Enjoy a leisure activity! Slow down your life with some games or hobbies, anything that you can take your time on. It may seem obvious, but in today’s society, it can be hard to rationalize setting aside time for relaxation when many other priorities need to be done. Building scheduled leisure time can help prevent this, and as a bonus, you’ll get work done more efficiently when you feel more relaxed.

3. Exercise! Exercise has been found to reduce stress and improve mental health. Even light workouts are effective in managing stress.

4. Yoga! Receive the benefits of exercise, medication, and controlled breathing, all in one. In addition to physical benefits, yoga improves well-being and reduces cortisol levels. Repeated yoga sessions give long-term benefits as compared to a single session.

5. Try a breathing exercise! They are quick, but can still be very impactful. Try techniques like karate breathing and box breathing.

6. Eat a balanced diet, such as with foods like walnuts, avocado, and eggs! Unhealthy diets, like those high in sugar and fat, contribute towards long-term stress. Foods high in carbs result in quickly rising blood sugar, but when the temporary boost is over, more stress may result.

7. Eliminate contributors to your stress! Figure out what exactly is causing you stress (for example, your job, social problems, etc.) and figure out if you can eliminate them, or at least reduce their effect on your life.

References

Scott, Elizabeth. "18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies." Verywell Mind, People, www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195.

"10 Tips to Manage Stress." WebMD, 23 Apr. 2025, www.webmd.com/balance/tips-to-control-stress.

"Understanding the stress response." Harvard Health Publishing, 3 Apr. 2024, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board