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5 Ways Stress Affects Your Brain

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5 Ways Stress Affects Your Brain

 

Your heart is beating, your palms are sweating and your mind has drawn a blank. You can’t think, move a muscle or say anything intelligent at the moment. In fact, you can’t recall what you were just about to do, and you feel simply miserable.

This scenario might be all too familiar to some of you. This is what happens when stress hits your brain. Sound a little scary? Well, it is and it’s real. See five ways stress affects your brain, so you can take the proper action to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

 

  1. Changes In Brain Structure And Function

 

Stress is so powerful that it can actually kill brain cells and stop production of new cells. If this fact isn’t enough to get your attention, then I want to let you know that the brain can also shrink when under a lot of stress! We’re all smart enough to know that these are things you don’t want to have happen to you.

How are you supposed to take care of your family, yourself and your obligations when your brain is slowly deteriorating? Stress is so powerful that it can actually alter the most complex object in the (known) universe, your brain. Think about this concept for a moment. Chronic stress and cortisol are so powerful that they can literally damage the brain all on their own. This makes it all the more important that you try and find a way of overcoming this. You might find using cannabis to be useful. There are many dispensary supplies available since legalization, meaning they cater to many peoples preferences.

 

  1. Disrupt Memory

 

Have you ever noticed that when you’re rushing around, feeling overwhelmed or under a lot of pressure, you can’t think straight or remember what it is you were doing? Often times this happens to you because of stress. Sure, we joke about forgetting or “losing our memory,” but it’s a serious matter.

Stress triggers the brain’s threat response which causes memory disruption. The culprit here is cortisol, which hampers the activity of the hippocampus and increases the size and activity of the amygdala (Huffington Post). As you might already know, the amygdala is an almond-shape set of neurons responsible for fear processing, threat perception and the fight-or-flight response. Reacting to perceived threat can restrict your ability to take in new information, and therefore, interrupt your memory.

 

  1. Suppresses Logical Thinking

 

When incoming perceptions bypass the rational part of the brain, a person may act without the regulating effect of wisdom, memory or judgment (LoveToKnow). This explains why some people act irrationally when under a lot of pressure and stress.

Information can enter your brain with such force and urgency when you’re under stress, that it bypasses critical and logical brain centers. If not properly regulated and slowed down, thoughts will end up going directly into the part of the brain responsible for emotion and reaction. This is proof of how important stress management is in keeping your actions and reactions in check.

 

  1. Develops A Tolerance For Stress Overtime

 

Believe it or not, you can develop a tolerance to stress overtime so much so that it turns into a dependence. Yes, you can have a neurochemical dependence and addiction to stress. This is not something you want your brain to become accustomed to on a day-to-day basis. It’s better to get in the daily habit of using tools, exercise and mindfulness skills to beat stress, than it is to have the toxins build up over time.

Multiple demands at home, work and the speed at which we live, have become burdensome realities on all of us. Humans weren’t designed to stare at a screen for hours on end, work as fast as possible and ignore their physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Since society isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, you have to be the one who makes a change in your own life. You’re in control of your thoughts, actions and behaviors. You have the ability and decision-making power to commit to living a healthier lifestyle.

 

  1. Destroys Happiness & Piece Of Mind

 

After reading some serious health risks that stress causes in your brain, I’m sure you can guess what happens next. Too much stress will destroy your happiness and peace of mind. It damages your physical body, your thoughts and your feelings.

If you’re constantly feeling mentally and physically drained than you’re bound to end up feeling helpless and defeated. Your joy will be pulled right out from under you and your health will suffer. So do the right thing, decide that you’re ready to make a change and don’t wait, start today, start now.

 

Conclusion

 

I don’t want to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth after reading this article, so I do want to remind you that this can all be prevented by proactively managing stress. I want to encourage and empower you to make positive changes in your own life. Because no one wants to experience any of these unpleasant side effects. Take care of yourself and battle the obstacles if you have to, because they will try to get in your way. But, your health and well-being is worth the fight. Give your brain, your thoughts and your to-do list a break.

I’ll leave you with some tips that will help get you started on the right path, see 7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change The Brain. I’m not a doctor, but I am human, I do have stress and I know that it’s smart to keep it in check. Mindfulness has helped me manage stress. Find something that works for you, and stick to it, because you now know just how important doing so is to your health.

 

 

 


Katie Carlson, She is Fierce! Contributor

Katie Carlson is a seasoned professional with skills and experience in education, training, event planning, social media, blogging, technology, marketing and customer service.

In her free time she loves playing soccer, golfing, running, cooking, volunteering, reading, traveling, having dinner with friends, being creative, writing, engaging in stimulating conversation, going to the beach, sunshine and of course, blogging. She resides in Chicago with her loving husband, James.

Katie created The Social Being721 in order to make sure she practices what she preaches and takes time each day to reflect and give thanks and gratitude for the very special moments in life. She thought she’d have some fun doing it and share content her readers can connect with and embrace. It doesn’t have to be complicated or a place to make judgments, it just IS. Inspiration, laughter and human connections keep Katie grounded and motivated. She’s always hungry to learn and grow!

Connect with Katie… www.thesocialbeing721.com,www.thesocialbeing721lifestyle.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest,Google+

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