Protecting your brain from stress

By Dina Halaseh
Educational Psychologist

Is your brain stressed? Did you know that stress affects our ability to make decisions efficiently, distorts our perception of reality and impairs learning and memory?

Our brains are only made to stress for 30 seconds at a time. Chronic stress is defined as a constant and prolonged state of stress. Stress also relates to trauma in many cases. Trauma alters brain chemistry and damages the nervous system and the body’s ability to handle stress. But not all stress is caused by traumatic experiences. 

Why does this matter? Chronic stress affects memory, immunity and even causes sleep disruption and depression. The number one ingredient for academic success is emotional stability. 

At the end of the day, we have one brain. We use it at work, home and everywhere! If our “home” brain is stressed, our brain is stressed everywhere!

Tips to decrease stress levels

• Journaling can help transform unsaid ideas into words, moving our thoughts from our subconscious mind towards our conscious mind and onto paper. This helps release hidden stress and vocalising our thoughts
• Exercising can help not only increase the good hormones, but also decrease stress and cortisol (your stress hormone)
• Breathing helps calm down heart rate and decrease stress levels. We can take deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling when we feel negative emotions. This works even for young children; teaching them to breathe when they are stressed or crying is a great way to regulate feelings
• Practising gratitude helps the brain find more positivity in our life. Many people find it helpful to end the day with listing three positive self-affirmations and finding three things to be grateful for from their day
• Spending some time in nature is a big stress reliever. Research has found that as little as 10 minutes in nature can help us relieve stress and feel happier 
• Sleeping is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood and sharpens judgment and decision-making
• Good nutrition helps combat stress. Eating regularly throughout the day and avoiding large amounts of caffeine reduces stress. Decaffeinated green tea is a good substitute to the caffeinated variety
• Meditating has proven benefits, including offsetting the negative health effects of stress. Praying or connecting spiritually helps us find serenity and calmness and reach a place where we have a new perspective on stressful situations

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine