Health – Stress and our body

Physical stress and its impact on the human body has been well documented in scientific, medical, and psychiatric literature for a long time. Even low-level stress is shown to affect the human body, let alone when people approach the point of burnout. Even in our animal cousins, the impact of social isolation, stress and anxiety have been shown to have a profound effect on behaviour.  

As physios, we witness the impact of stress and burnout on the body regularly. At times, a client’s injury has felt like the last straw, especially when it has limited the ability to do physical activity. Even the nature of ongoing pain on its own tends to wear you down.  

The human condition is ‘anti-fragile’ in that through adversity we become stronger. However, there is a tipping point. Once the stress or challenge becomes too much, the body instead goes into fight or flight response. Instead of being able to rest, recover, and reset – and become stronger and more resilient in the process – our immune system kicks in. This could be from stress due to work, relationships, or lacking a feeling of purpose. It could be the physical pain associated with injury, or the impact that injury has on being able to do what you love. Perhaps your position on the sports team becomes vulnerable, taking away a part of your identity. Even the challenges of parenting – that feeling of failure that every parent has experienced – can tip the scale.

In any of these scenarios, the impact on your health and wellbeing is significant.  Physical health can decline with either increased or decreased weight, raised blood pressure, headaches or gastrointestinal issues. Recovery from illness or injury becomes more challenging. The impact on mood, emotional, and mental health is also significant.

So how do we recognise if we are tipping the scale too far into a stressful state? How do we see that in others? If we take our eyes off our devices or screens long enough, it can sometimes just be sensed. For us, on occasion, a physio consult turns into an overall holistic wellbeing ‘check-in’. A work colleague may appear a bit ‘flat’. The solution? Ask that crucial question, “You okay mate?” followed up with, “No, but are you really okay?”. 

As a social species, it’s crucial that we connect to get through the hard times. It is only through direct human connection that we can start climbing back out. Phone, text or online interaction can be useful, but the true magic happens when we meet in person, having a coffee or beer with a friend, partner or family member. That is when the social-connecting hormone oxytocin is released. If you think someone you know may be hitting that wall, send them a message and go out for a coffee. Or, if you are struggling, reach out because there are people in your life who will happily be there for you.

Our species survived – and indeed thrived – through social connection.