How Stress Affects Your Brain

I came across this video the other day talking about how stress affects your brain. If you have ever wondered how stress affects your brain I would recommend you check it out.

In today's fast-paced world, stress has become an unwelcome companion in our daily lives. But have you ever wondered how stress truly affects your brain? At our therapy practice, we believe in shedding light on the intricate connection between stress and mental well-being. In this blog post, we'll explore the profound impact of stress on your brain and offer insights into how you can navigate its effects to foster a healthier and happier life.

Ways that stress affects your brain

1. The Science Behind Stress:

   Stress triggers a complex cascade of chemical reactions in the brain. When faced with a stressful situation, the amygdala, our brain's alarm system, signals the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This activates the body's "fight-or-flight" response, preparing us to cope with the perceived threat.

2. Effects of Chronic Stress:

   While acute stress can be adaptive and help us overcome challenges, chronic stress can have a detrimental impact on our brain and overall well-being. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones can disrupt the communication between brain cells, leading to cognitive difficulties, memory problems, and impaired focus.

3. Emotional and Mental Health Consequences:

   Stress doesn't stop at the brain—it also takes a toll on our emotional and mental health. Chronic stress can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions. It can contribute to mood swings, irritability, and a general feeling of overwhelm.

4. Alleviating Stress and Promoting Brain Health:

   The good news is that there are effective strategies to manage stress and support brain health. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, can help calm the mind and reduce stress levels. Engaging in regular physical activity releases endorphins, which act as natural mood boosters. Prioritizing self-care activities like getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and nurturing social connections can also contribute to stress reduction and brain health.

5. Seeking Professional Support:

   If stress becomes overwhelming and interferes with your daily life, seeking professional support is crucial. A licensed therapist can provide a safe space for you to explore and address the underlying causes of stress, develop coping strategies, and cultivate resilience.

One of the most proven ways to deal with stress is through meditation. If you have been interested in meditating but need some help getting started or staying on schedule I recommend you use a meditation app like headspace.

Understanding the profound impact of stress on your brain is the first step toward proactive stress management. By recognizing the science behind stress, acknowledging the emotional and mental health consequences, and implementing stress-reducing practices, you can take charge of your well-being. At our therapy practice, we're committed to supporting you on this journey, providing guidance, and helping you develop effective coping mechanisms. Remember, you have the power to cultivate a healthier brain and a more balanced, fulfilling life. Take the first step towards a stress-free future today!

The advice in this blog is not a substitute for professional counseling. 

OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX

In addition to EMDR and Trauma Therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals we offer Anxiety Therapy, Eating Disorder Counseling, School and College Counseling, Autism Therapy,  Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling, Parenting Counseling, Family Therapy, PTSD Treatment and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.

Contact us at Wilson Counseling to find out more about our services or to schedule an appointment. You can find out more about EMDR/Trauma Therapy here. You don't have to go through this alone. We are in this together. 

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• Beauty From Ashes. New Year, New Hope.

Beauty From Ashes. New Year, New Hope.

"Meaningless, meaningless. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless under the sun. What do people gain from all of their labors at which they toil under the sun? I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, all are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. " Ecclesiasties 1

Does anything really matter

Since Hurricane Harvey, I have been thinking a lot about these words from King Solomon in the Christian scriptures. It's a bit nihilistic, but nihilism comes easily in the wake of such quick destruction. A house that may have taken years to build was flooded in a matter of hours. All of the time spent choosing paint colors and fixtures and displaying art, all became irrelevant in a matter of hours. Possessions you spent a lifetime collecting and curating are flooded, soiled, swelled up, gone. When you go through something like that, a natural reaction is to ask, what's the point? Does any of it matter? What is really important to me?

Getting from sorrow to hope

It is easy to lose hope. So, what keeps you going? What gives you the motivation to rebuild, to keep living, to keep fighting? How can you get to a place of joy from a place of sorrow? Why bother when it will all turn to ashes? It will all end up in a landfill.

Joy is deeper and sweeter because you have seen suffering and loss

Many of you who have gone through painful experiences in life have learned that there can be joy even at the end of a very difficult season of life. And you may have found that your joy is deeper and sweeter because you have seen what it means to suffer and to experience loss.

