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Emotional Wellness and Stress Resilience
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Elizabeth R. Click, Alyssa Vela
One factor that has the most impact on well-being and wellness is stress. Stress is defined as a response to internal and/or external stimuli that results in a physiological and/or psychological response. The physiological stress response impacts most organ systems and often shows up with physical symptoms such as sweating, heart palpitations, dry mouth, shortness of breath, and fidgeting. Those symptoms are often accompanied by a negative emotional and/or affective response (Cohen et al., 2007; Selye, 1993). Severe stress can result in especially profound physiological symptoms, which are understood as general adaptation syndrome (GAS). GAS occurs in stages: 1) alarm, which is characterized by shock and associated with a decrease in muscle tone, temperature, and blood pressure, as well as countershock, during which the sympathetic nervous system is aroused; 2) resistance, also known as adaptation, during which stabilization occurs but at heightened physiological levels (i.e. high blood pressure which can result in hypertension); and 3) exhaustion, which is the breakdown of the coping and adaptation that occurs in response to the severe stressor. Exhaustion is often characterized by poor sleep, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, mood changes, and irritability (Selye, 1993).
Reducing Rumination: Getting Free from the Ghosts That Follow
Published in Brian C. Miller, Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress, 2021
Yoga, walking, running, cycling—any type of movement—will initiate a peak, followed by recovery. Remember that this activity can be brief and enjoyable. Ideally, you have some type of physical activity that you enjoy. Remember that relying on willpower to power you through an aversive activity isn’t likely to be effective when you are tired and stressed. Engaging in a physical activity that you enjoy, on the other hand, simultaneously focusing the mind away from the default mode ruminations facilitates resolution of the physiological stress response.
Stress and Parenting
Published in Marc H. Bornstein, Psychological Insights for Understanding COVID-19 and Families, Parents, and Children, 2020
Keith A. Crnic, Shayna S. Coburn
Physiological stress can be understood as allostatic load, which refers to the physical wear and tear that results from continued attempts to adapt to challenges of chronic stressful circumstances. For our purposes, the notion of stressed parenting in combination with parenting stress can create problematic allostatic load. The attendant compromise in physiological regulation is likely to diminish parents’ ability to engage effective parenting behaviors and strategies (Sturge-Apple et al., 2011).
A clinical study of musculoskeletal dysfunction in targets of workplace bullying
Published in European Journal of Physiotherapy, 2022
Kristin Buhaug, Nils Magerøy, Ståle Valvatne Einarsen, Jörg Assmus, Alice Kvåle
The results of the physiotherapy examination imply that bullied patients have a bodily function characterised by restrained breathing, reduced flexibility and ability to relax, and a painful muscular system. These are unequivocal findings that confirm previous results in several surveys where bullied workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms [34–36]. The findings could very well be the result when the individual has been in a state of physiological stress for a long time. A model of the interplay between psychological defences and bodily conditions, describes how repression and denial of emotional experiences manifest in patterns of less flexibility/mobility and a restrained respiration as well as increased muscle tension [37,38]. This relationship has not, according to the authors’ knowledge of the literature, been systematically investigated in victims of bullying before.
DHEA-S production capacity in relation to perceived prolonged stress
Published in Stress, 2022
Anna-Karin Lennartsson, Elin Arvidson, Mats Börjesson, Ingibjörg H. Jonsdottir
To enable assessment of individual reactions to psychosocial stress, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used (Kirschbaum et al., 1993). It has previously been shown to elicit significant physiological stress responses in both women and men (Allen et al., 2014). The tests were performed between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. To avoid any effects of food intake on the day of testing, all participants were served a standardized meal (around 500 kcal) containing controlled amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates (20, 15 and 65 g, respectively) at least 2 h before the stress test. Participants entered the laboratory 10 minutes before the first sample (baseline) was drawn. The participant was introduced to a task in front of a committee consisting of three members. After a preparation period of 5 min in another room, the participant reentered the test room. In the first part of the test, a fictitious job interview, the participant presented him- or herself for 5 min. The second part of the test was an arithmetic task, not described beforehand. After the TSST the participant rested for 60 min.
Life Events, Emotions, and Immune Function: Evidence from Whitehall II Cohort Study
Published in Behavioral Medicine, 2020
Nadya Dich, Maarten Pieter Rozing, Mika Kivimäki, Stacey N. Doan
Psychological stress causes a physiological stress response, which activates the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activated sympathetic nervous system can directly affect immune function by activating adrenoreceptors present on immune cells, or indirectly by modulating the distribution and production of lymphocytes, and the release of proinflammatory substances.6 The activation of the HPA axis under acute stress can have a protective function against overactivity of the immune system, as it results in increased secretion of cortisol, which has anti-inflammatory properties. However, chronic or repeated activation of the HPA-axis may lead to exhaustion of the stress response, which in turn might result in a failure to down-regulate inflammatory processes and contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation and antigen-specific immunosuppression.7,8 These biological processes are, however, highly complex and are far from being fully elucidated.9