How Stress Affects the Immune System
The pandemic is not something any of us could have predicted. It has disrupted our way of life, placing certain aspects on pause and taken us out of our usual routines for over a year thus far. While this is not something we ever would have chosen to have happen, it does provide us all an opportunity to assess and up-level our self-care strategies.
Now more than ever we can be proactive about strengthening our immune system. While, there are many aspects of this virus we don’t have control over, there are some we do.
The factors over which we DO have control include simple things like exercise, sleep, nutrition, stress management, and caring for any chronic conditions. Did you know that in approximately 94% of COVID-19-related deaths, people had an average of 2.6 pre-existing health conditions?
With the right information, we can be empowered to take action and not live in fear.
The stress we place upon ourselves with fear and worry is a well-known drain to the immune system. Much research has been done on the phenomenon of how the nervous system mediates the immune system.
The good news is that our brains are the most powerful pharmacy there is! The following are a few examples of this.
In a pioneer study performed with medical students over a 10-year period, students’ immunity went down every year for the 3 days around exam time. The students had fewer natural killer cells, which fight tumors and viral infections. They all but stopped producing immunity-building gamma interferon and infection-fighting T-cells only weakly responded to test-tube stimulation.
Candace Pert, a neuroscientist, pharmacologist, and author of the book “Molecules of Emotion” found through her research that a neuropeptide and a virus enter a cell using the same receptors. Consequently, the state of our emotions will affect whether or not we succumb to viral infection.
Research by epigeneticist and author of the book “The Biology of Belief” Bruce Lipton also suggests that the stress response from fear, worry, and anxiety suppress the immune system. In addition to the disruptions this time has imposed upon us and possible isolation from our social network, the constant bombardment of the media has undoubtedly elevated our stress hormones, such as cortisol.
Feeling stressed about all of this? Be assured that the stress itself is not necessarily creating these outcomes, but our responses to that stress.
Strictly speaking, the recommended physical distancing does not have to mean social distancing. Are you staying connected to loved ones and your support system, even if only virtually? Your relationships are very important to your health. Even a short walk has been found to create a massive boost in our natural killer cells. At our studios, we make efforts to look after all aspects of our clients’ well-being, providing a supportive community and a way to exercise safely.
Reach out for your assessment today and join our Success Studio family!
https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune
https://www.amazon.com/Molecules-Emotion-Science-Mind-Body-Medicine-ebook/dp/B003L77V74
https://www.brucelipton.com/books/biology-of-belief/