Tomorrow brings wholeness and healing

Crystal Lewis has a song entitled "Beauty for Ashes." I love the redemptive message in the lyrics.

"He gives beauty for ashes. Strength for fear. Gladness for mourning. Peace for despair. When sorrow seems to surround you. When suffering hangs heavy on your head. Know that tomorrow brings wholeness and healing." Sometimes there has to be destruction before there can be rebuilding both literally and metaphorically.

This time of year, people start thinking about the new year and new year's resolutions. But for some of you, life is more about surviving. The idea of adding a resolution feels overwhelming. It is okay to feel down. It is a normal reaction to hard things. Be compassionate with yourself. You have had a hard year. You have survived a hard year in the best way you are able. That is enough.

Be compassionate and you will find good enough is good enough

When you don't have hope, remind yourself that even when you don't feel it, life will get better. We know from our history that after the rain, there is sun. After the sun sets, it also rises. It is just the cyclical nature of life. Believe in that cycle even when you don't feel it to be true. Lean into the hope.

People who love you will be light in your darkness

And when you don't have hope for yourself, surround yourself with people in your life who lift you up. Surround yourself with people who speak encouragement into your life. Surround yourself with people who support you and get you and love you. They will be the light you need in your darkness.

Choose hope. Choose to keep trying again tomorrow. 

Lean in to 2018 with hope that in this new year, there is new life. There is always hope. Be compassionate when you struggle with the hard times. All of the individual moments of life are not going to be good, but we can find meaning by choosing to love and care for those who need us. We can find meaning by fighting to do the things we are created to do. We can choose hope, we can choose life as long as there is breath in our bodies.

A few more tips on how to be hopeful in hard times.

Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us, presenting challenges and hardships that can leave us feeling depleted and disheartened. But even in the face of adversity, there is always room for hope. It's in those difficult moments that we discover our inner strength and resilience. So, how can we cultivate hope after experiencing hard things? First and foremost, it's important to acknowledge and process our emotions. Give yourself permission to feel and grieve if needed. Then, focus on the lessons learned and the growth that can come from those experiences. Surround yourself with a support system of loved ones who uplift and inspire you. Practice self-care and engage in activities that bring you joy. Set realistic goals and celebrate even the smallest victories. Remember, hope is not about denying the reality of the challenges we face; it's about finding the courage to believe in a brighter future. With time, patience, and a steadfast belief in your own resilience, you can rise above hardships and discover a renewed sense of hope that propels you forward on your journey.

May the year bring you beauty from ashes, strength from fear, gladness for mourning and peace for despair. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The advice in this blog is not a substitute for professional counseling. 

OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX

In addition to EMDR and Trauma Therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals we offer Anxiety Therapy, Eating Disorder Counseling, School and College Counseling, Autism Therapy,  Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling, Parenting Counseling, Family Therapy, PTSD Treatment and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.

Contact us at Wilson Counseling to find out more about our services or to schedule an appointment. You can find out more about EMDR/Trauma Therapy here. You don't have to go through this alone. We are in this together. 

Related Content:

• Learn to feel more grounded and less anxious in just a few minutes

• I died that day - An account of sexual abuse

• How Stress Affects Your Brain

• How to stop nightmares

Psychological Health in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey has caused enormous damage and suffering. My heart goes out to all of you have flooded, were evacuated, faced loss and fear. It has been devastating on so many levels for so many in our city. If you or home sustained damage or flooded, you have a long road ahead. Remember it is a marathon and not a sprint. Please take care of your psychological health along the way. Your body, mind and spirit will all suffer if you do not.

Going through disasters is traumatic

There is a trauma that come from going through this kind of disaster. Give yourself time to get used to the changes that come with it. Give yourself compassion to experience and feel what you need to. There is a sense of loss in all of it. That is normal.

You may go through the stages of grief

You may find you go through the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Accept it for what it is and don't judge yourself as you cope.

Let people help you

Allow people to help when they offer. You will need your village in this. It is not a sign of weakness. It is the whole purpose of having a village.

