It’s a sequel.
Last time, I talked about how many people in the working generation are stressed, about 10% more women than men are stressed, and six patterns of stress relief methods.
This time, I will touch on “what is stress in the first place and what kind of phenomenon?” Knowing this will help you find the right solution.
Stress is the state of tension that occurs when you receive an external stimulus. Broadly speaking, there are three reactions that are caused by stress on the body and mind.
- Activation of sympathetic nerves
- Activation of the adrenal medulla
- Reduced secretion of serotonin
1 sympathetic nerves regulate physiological functions such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, movement of internal organs, sleep, body temperature, urination, and defecation. When the sympathetic nerves are activated, blood vessels contract, breathing becomes faster, blood pressure rises, visceral movements stop, urination and defecation stop, and awake. Stress weakens the control of the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for advanced and rational mental activities, such as controlling memory and emotions and suppressing behavior. This weakens and in turn strengthens control of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus functions as the center of autonomic nerves including sympathetic nerves and endocrine, as well as the centers of appetite, libido, pain, and thirst. The activation of the sympathetic nerves due to stress may also affect the tendency to raise blood pressure, diarrhea and constipation as a result of movement of internal organs, insomnia and shallow sleep.
The adrenal medulla of 2 is also involved in the innervation of the hypothalamus. Certain hormones from the hypothalamus stimulate the pituitary gland, and other hormones from the pituitary gland stimulate the adrenal medulla. As a result, the adrenal medulla releases cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. This causes an increase in blood sugar and blood pressure, triggers protein and lipid metabolism, and also causes immunosuppression.
The so-called stress hormone called cortisol is secreted from the stimulated adrenal medulla, causing an increase in blood sugar and blood pressure, triggering protein and lipid metabolism, and immunosuppression. Cortisol itself doesn’t just fight stress, it has other beneficial roles. Cortisol secretion is also important for normal balance. If this collapses, it will lead to chronic fatigue, decreased concentration, and decreased immunity, making it easier to catch a cold, for example. These are symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
By the way, adrenal fatigue is not only caused by stress, but also leaky gut syndrome. As the name suggests, it is a disease called “intestinal leakage”. It is a disease in which the intestinal mucosa is damaged and perforated, and food molecules, intestinal bacteria, and pathogenic bacteria leak out from the intestine. In recent years, the increase in food allergies is said to be caused by leaky gut syndrome. This is because when nutrients enter the body in the form of large, indigestible molecules, they are recognized as antigens and cause allergic reactions by IgE antibodies. If the intestinal bacteria are not working properly, the intestinal mucosa will not be repaired normally. It is important to prepare the intestinal environment, but there is also a cause in the diet itself. Another cause of leaky gut syndrome is eating too much gluten. Wheat is used in popular menus such as bread, noodles such as ramen, udon, and pasta, wheat baked goods, and sweets, but be careful not to overdose.
Studies have shown that cortisol levels can also be lowered by laughing. This is due to the activation of immune-boosting NK cells, which in turn lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol also decreases with moderate aerobic exercise. such as walking or jogging. If you eat rice and miso soup while laughing after walking, it may be a good way to deal with the stress caused by 1 and 2.
Serotonin of 3 calms the excitement of the brain, stabilizes the mind, controls appetite, suppresses pain, etc. It is known as the happy hormone because it helps increase feelings of well-being. When stress is added, serotonin secretion in the brain decreases, making it easier to become mentally unstable and fall into a state where you feel a strong sense of fear and anxiety. This is because inflammatory cytokines generated in the brain by stress inhibit the process of synthesizing serotonin from tryptophan. A lack of serotonin can lead to mental instability, anxiety and fear. Therefore, how to increase the secretion of serotonin is very important.
Serotonin is distributed to the prefrontal cortex and cerebral cortex. It corrects the imbalance that stress weakens the prefrontal cortex and makes the hypothalamus dominant. Breathing slowly in the Tanden below the navel is common in Zazen and meditation, and is also the same in Japanese martial arts (Budo) breathing.
The keys to increasing serotonin are sunlight and diet. Light needs 2500-3000 lux and sunlight on cloudy days is only around 10000 lux. Ideally, you should spend 15-30 minutes outdoors in the sun from the time you wake up until noon. , which is the raw material of serotonin, is found in bananas, red fish, red meat, liver, chicken, eggs, nuts, dairy products, avocados, tomatoes, soy products, and buckwheat. is good for the balance of the body, it cannot pass through the narrow intrabrain barrier and cannot act on the brain. On the other hand, theanine contained in high-grade Japanese tea is a small amino acid that easily passes through the brain barrier to produce serotonin. ZENJIRO sticks to high-quality and delicious Japanese tea because this effect makes you feel relaxed and happy when you drink it.
Last time, I organized it into 6 patterns in the stress reliever method. You can’t incorporate it into your daily routine in a way that you can’t do without time. Eating, drinking, and playing games are not bad ways to spend your time, but depending on what you eat and how long you play games, they can actually exacerbate stress and have the opposite effect. By arranging delicious Japanese tea to make it easier to drink, or by adding variations to the menu, you can easily and effectively relieve stress even if you don’t have time.
By the way, my daily routine is to drink cold sencha made with cold water the night before when I wake up. And around sunrise, I go out for a walk for about an hour. Relax my shoulders and walk with good posture from the Tanden with long strides. Stretch for about 10 minutes in the park on the way. After returning home, I take a shower, eat rice, miso soup, and the meat or fish left over from the night before, and then drink sencha or hojicha again. At work, I listen to JAZZ as background music and drink coffee. If anything, it’s a morning type of life. I drink alcohol at night, but I don’t drink heavily. I just continue to live a normal, habitual life, but I have never had insomnia because of my stress-free life.
Please enjoy your stress-free life.
