The last month has been stressful.
Now, I know that “stress” is a word that can be overused and misapplied. So, let me be clear.
According to the American Institute of stress, a basic definition of stress, originally coined by Hans Selye in 1936, is “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” Change, in and of itself, is not naturally or automatically good or bad.
An appropriate amount of stress can aid in human productivity, as the graph to the right illustrates. For example, training sessions are carefully calculated to introduce an appropriate amount of stress to the body in order to bring about positive adaptation which allows an athlete to perform at his/her best on race day.
However, too much stress can lead to overload and push us over “the hump” (see graph at right), which can then lead to wear and tear on the body and mind, such as might be the case in over-training syndrome. My increased stress over the past month is not a consequence of training. But, I’ve learned that stress is stress, and whether it comes from training or not, it will still have an impact on my body, mind and performance.
The series of stressful events began when my computer decided to self destruct. By itself, this is no big thing–an annoyance rather than a major cause of stress. Not having a computer complicates my professional life, but the problem was solved within a week. Disorienting, but not enough to push me over the hump.
Then, I found myself in the emergency room with stabbing abdominal pain. Okay, this was a bit more distressing. I’m rarely sick, so to find myself in the emergency room with unexplained abdominal pain was disconcerting to say the least. Coming out of this experience, I felt disoriented, I was having trouble collecting my thoughts, and in general I felt really disorganized–an odd sensation for a usual Type A personality. Turns out, these symptoms are signs that I might have been crossing over the hump into the land of distress. At that moment, however, I figured I was feeling that way because I had lost so much time in the hospital, and in following days as I rested until the pain subsided.
Time. Evil, evil time. It has been an increasingly fleeting commodity as of late. My work schedule is more hectic than usual this semester, which was further complicated by attending a USAT Level 1 Coaching Clinic two weeks ago, which left John and I holed up in a conference room for 3 full days. While the clinic was well worth my time and effort, it sucked up ever more of my time, and left me feeling…well…stressed out.
Enter new symptoms of distress: Fatigue and sleeplessness. 
To complicate matters, I caught a cold. I’ve been blowing my nose for two weeks. The fact that the mucus is really taking its sweet ol’ time to evacuate the building of my body is likely an outcome of stress. My body just isn’t working as efficiently as it should.
Even still, all of this is just part of life, right? I’ll get over it. Doctors refer to these types of events as acute stressors, given their short-term nature. (Click here for a description of the different kinds of stress.)
But, then, something happened that I’m not likely to get over quite as quickly. We found out this week that my mom, after several months of ill health, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It’s safe to say this news has pushed me over the hump.
This week, while teaching my classes, I found it challenging to think of basic words. I forgot what I wanted to say right in the middle of my sentences. I felt tired and unmotivated to train. I’ve had brain-crushing headaches. And, this morning, I woke up feeling like someone had beaten me in the middle of the night.
Individually, these symptoms don’t mean much. Taken together, they amount to the effects of the body’s response to excessive stress.
While my experiences over the past month may be specific to me, there are important lessons for all of us.
Change (good and bad) is inevitable, which means that stress is inevitable.
The effects that stress has on the body follow similar patterns – regardless of the causes. We must learn how to manage these stressors so as to avoid–as much as is possible–the negative effects that it can have on the body (see graphic above for various effects).
We also need to balance just the right amount of stress to improve performance, while avoiding (or managing) excessive stress to prevent some of the ill effects that come with the body’s adaptations to stressful situations and conditions.
Exercise is one of the top strategies for managing stress.
This makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. Our bodies evolved to respond to perceived threats in the environment by triggering the fight or flight response, supplying us with the adrenaline we need to protect ourselves. And, since most of us typically are not running (or fighting) for our lives, that adrenaline has to be used up somehow – why not exercise?
But, we need to be careful. If we are already stressed from other life events, our bodies may already be in a fragile state. Too much training can continue to push the body into a depleted state, affecting performance and motivation even more. It’s important to keep a training log that not only includes what you did, but how you feel. If you notice several days in a row with depleted motivation, reduced performance, fatigue and the like, it may be time for a rest day, or to do something easy and fun.
Seek positivity
Ongoing issues can lead to episodic acute stress or even chronic stress. Regardless of the type of stress, we need to manage these feelings lest we further harm our health. When faced with something that causes ongoing or chronic stress–such as the treatment and recovery from cancer–it is important to find consistent and regular positive outlets for the distressing feelings.
In addition to exercise, these outlets may include:
- meditating and positive visualization
- spending time with family and friends and other who will offer positive social support
- replacing negative talk with positive mantras
- focusing on the present and things in our control instead of an uncertain future and things that are out of our control.
Much of this isn’t easy, and requires daily discipline and commitment, particularly if negative thought patterns pervade our daily thinking. During the USAT Level 1 clinic that John and I went to, we listened to an excellent presentation from Bobby McGee, who spoke about sport psychology. He discussed that mental training requires the same level of commitment and discipline as does physical training, and without a positive mental outlook, even the best athletes will find themselves defeated.
I believe the same advice can be applied to managing any type or cause of stress. When faced with what seem like overwhelming conditions, it can be very easy to fall into negative thought patterns, which in turn will affect our behaviors and can increase the negative effects of stress on the body.
Can we cure my mother’s cancer with our minds? Not necessarily. But, a positive outlook and a focus on the present can allow us to improve our quality of life, and the quality of the time we have together. If we succumb to negative thinking, and the stress that inevitably builds with such thoughts, we will only inhibit our ability to find the joy that lies in the present moment.
Life is not simple. Life is not easy. Yet, we can make choices to find spaces of contentment even at moments when that contentment seems most elusive.
How do you manage stress? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
