Life's Stress

In our fast-paced modern world, we tirelessly give our all in our work to earn more, achieve more, and gain societal recognition. But in the hustle, we often neglect the vital aspect that makes our dreams achievable—our health. Whether it's owning a new house, bike, car, or even pursuing a passion, these dreams materialize only when hard work and health go hand in hand. Without this balance, we risk developing lifestyle disorders. We can neither achieve through hard work with poor health nor with good health without hard work. When these two-health and hard work-meet imbalance ending in stress, then we develop “lifestyle disorder”. You might wonder, how can good health without hard work lead to lifestyle disorders? Well, without hard work, you might earn but won't truly achieve anything, slowly eroding your self-esteem and affecting your mental health.

Simply put, preventing lifestyle disorders can only be achieved through a balanced work-life cycle. This applies not just to the working class but also to school and college students. Nowadays, school homework, projects, and extracurricular activities are already overwhelming for a child, making it difficult to manage any illness. College students also face their own set of challenges with workloads, projects, assignments, exams, presentations, and skill development. During these times, every child or young adult is under constant stress. This continuous exposure to high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone can lead to central obesity, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid problems, heart diseases, stroke, etc., marking the onset of lifestyle disorders. Therefore, the issue begins even before we develop any signs or symptoms.

Cortisol: good or bad

Cortisol, the stress hormone, if it is harmful why it is secreted by our body? Well, actually this hormone is not harmful and originally secreted to regulate metabolism, controlling blood sugar levels, maintaining blood pressure, etc. Also, it is released during the time of perceived danger or threats along with another hormone adrenaline. These two will increase heart rate, and metabolism to act instantly in a stressful situation like fleeing from a lion. This is the normal functioning of our body. But during prolonged stress from workloads, working fast to complete tasks on schedule, toxic living or working environment, etc., there will be constant secretion of cortisol into our blood stream. This can result in increased appetite and fat storage as normal metabolism is altered; and disrupting our sleep that ultimately ends in chronic diseases. 

Recovering From Stress

Managing Stress

Now, you may ask, ‘how to avoid being in stress for a long time?’ Here are some of the ways, that one can follow to reduce cortisol levels.

  1. Prioritizing a balanced diet over a weight loss diet is beneficial. While a weight loss diet may help shed kilograms, often, people revert to their previous eating habits once they reach their goal. A balanced diet, on the other hand, encourages a sustainable habit of healthy eating, which can lead to gradual weight loss and the ability to maintain a healthy weight long-term.
  2. Choosing a physical activity that you can perform consistently, almost daily in a week, is the key. For example, a 45-minute walk each day can be highly beneficial.
  3. Practicing mindful eating. This is simple. You have to just note the color, texture, aroma, taste of the food while eating and ignoring any pop-ups in your phone and in your brain.
  4. Promising yourself to have a good night sleep.
  5. Other techniques like setting realistic goals, time management, etc., all these can help you avoid unwanted stressors.
  6. Have 'me-time' at least 15 minutes daily. Use this time to evaluate the factors causing you stress and engage yourself in any creative activity.
  7. Seeking professional help.

Disclaimer: This article is solely for informational purposes. One should seek professional help to get treatment for stress.