Stress Can Kill
Word count: 857 Reading time: 4 minutes
Stress is normal, but not if it’s every day. We stress because life is simply changing. There are new situations, environments, and so on. Sometimes all the stress we may be experiencing carries itself in our bodies. It goes from being something mental to physical. Once stress becomes overwhelming and intense, it can put us in dangerous situations.
I want to share a story about my professor from my sophomore year of college. Her name is Lori Lovitt (such a beautiful name). She was my stress management professor. During the first week of classes, she told us about her life, and how she became a professor for that specific class. In the years prior, she said she was always stressed. It got to the point where it challenged her mental state. All the stress on her mental load was the most significant reason she got cancer. (She’s doing wonderfully now.)
I don’t remember the specifics but it was definitely something that shifted my perspective and relationship with stress. Let me tell you… when I heard her story, I told myself, “Nah, I’m never going to stress again.”
Did I mean it? Yes.
Did I actually follow through with it? No. Of course not because stress will always exist. If stress doesn’t find a way into our lives, we will find a way to place it there. It’s just part of our natural hardwiring to create problems and stress. It’s life. It’s like how bad and good need to coexist in order for us to understand how to create balance.
Back to Lori though- now you may be wondering, how exactly did she get cancer from stress? That sounds absurd.
Well, I’m not a doctor, so I can’t begin to explain the actual diagnosis. However, I do remember her saying that the stress hormones she was producing essentially were changing the behavior of her white cells, in which case, this process can cause cancer cells to form and or reawaken. I’m also not sure, but I think she was already at high risk of getting cancer because of her family genetics so that only increased her chances even more. Crazy, right?
Not only did she have to start chemo, but she had to make very serious life changes otherwise cancer would just come back.
So in short, yes, stress can weaken you especially if it’s not dealt with properly.
This is why paying attention to your stress occurrences and levels is key to living a healthy life.
The one thing that totally transformed Lovi’s life was mindfulness. It had been the best transition for her. Mindfulness was the main aspect of what we went over in class. Watching her teach and engage with students was one of the absolute best things to see. She’s such a vibrant soul and I’m so grateful to have come across her path.
So Why Do We Stress?
We stress because we become overwhelmed. We stress because we feel we don’t have control over certain situations that challenge or put us under pressure. Or we stress because something threatens our sense of self. Everyone has different reasons for their stress.
However, it’s important to know the difference between good and bad stress.
Understanding Stress
Good stress gets us out of our comfort zone and gives us a spike of energy and motivation. Some examples are going on a first date or hiking up an intense mountain to see a beautiful view.
Bad stress creates frustration and anxiousness that can negatively affect how we perform. Bad stress is typically known as distress. Bad stressors maybe work issues/ relationships or getting an injury.
What you can do
To be plainly honest, there is not one anecdote that will meet everyone’s needs and fix their stress. You have to try and adjust the options to your liking and figure out what works best for you.
But do try these out:
Try relaxation (going for a walk, light exercise/ yoga, meditation, a massage)
Get into your favorite hobbies, give yourself a task you know you’ll finish and will feel accomplished for doing
Find something nostalgic to eat (comfort food) or watch
Journal your thoughts/ reactions- how the situation went down and when, and why it stressed you out.
Talking to someone about your stress is a good release. Letting your body physically release the weight you hold in drops your tension.
These are only a few ideas but you can definitely play around with what you like. And if your stress is still beating you then it’s time to really dive deep into what’s going on. It may take more than a few techniques to change your life around, but it’s doable. You just need to be willing to give it a chance.
Whatever you do, don’t buy a stress ball. I mean go ahead if it helps just know one hand will be more jacked than the other and then you’ll be stressed again.
Dig Deeper
If you want to go beyond the ideas I gave you then I suggest you try practicing mindfulness. Here’s a short clip to get you started.
