Stress and the immune system have a complex relationship. Your immune system knows when you’re stressed about work, family, finances or current events. The body’s natural defender is sensitive to psychological stress, especially if it’s chronic.
Stress and Immune System Function
Stress can reduce the number of natural killer cells or lymphocytes in the body, which are needed to fight viruses, according to the American Psychological Association.
A review of studies in Current Opinion in Psychology found that stress can cause the immune system to produce an inflammatory response, which can be temporarily beneficial for fighting germs. However, if inflammation is persistent and widespread, it can contribute to chronic diseases, including the buildup of plaque on your arterial walls. This is just one of the many factors at play in the complex relationship between stress and your heart.
Chronic stress can produce higher-than-normal levels of the hormone
cortisol. This can hamper the body’s anti-inflammatory response and cause continual infections, according to recent immunology research studies.
If you’re dealing with stress you can’t seem to shake, take time to identify the sources and find ways to avoid or cope with them. You’ll be doing your immune system— and health—a favor.
Helpful Ways to Fight Stress
Here are four ways to battle stress for better mental well-being and a healthier body.
Make Time for Relationships
During stressful times, you may feel the urge to step back and avoid socializing. However, this is the time when reaching out to the people you love means the most. It is especially important to stay connected during the pandemic.
Your social support system can help you cope with life problems by improving your self-esteem. Take some time for a video-chat date with a friend, attend an online gathering or give a family member a call.
Silence Negative Self-Talk
Choose to look at stressful situations in a positive light. Replace negative thoughts, such as “Nothing is going how I planned,” with positive thoughts, such as “It’s fine that things went differently than planned. I can handle it.” Finding the right therapist can help you cope during difficult times and teach you helpful techniques for combatting negative thoughts.
Sing it Out
No matter if you can carry a tune or not, some studies have linked singing and listening to music to lower levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone,” and decreased feelings of stress.
Go for a Walk
Never underestimate the power of a stroll through nature. Research shows that a 90-minute walk outdoors can reduce activity in the brain linked to repetitive negative thoughts. It is also a great way to sneak some physical activity into your day!
Listen to a Podcast
Everyday Habits for Stress Reduction
Stress reduction can be a learned behavior—and an everyday habit that helps you lead a more joyful life. By practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction regularly, you can make time to live more freely in the moment, focus on the present and give yourself the “mind space”—or the breathing room—to positively affect your feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Join integrative health professional Ginny Jump, CRNP, for inspiration, advice and an uncommonly relaxing discussion about stress. Listen to the podcast here or below.
More to Read
- How to Reduce the Stress in Your Life
- Guided Meditation: A Daily Exercise to Reduce the Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Your Life
- Parenting and Mental Health: Building Your Toolkit
