How a TV Series Showed What Happens to Your Body When You’re Stressed

Your heart starts racing, your mouth goes dry, and sweat beads on your forehead. We’ve all been there, caught in a stressful moment. When you encounter a situation that threatens your safety, your brain has to make a crucial decision: how to respond to the danger at hand.

This is a phenomenon that my colleagues and I are investigating in the program Michael Mosley: Wonders of the Human Body on channel 5, the deceased doctor and presenter last TV series. He died in June this year.

A team of us from Bangor University took Michael out of his normal comfort zone to complete an activity with a very high potential risk. We then monitored his body to measure his stress response. He was no stranger to testing his body to help viewers at home understand their own bodies.

The stress response begins in the hypothalamus, the brain’s command center. Once the hypothalamus has a plan of action, it activates the sympathetic nervous system. It’s like the body’s accelerator pedal, revving up your internal engines to prepare for action.

The signal from your brain travels to the adrenal glands, which are located just above your kidneys. These glands release adrenaline, a hormone that many of us are familiar with. Adrenaline is responsible for many of the physical changes you experience during stress, such as increased heart rate and rapid breathing.

As adrenaline flows through your body, your body prepares itself for fight or flight. Blood flow increases, bringing more oxygen and energy to your muscles and brain. This prepares you to face the threat or escape quickly.

Once the threat has passed and the situation changes, your body needs to slow down and return to a state of calm. This is where the parasympathetic nervous system comes into play. It acts like a brake pedal, slowing down your breathing, heart rate, sweating, metabolism, and blood flow, allowing us to relax and recover.

The fight-or-flight response happens within milliseconds. But when you’re on edge for longer periods of time, your body relies on another system to keep us in overdrive. This system is known as the HPA axis, which includes the hypothalamus (H) and pituitary (P) glands in the brain, along with the adrenal (A) glands above the kidneys. Together, the HPA axis ultimately produces cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone.

To help viewers visualize what was happening inside his body, we measured Michael’s heart rate using a chest strap and a smartwatch. This is a reliable indicator of the immediate fight-or-flight response, driven by the sympathetic nervous system and the release of adrenaline.

We also have his cortisol levelsa marker of the body’s long-term stress response, via saliva samples, which reflect HPA axis activity. And to gain deeper insight into Michael’s experience, a sports psychologist from our team interviewed and supported him before, during and after the stressful situation.

But knowing what we know about the body’s response, how can we use that to help us manage stressful situations? This is the advice we gave Michael.

1. Know your body

When your heart starts beating faster, your breathing quickens, and you start to sweat, it’s all part of your body’s fight-or-flight response. While these sensations may feel unsettling, they’re actually your body’s natural way of preparing you for action.

These responses are crucial. They prepare your muscles for physical activity and sharpen your brain for optimal performance. Recognizing these changes as normal and beneficial can help reduce the anxiety that often accompanies them.

A useful strategy is to write down the physical responses you experience during stress. Review this list before you encounter a potentially stressful situation. Remind yourself that these responses are your body’s way of helping you perform at your best.

2. Practice makes perfect

The fight-or-flight response varies from person to person and also depends on the circumstances. While one person may experience intense stress in a given situation, another may barely react to it.

This difference often comes down to experience, confidence, and the coping mechanisms we use. The good news is that you can train your body and mind to deal with stress more effectively through practice.

For example, if you are preparing for an exam, try to do a mock test in a similar environment beforehand. If you have a presentation at work, practice it in front of friends or family first.

You can also benefit from psychological skills trainingsuch as visualizing success or using relaxation techniques before stressful events.

3. Be kind to yourself

Although the fight or flight response is generally considered beneficial and healthy, it can be harmful if prolonged. Yet many of us will experience such prolonged periods of stress in our lives, whether at work, school, or in a personal situation. These can result in elevated cortisol levels. Over time, this can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and mental health issues such as anxiety.

To keep your stress response under control, it’s helpful to use strategies that help keep it from getting out of hand. These can include using attention techniques, participate in physical activities and eating a healthy diet.

4. Seek support

Research shows that have support of peers, family, and mentors can reduce the body’s physiological responses to stress. Whether you’re seeking advice for a specific upcoming challenge or simply building a strong support network, the presence of others can help lower your adrenaline and cortisol levels during stressful situations. Surrounding yourself with supportive people is a powerful way to manage and reduce stress.

The potential of understanding and managing the fight or flight response is enormous. As we show in the program, it can enable athletes to perform under pressure, students to prepare better for exams, and employees to deal more effectively with workplace stress.

This article has been republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.