How Stress Affects Us: A 2-Minute Explanation!

no one likes stress but it's actually a really important survival mechanism so how does it work hi there and welcome to Gim 2 my name is Mark and in this video we will discuss stress in Just 2 minutes as with my other videos if you want to go straight to the 2 minutes which talks about the physiology of stress and what precisely happens during our reaction to stressors that is timestamp in the description but if you stick around for a couple of minutes before that I talk about a couple of important aspects of stress and how it can affect our lives quick note this video will primarily discuss how stress works and will not delve deeply into any of the solutions to the chronic stress that so many people experience today Consulting health professionals and taking certain stress reducing actions have been shown to reduce chronic stress which as will be discussed is the bad con but what is stress so living things or organisms just want to survive to stay alive an organism's body or brain in more complex life forms monitors its functions ensuring that everything core temperature and hydration for example remains within an acceptable range this balanced state is called homeostasis if something threatens to disrupt this homeostasis the brain takes action to help the organism overcome this threat and return to homeostasis this process of recognition and reaction is called stress most situations cause no or low stress reactions but there are some events that can cause more intense reactions stress begins with the appraisal of a stimulus an organism first assesses whether that stimulus is irrelevant helpful or threatening if it's perceived as a threat called a stressor the organism performs another appraisal to determine the potential damage and the best course of action to overcome that threat while not a formal subdivision in the world of psychology stressors are often categorized into four groups major life changes like starting a new job losing a loved one getting married Etc the homes and raise stress inventory lists 43 examples of major life stressors the second is traumatic or catastrophic events these are unexpected events like hurricanes tornadoes or War zones or other things that most people would consider to be threatening the third category is hassles these are everyday frustrations that accumulate over time think of annoying co-workers traffic jams or ar arguments and finally the fourth is ambient stress this is low-level background stress like uncomfortable temperatures flickering lights or crowded environments which disrupt our natural relaxation when we experience stress our body is going to overdrive diverting resources to the systems that are critical for overcoming the perceived threat our body's short-term response called acute stress is helpful for dealing with or escaping from immediate challenges in the 1930s Dr Walter Cannon described a reactions to these threats as the fight ORF flight response as humans with Advanced Analytical abilities we don't just react to immediate stressors we also anticipate and therefore react to potential threats as a result these stress reactions can persist even when the threat isn't actually around staying in overdrive for too long can deplete our energy sources faster leaving us lethargic and can eventually become chronic stress which physically and emotionally takes a toll on our well-being managing chronic stress to the extent possible is crucial poor long-term Stress Management can lead to a variety of issues including anxiety depression poor sleep weight gain and the underperformance of neglect bodily functions activities like meditation yoga or cardio exercises have been shown to effectively lower our long-term stress levels and seeking guidance from mental health professionals can provide personalized strategies for chronic stress management so let's explore what exactly happens to us when we experience stress in the 2 minutes before we do however if you find this content helpful enjoyable or entertaining please consider consider smashing that thumbs up and subscribing to the channel this lets you stay up to-date on similarly styled content on a variety of topics it also really does help the channel grow and allows videos like these to reach broader audiences but for now let's get back to stress in the 2 minutes starting now a stress response is our body's reaction to stimuli that our brain perceives as threatening when our brain processes the stressor it activates our sympathetic nervous system responsible for our fight ORF flight response to immediately deal with this stressor our brain releases epinephrine and nor epinephrine from our adrenal glands and our sympathetic nervous system which provide fast acting responses these hormones or neurotransmitters increase our respiratory and heart rates delivering rapid nutrition to vital organs they also direct more blood flow to essential areas like the the brain for higher alertness and the muscles improving functionality in response to the threat as epinephrine is released our brains also signal the adrenal glands to release cortisol unlike epinephrine cortisol provides a more sustained response to stress it mobilizes stored energy reserves including sugar from non-carbohydrate sources and constricts blood vessels around non-critical organs redirecting blood flow to vital areas it also breaks down bone tissue utilize minerals like calcium or phosphate during the stress response stress reactions are intended to subside after overcoming the stressor but can become damaging if they linger and become chronic stress as noted cortisol increases blood pressure and sugar decreases bone density and it revs up our immune system if sustained this can lead to circulatory Metabolic Bone and Immunity issues and can harm peripheral systems as blood is directed away from those chronic stress also seems to damage the brain's prefrontal cortex associated with mood and decision-making which can lead to depression and addiction as we are consistently in fight or flight mode it also leads to heightened anger and fear which can increase anxiety and that is how stress affects us I hope you enjoyed that video I'm actually not sure if enjoy is the word I would use for this topic but I hope I hope you found it helpful I found learning what goes down with stress behind the scenes to be very enlightening and I hope I was able to deliver that information clearly to you stress is really important when it comes to managing our long-term health and many consider it to be one of the pillars of long-term Health alongside diet exercise and sleep and maybe a couple of other things remember to try managing your stress through activities like exercise or meditation or to speak to a mental health professional if that's something that would benefit you thanks so much for watching and I hope to see you in another video

Channel: Gimme 2

Views: 133

Keywords: how stress affects you, dealing with stress, stress management, stress response, acute stress, chronic stress, stress hormones, fight or flight, homeostasis, mental health, physical health, stress relief, stress explanation, survival mechanism, cortisol effects, adrenaline response, stress science, stress in 2 minutes, stress overview, psychology of stress, stress reduction, stress impact, stress physiology, stress reactions, stress and health, stress factors

Id: CEDAWTLWz8Y

Length: 8min 6sec (486 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 07 2024