Societal norms nowadays set high expectations for everyone from an early age. School, jobs, relationships, and finances are some of the major components that shape who we become. But what does all this cause? How does it influence our personalities? And most importantly, what does it do to our health?
As individuals, we are all entitled to react to the high expectations and standards we must live up to, and this can happen from an early age. Whether it means following the rules of a strict parent as a five-year-old, attempting to overcome the pressure of winning a football game as an adolescent sports player, or passing a final exam as a college student, these circumstances all result in one thing – stress.
Stress, unfortunately, is something that consumes most of our population, and Diane A. Kelly, neuroscientist at UMass Amherst, provides meaningful information about the long-term health effects that can result from stress in her article titled How Stress Impacts the Mind and Body. First, she begins by providing meaningful information on what a stress response is. A stress response is the way in which the body responds to internal or external threats. When this happens, there is an increased blood supply running through our bodies, we start to breathe faster, our heart rate speeds up, and our muscles become tense. This is how our bodies prepare to either fight or flee. In addition, our body begins to redirect nutrients and oxygen and releases hormones like norepinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol, commonly referred to as the stress hormone. Our parasympathetic system restricts blood flow to other systems like the skin, digestive tract, and kidneys, and it suppresses activity of T and B cells, which reduces immune system function.
Dr. Kelly then explains how these reactions to stress are typically acceptable in situations where we are in immediate danger, like facing a dangerous animal. However, she mentions how our bodies cannot always tell the difference between facing a dangerous animal and simply being stuck in traffic. When we begin to face stressful situations more often, the long-term effects of stress on our bodies can become harmful.
She then transitions the conversation to chronic stress, which is prolonged stress. She explains how our bodies begin to have long-term effects due to this type of stress. Because our bodies react continuously to stress, our reaction to it begins to shift. We start to store energy as fat, which results in weight gain. Our blood sugar levels can increase, which may lead to diabetes. Our arteries can harden, increasing the chances of heart attacks, and we experience hypertension.
Additionally, she mentions how chronic stress can have long-term effects on our neural function and development. For example, the release of glucocorticoid hormones can inhibit neuron growth in the hippocampus, which can affect our memory formation and recall. It can also affect neural pathways in the brain that influence decision-making and judgment, as well as disrupt our sleep.
In her research, Dynamic Cognitive Inhibition in the Context of Frustration: Increasing Racial Representation of Adolescent Athletes Using Mobile Community-Engaged EEG Methods, Dr. Hudac studies the effects of frustration on cognitive inhibition in adolescents by focusing on the N2 component. In her study, she found evidence to support the idea that frustration induction is a successful marker of cognitive inhibition. Her results showed that the N2 amplitude becomes less negative, indicating a reduction in inhibition. She also found that the N2 latency, or processing speed, takes longer. These results suggest that frustration negatively impacts how we react to stressful situations.
It is important to consider the link between frustration and stress. Can stress result in emotional frustration, or does a frustrating moment lead to stress? According to Dr. Elizabeth Scott, it is both. This shows that even minimal frustration, if it happens consistently, can have harmful effects both neurologically and physiologically. In her article, Dr. Kelly mentions how some current animal studies suggest that chronic stress can change DNA markers in cells that develop into sperm or eggs, which can then be expressed in the animals’ offspring. This is another area that warrants further study. And, as Dr. Hudac emphasizes, it is crucial to urgently raise public awareness about the things we find. Meaningful communication about study results should always be a priority within our communities.
Elizabeth Scott, PhD. “7 Ways to Reduce Frustration and Stress.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 15 Nov. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/feel-less-frustrated-when-stressed-3145200#:~:text=Frustration%20is%20a%20type%20of,at%20work%2C%20and%20in%20relationships.
Kelly, Diane A. “How Stress Impacts the Brain and Body.” BrainFacts.Org, 28 Oct. 2022, www.brainfacts.org/brain-anatomy-and-function/body-systems/2022/stress-the-brain-and-body-102822.
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