Stress is often misunderstood. While it’s commonly seen as harmful, it’s actually a vital biological response that helps us adapt, survive, and grow. The key lies in how we manage it, and how well our body can return to balance after a challenge.
Understanding Stress: A Biological Response
Stress is the body’s reaction to any demand or change. It activates the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two branches:
- The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): This is your “fight or flight” mode. It prepares the body to respond to danger by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy availability.
- The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is your “rest and digest” mode. It calms the body down after the threat has passed, restoring balance and promoting recovery.
A healthy stress response involves a dynamic balance between these two systems. Problems arise when the SNS is chronically activated and the PNS doesn’t get a chance to do its job.
When Stress Is Helpful
Not all stress is bad. Short bursts of stress (called eustress) can improve focus, boost performance, and strengthen resilience. It’s the kind of stress you feel before a big event or when tackling a challenge. This type of stress helps the body adapt and grow stronger.
What Happens During Stress
When you encounter a stressful situation, your brain signals the adrenal glands to release cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones mobilize energy, sharpen attention, and prepare the body for action.
However, if stress becomes chronic, cortisol levels remain elevated. This can disrupt sleep, digestion, immunity, and even hormone production. Over time, it contributes to fatigue, anxiety, and inflammation.
Oxidative Stress, Calcium, and Magnesium
Stress also affects your cells at a deeper level. Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. This damages cells and accelerates aging.
Two minerals play a key role here:
- Magnesium: Helps regulate the nervous system, supports mitochondrial function, and protects against oxidative damage.
- Calcium: Essential for muscle contraction and nerve signaling, but too much calcium in cells can be harmful if not balanced by magnesium.
When magnesium is low, calcium floods the cells, leading to overstimulation and inflammation. This imbalance is linked to anxiety, poor sleep, and chronic fatigue.
Emotions, Inflammation, and the Stress Connection
Emotional stress is a major driver of inflammation, which underlies many chronic diseases. When stress is persistent, the body releases pro-inflammatory cytokines, the chemical messengers that promote inflammation.
This affects not only physical health but also mental well-being. Inflammation in the brain is associated with depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. It also impairs digestion, immunity, and cardiovascular function.
Learning to regulate emotional stress is essential. Practices like mindfulness, journaling, and breathwork can reduce inflammation and restore balance.
Why We Struggle to Let Go
Many people live in a constant state of stress because they don’t know how to “switch off” the sympathetic nervous system. They stay in fight-or-flight mode even when the threat is gone.
Letting go, whether of control, expectations, or unresolved emotions, is a powerful way to activate the parasympathetic system. This allows the body to heal, digest, and regenerate.
What You Can Change
You can’t eliminate stress entirely, but you can change how you respond to it. Here are some practical steps:
- Shift your mindset: View stress as a signal, not a threat.
- Support your body: Eat nutrient-rich foods, especially those high in magnesium (like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds).
- Create space for recovery: Prioritize sleep, rest, and relaxation.
- Practice emotional hygiene: Use tools like meditation, movement, and therapy to process emotions.
- Set boundaries: Protect your energy by saying no to what drains you.
To conclude, stress is not the enemy, it’s a messenger. It tells you when something needs attention, change, or healing. By understanding how stress works and learning to manage it, you can transform it from a source of harm into a catalyst for growth.
What are your strategies to fight stress? Share them in the comments!
Thank you for reading! You can read more from me on my blog crisbiecoach and, please, subscribe!
References and Further Reading
- Verywell Mind – What Kind of Stress Is Good for You
- Healthline – Stress and Your Thyroid
- Oxford Longevity Project – Calcium and Magnesium
- Everyday Health – Stress and Inflammation
- Simply Psychology – Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic Nervous System
Crisbie Coach 