Brain Fitness Exercises

Do you know meditation and physical exercises help relief stress?

Stress. Just saying the word stresses me out. The word stress comes with so much baggage. I automatically think of the laundry list of things I need to accomplish this week. Or I think of the amount of money I don’t have to pay off all my school debt. Or I think of having to clean the apartment because I haven’t done it in two weeks. As you can see, stress has creeped into every nook and cranny of my life. I’m sure you understand that feeling; or at least I hope you do so that I don’t feel like I’m the only one living this stress-induced life. Stress not only gives me instances of momentary freak-outs, but it can also affect my mood, sleeping pattern and eating habit. But how does it affect my brain?

According to scientific studies, stress can ultimately harm and destroy our brain cells. Doesn’t sound too good, right? What happens when we become stressed is that our brain goes into full power mode. It’s a survival mechanism. Stress is technically our way of coping with emotional fears, pressures and challenges. When our brain senses some kind of danger – in this case stress – it begins to work in turbo mode in order to protect itself; it becomes fully alert. In moments of stress, you probably notice that your heart beats at a quicker pace, your blood pressure rises and you begin to breathe faster too. All of these “symptoms” occur because our bodies are made to withstand danger and protect itself in order to survive. During stressful moments, your brain sends nerve signals to your spinal cord urging it to release the hormone adrenaline. The adrenaline is what causes the other symptoms that are easily detected such as a faster heart beat. Your brain also sends signals to your pituitary gland in order to secrete the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that causes your blood sugar and blood pressure to rise.

So how does all of this negatively affect our brains? If this process is meant to protect us from danger and is a survival mechanism, then how could it possibly be detrimental to the brain? It all has to do with the way we react to the stresses in our lives. The hormones that are released during stress have a positive effect in the short-term. However, if the “stress” process continues throughout a long period of time, it can be damaging to the brain. High levels of cortisol for a sustained period of time can negatively affect your immune system and destroy your brain cells. Chronic stress destroys brain cells specifically in your hippocampus which is attributed to your memory skills. It can also accelerate aging of the brain.  Not only that, but it can also increase your chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke due to high blood pressure. Interestingly enough, it’s about moderation, in a sense. Too much cortisol can damage your brain, but without it we would die.

In order to avoid prolonged stress, we should engage in exercise on a regular basis. We should also provide ourselves with moments of relaxation through meditation, massages or other techniques. Maintaining healthy relationships with friends and family also helps to reduce stress, and finally, it is helpful to have a positive, confident attitude so as not to let the stress take over your body.

Photo by bark