Understanding Stress: How Body and Mind React to Modern Pressures
Stanford expert Dr. David Spiegel explains the physiological roots of stress, detailing how physical techniques and social support can help manage mental and physical well-being.
Clenched teeth, a racing heart, a churning stomach. When asked, many of us might describe stress as merely a psychological state, but scientific facts suggest otherwise.
"Stress is indeed a matter of both body and mind," says Dr. David Spiegel, professor of medicine and director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford University. "We tend to respond to stressors as if they were physical threats, even though most of them are not. The reason for this is that humans are relatively fragile physical creatures; had we not been highly sensitive to danger, we would not have succeeded in populating the planet."
This extraordinary sensitivity to danger may have enabled the survival of the human species. However, when stress shifts from an acute response to a chronic condition, it can cause severe damage to both mental and physical health. Stress triggers the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, and prolonged high levels of these hormones can lead to headaches and an increased risk of heart disease. According to Spiegel, stress also impairs sleep quality, and a lack of sufficient sleep elevates the risk for numerous other chronic conditions.
Recognizing the Signals of Stress
Spiegel notes that even though it is an unpleasant experience, the stress response is a crucial signal. Everyone is tempted to try and suppress problems, but denial and avoidance are not effective stress-relief strategies. Do you feel stressed at work or in your family life? There may be concrete issues you need to address to improve the situation—a step that will also reduce your stress levels.
"Sometimes, stress drives you to identify the problem and deal with it. It is important to recognize that something is bothering you, and then use that awareness to formulate courses of action and response," Spiegel said. "Stress is not necessarily a bad thing; it can serve as a way to draw your attention to things that require you to take action."
This advice applies to problems both small and large. Is your boss angry with you because you were late for a meeting? Formulate a plan to help you arrive on time in the future. Do you feel stressed and worried about the state of your community or the entire world? Choose a cause that matters to you and donate your time or money to effect small changes.
Calming the Body, Calming the Mind
Spiegel pointed out that the stress response is closely tied to the body, and therefore it can be managed through those very same physical reactions. Calming the body can also lead to calming the mind. Research conducted by investigators at the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford University has proven that certain techniques assist in reducing the stress response: focused breathing, meditation, and hypnosis.
"Most of the stressors we deal with do not involve immediate threats to health or life, yet we tend to respond to them both physiologically and psychologically," Spiegel said. "Finding ways to manage the effects of stress on the body and mind can be an effective way to cope with it."
In his research, Spiegel found that hypnosis can be effective for patients undergoing complex medical procedures. In one study, children undergoing a painful yet common radiological procedure who learned and used self-hypnosis techniques experienced shorter procedures. Furthermore, their parents and medical staff reported that the children appeared less distressed compared to a control group that did not use hypnosis.
The Crucial Importance of Social Support
Social support can serve as a protective factor against the negative effects of stress. A long-term study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston showed that the condition of married cancer patients—and particularly married men—is better than that of single patients.
One of Spiegel's foundational studies on support groups for cancer patients, which began in the 1970s, found that women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who participated in regular groups with women in a similar situation reported lower levels of anxiety and pain, and a better quality of life compared to women who did not join these groups. In fact, the women randomly assigned to group therapy lived, on average, 18 months longer than participants in the control group. Spiegel recounted that when he began this research, he met with skepticism from many in the professional community.
"We were warned that we would damage the patients' morale by allowing them to watch each other pass away—as if death were a new concept for a cancer patient," he said. "The women did mourn the deaths of their group members, but they also encouraged one another and saw that there are better and worse ways to cope with death."
Taking Control of Sensations
Spiegel noted that stress provokes fear, partly because it induces a feeling of helplessness. Physical techniques for stress reduction are effective precisely because they reverse the physiological effects of stress, and also because they show us that we have the power to control how we feel. Gaining control over the body's responses signals to the brain that we have the ability to act and influence the situation.
Spiegel stated that physical activity can be highly beneficial, as it engages the body in constructive action that balances the destructive physical effects of stress. The more involved you are in what is happening—whether by addressing the problem at its root or through physical relaxation techniques—the better you will feel.
"The question is: Are you dealing with the situation or running away from it?" Spiegel said. "If you choose to deal with it, the chances that you will manage to handle it better increase significantly."
