The stress hormone cortisol is one of the most well-known hormones of our body. Cortisol makes it so that we will physically respond to stress and that we are ready to react to danger. Have you also noticed that you can handle a lot more, when something dangerous is likely to happen? You experience less pain and can run more quickly. This is the way the stress hormone cortisol works. In this article, we will explain more about stress and to what extent the stress hormone influences us. We will also describe what possible treatment methods could help and how you can deal with stress.
Stress hormone: symptoms of stress
First off, we describe the physical response to stress, led by the stress hormone cortisol. When we experience stress, the stress hormone cortisol is released to make it so that we can adequately respond to danger. The stress hormone is sent to our brain and this in turn signals to our entire body what it is that has to happen. Your heart will start beating more quickly, your will breathe in a more shallow way, our pupils dilate, and you have the feeling that you can take on more. If you want to run, you can run faster and further than you usually would be able to, if you experience pain, the stress hormone will make it so that you do not feel the pain as much, or even not at all,... In short, the secretion of the stress hormone is a pre-programmed response which helps us to react to danger. We have gotten this reaction from nature to survive. The psychologist reaction to stress was not programmed by nature, and also depends on the type of stress which you experience. In most cases, both psychological and physical reactions will make it so that you can no longer sleep well. Your body and mind can simply not relax. You will mentally constantly think of what you still have to do or what you should have done better. The psychological reaction to stress can even make it so that we start to worry and that we find it difficult to focus on things. In some cases it can even be so that you start to get difficulties with your memory.
Stress hormone: treatment of stress
To treat stress, it is useful to deal with your psychological response to stress. Because we are hardly ever confronted with danger anymore nowadays, our physical response to stress is often caused by psychological stress. If you can then make it so that your mind experiences more rest and less easily experiences stress, you will also experience fewer physical consequences of stress, such as the secretion of the stress hormone. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program, which helps people in the treatment of stress by developing new habits against stress. These new habits are your personal power sources, which you learn to discover in the program, and which will help you in dealing with stress.
Stress hormone: take the stress test!
If you want to know to what extent stress has an influence on you, or if you experience stress, you can at any time fill out the free stress test by 15 Minutes 4 Me!