Lifehack: How not to get stress

This is part of an article in 5 parts, taking you through the physics of stress, and how to prevent it. Start reading here – or go to one of the below sections to dig deeper into each element.

Seen from a physical point, stress is the sum of the effects of a prolonged exposure to cortisol. No more, no less.

It can damage your brain, your body and in worst case it is deadly. Yes it is. And not only in Japan.

Cortisol is as such a natural and necessary element of our metabolism, but its just not meant to be in our blood all the time. It is released into the blood when we face something that we perceive as danger. It makes you an instant superhero ready for either fight or flight, even if the danger is ‘only’ a deadline or a pile of tasks with no time or capacity to do them. When we discuss stress, the perceived danger is the stressor – what makes us stressed.

While adrenaline, the other powerful stress hormone, gets in and out quite fast, cortisol is released slower, and gets out of the system quite slowly:

Amount of cortisol in your blood over time, after impact of a stressor.

The scale on the figure is days. Perhaps even weeks. (mere…)

A bit of brain science to set the scene

This is a part of an article in 5 parts, taking you through the physics of stress, and how to prevent it. You can start reading here – or go to one of the below sections to dig deeper into each element.

Hippocampus and Amygdala are two (or actually four) smaller areas in your brain, with a great deal of influence onto who we are, and how we cope with pressure, fear, and stress.

They are located deep in the brain and with one of each, in each side of the brain.

Hippocampus plays a role in

Memory formation
Spatial navigation
Creative thinking

Amygdala plays a role in

Emotional reactions like fear, anxiety and anger
Memory/emotional learning

(mere…)

The stress hormones: Cortisol

This is part of an article in 5 parts, taking you through the physics of stress, and how to prevent it. You can start reading here – or go to one of the below sections to dig deeper into each element.

The most important hormones when it comes to stress are – as you perhaps already know – Adrenaline and Cortisol.

But what do they do to us and how do they actually work? Are they dangerous and why?

To put it short; while adrenaline is useful and mostly harmless, cortisol is not meant to play with. Under normal, healthy conditions, we have a daily rhythm of cortisol levels in our blood. Highest level in the morning and lowest around midnight. It starts to rise again at 3-4 am. This is why you wake up at the middle of the night if you are under pressure*.

Cortisol formation and release into the blood, is triggered by events that is perceived dangerous. It is the ultimate survival hormone, as it mobilizes everything the body has for the single purpose of surviving from an immediate threat. Cortisol makes us instant superheroes.

Cortisol makes us instant superheroes

But it also means that everything not critically needed for immediate survival is shut down.

Let’s look into what cortisol actually does to the body: (mere…)

The stress hormones: Adrenaline

This is a part of an article in 5 parts, taking you through the physics of stress, and how to prevent it. You can start reading here – or go to one of the below sections to dig deeper into each element.

The most important hormones when it comes to stress are – as you perhaps already know – Adrenaline and Cortisol.

But what do they do and how do they actually work? Are they dangerous and why?

Adrenaline is the major player in your body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response to dangerous situations. You know of an adrenaline kick, and you know how it feels: sweaty palms, fast heart beat, cold skin, blushing, a bit of shaking, but overall a sharp focus and heightened awareness.

The production and release of adrenaline is triggered by the sympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system as a response to dangerous situations. (mere…)

Bloch&Østergaard

Bloch&Østergaard

Lifehack: How not to get stress

A bit of brain science to set the scene

Hippocampus plays a role in

Amygdala plays a role in

The stress hormones: Cortisol

The stress hormones: Adrenaline

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