{"id":22802,"date":"2021-01-19T19:44:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T19:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=22802"},"modified":"2021-01-19T19:44:35","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T19:44:35","slug":"stress-reduction-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/stress-reduction-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Science-Backed Stress Reduction Techniques"},"content":{"rendered":"

As much as we\u2019d probably like to live completely stress-free, the reality is that life is going to give you some lemons. But that doesn’t mean you have to feel hopeless about stress and its negative side effects. As a neuroscience researcher, here are the six science-backed stress reduction techniques that I recommend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Understanding Stress<\/h2>\r\n

First, it’s important to understand how stress works in the body. At a cellular level, the body can’t really distinguish between mental stress and physical danger. Situations, circumstances, or people that make you feel bad are interpreted the same<\/a> as physically dangerous situations.<\/p>\r\n

So what happens? The pituitary gland comes to the rescue and releases hormones that prepare you to deal with the threat. These hormones make us more active and alert<\/a> to help us deal with the perceived danger. However, the same hormones can also disrupt our mood, sleep, skin, and digestion<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Further, on a molecular level, every cell in the body starts to experience increased levels of inflammation<\/a>. The reason for the inflammation is the release of interleukins<\/a>, which attack the immune system<\/a>. This can make you more vulnerable<\/a> to illness.<\/p>\r\n

Similarly, the brain is also affected by these processes. Stress can prevent the formation of connections between neurons and contribute to neuronal aging<\/a>. In other words, your brain gets older, faster. Finally, as you’ve likely experienced, your ability to think, concentrate, or remember information is challenged under stress.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Causes of Stress<\/h2>\r\n

Psychologists refer to the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to describe the three principal things that humans need to live comfortable. They are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. somewhere to belong<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. something to do<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. someone to love<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Therefore, it makes sense that these areas of our lives may cause us the most stress. Common sources of stress include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n