DAILY COMMUTE & STRESS

BY: FITZ-GEORGE RATTRAY

Sadly, much of our stress seems unavoidable, perhaps working conditions, our home environment or relationship issues, but for many one national level stressor, the daily commute is most unavoidable. 

Stress comes in two basic flavours, EUSTRESS, or good stressors, such as amusement rides, scary movies, exercise, travel and DISTRESS, or bad stressors, such as illness, financial issues, car problems, and, your work commute. 

EUSTRESS can improve immunity, cognitive brain function, reflex, instinct, build motivation, and increase problem solving, while,

DISTRESS is well known to play a role in illness, including weight gain.

• The presence of bad stress leads to reduced levels of serotonin and dopamine, which may lead to depression. It can also result in elevated levels of cortisol, our “stress hormone”.  In chronic stress cases, biological functions can be adversely affected by:
  • sleep
  • sexual function
  • energy
  • appetite
  • mood

ENTER YOUR DAILY COMMUTE

The problem with national level stressors is, governmental policies and social policies are required to alleviate their severity. In nations with flagrant disregard of road laws and safety, insufficient vigilance, competitive instead of collaborative driving, and extremely failing road markings and signage your daily commute will be as stressful as can be.

In the absence of the national leadership protecting the wellbeing of the populace you must take concerted efforts to preserve your own wellness. Your body does not understand modern stress and believes you must either be having a difficult hunt or fighting for your life. To counter that, it is attempting to replenish your caloric stores and since your feel good hormone, dopamine, levels are suppressed, your body will crave dopamine releasers, and there enters the fatty sugary foods and late night binging.

Naturally these comfort eating patterns triggered by your stressful commute, will quickly be engrained as health and life-threatening habits.

BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH?

In the face of chronic stress, such as commuting, regular healthy and relaxing habits and routines are your only hope is to regain balance.  Here are a few you should adopt.

• Eat balanced meals: Make healthy lifestyle choices, especially when you are under stress. Proactively avoid compounding your problems with the wrong foods
• Exercise: Stress from exercise is something your body can understand, by releasing endorphins and improving your mood, just don’t overdo it.
• Laugh: Laughter releases endorphins which are your brain’s painkillers
• Listen to music:  Calm and soothing music reduces cortisol and lowers blood pressure
• Be positive
• Plan your sleep, and sleep well.
• Get emotional support.
• Have tea, regularly, green tea, and herbal teas have been shown to alleviate the effects of stress.
• Meditate: Be mindful, even the use of soothing scents may be a great start.
• Reduce Caffeine: If you are distressed understand that caffeine is a stimulant, which may increase your stress responses.
• Write: Write down everything. Journaling, recording and focusing your thoughts has been used to help many people manage their reactions.
• Deep breathing: This activates your parasympathetic nervous system which controls your relaxation pathways.

The importance of actively regulating your stress based biological reactions cannot be overstated, it is the difference between contentment and distress, health and illness, optimal and non-optimal fat levels and even life or death. 

You may not be able to choose the stressors in your life, but you can consciously choose your balances.