Now stress is a normal part of our life: endless traffic jams, problems at work, naughty children, unstable economic situation, etc. We notice that stress makes us irritable, nervous, forgetful, anxious, inattentive. But all this is only part of the problem.
Over time, elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, can affect our physical, mental and emotional health. For example, scientists have discovered and investigated the link between chronic stress and the potential for mental illness – post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Not to mention heart disease, cancer, diabetes …
But what changes – both short-term and long-term – occur in the brain when we experience stressful situations?
How stress makes us irritable
Irritability and grumpiness, inattention and forgetfulness can all be signs of the damaging effects of stress on the brain. But how does this impact take place?
French researchers found that stress activates an enzyme that targets a molecule in the hippocampus that regulates synapses. And when synapses change, fewer nerve connections are formed in that area.
“This leads to the fact that people lose communication skills, avoid interaction with peers and experience problems with impaired memory or perception,” the scientists explain.
Why stress negatively affects our cognitive abilities
Stressful situations can reduce the volume of gray matter in the brain, as well as interfere with communication between cells in those areas of the brain that are responsible for memory and learning.
In addition, chronic stress and / or depression can provoke a reduction in the volume of the cerebral cortex, which can affect the development of emotional and cognitive impairment.
As we learn new information, we continually generate new neurons in the areas of the brain associated with learning, memory, and emotion. But prolonged stress can stop the production of new neurons and also affect the speed of connection between its cells.
The stress hormone cortisol can inhibit our cognitive function in another way: it increases the size and activity of the amygdala, the brain center responsible for processing fear, perceiving threats, and responding. When we respond to a threat, our ability to absorb new information may be limited. Therefore, after a day spent in panic due to a serious exam, the student will remember the details of this panic much better than any material learned.
Obviously, chronic stress is not only the enemy of health, but also the effective and successful functioning of our brain.
It is impossible to avoid situations that form a stress reaction in the body, but learning how to properly manage these reactions is completely within the power of everyone.
Practice meditation, yoga, breathing exercises. Here you will find simple instructions for beginners to meditate, and here I am talking about the meditation that I practice myself.