I wanted to pass along this article with practical tips about psychological first aid. If you know someone who needs this, please pass it along.

This is how you can ask for help

A lot of people want to help their friends and neighbors who are flooded. I recommend instead of just asking generally, "What can I do to help?", you volunteer specifically to do someone's laundry or something else on this list and see if that is helpful. A lot of people don't like asking for help but if you get in there and start helping it will be a big relief. Houston is an amazing city full of big hearted people. We will need all hands on deck to rebuild.

I did not write this list, but found it helpful. If you did flood, show this list to your friends and family who ask how they can help.

Easy Things People Can Do To Help:

Wonderful people will be asking what they can do. Of course clean up and packing are helpful, but not everyone can work at the flooded house. Here are a few things that saved me from going insane …

1. Laundry:

   Even if your clothes did not get wet, they will smell like nasty flood water. Everything in the house that is being saved will need to be washed. My laundry was all over Houston at friend’s houses. People came in and took all clothes. Friends even took items to the dry cleaners.

2. Washing kitchen items:

   Dishes can be saved but everything will need to be washed!

3. Store important items:

   Friends kept my valuables: grandmother’s jewelry, silver, hunting rifle, china/crystal, wine and even my dog until we were settled in a rental. This was a huge stress reliever so I would not have to keep track of everything as we had to move items several times.

4. Help research storage units, movers and rentals:

   Storage units and rentals are going to be hard to come by so this needs to happen as soon as possible.

5. Dry out pictures/ artwork:

   If anything can be saved, have people take items to their homes to dry out. It was so special to get back some of my kid’s artwork.

NOTE: since I could not remember who took what from my house, ask them to send you an email for future reference of what items they have. We were literally collecting items a year after the flood.

Of course childcare, housing, food and donations are always helpful!

OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX

In addition to EMDR and Chronic Pain Therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals, we offer Anxiety Treatment, Couples and Marriage Therapy, Divorce Counseling, Infertility Counseling, Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, Teen Counseling, Parenting Counseling, and Family Therapy. As well as Eating Disorder Therapy, School and College Counseling, ADHD Treatment, Autism Therapy, Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling, and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.

For more resources and support, please visit our website or contact us directly. We are here to help you every step of the way.

RELATED CONTENT:

• Learn to feel more grounded and less anxious in just a few minutes

• I died that day - An account of sexual abuse

• How Stress Affects Your Brain

• How to stop nightmares

Feeling distracted? Read about what mindfulness can do for you.

Guest post By Wendy Evans, LCSW

Often when we are at work, we dream about the weekend, and on the weekends, we dream about vacation and on vacation, we worry about work.

These constant thoughts about the future rob us of the moment and can contribute to anxiety and depression.

Remaining in the moment enables us to live for today. 

If you do not learn to be mindful, you will never truly enjoy your life

Mindfulness is being in the present moment. But what does this mean? it means you are present in your body and aware of what you are doing.

You feel your feet on the floor, your hands in your lap, you notice when you get up and when you sit down. You are present when speaking to another person and not thinking about your response but are fully engaged in what they are saying.

Why is mindfulness helpful? When you are present in the moment, you are fully engaged in life. You begin to train your brain to observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging them to be good or bad. Mindfulness means living in the moment and actually experiencing life as it happens.

Mindfulness can be a gift you give to others

When you are truly mindful with others, they feel it. They know you are listening and engaged in what they are saying. This makes relationships more meaningful and more enjoyable.

Staying mindful takes practice. You can set reminders on your phone and each time a reminder goes off, come back to the moment, feel your feet on the ground, look around you and take in your surroundings, make sure you are being present with others.

If you find you are getting anxious about something and your mind is going and won’t stop, ground yourself by taking a few deep breaths and get back into the moment.

Have fun and play with mindfulness. You will be surprised at how you can reduce your stress, anxiety and even depression by simply ‘getting in the moment’. You can read more about the benefits of mindfulness in this article

OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX

In addition to EMDR and Chronic Pain Therapy, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals, we offer Anxiety Treatment, Couples and Marriage Therapy, Divorce Counseling, Infertility Counseling, Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, Teen Counseling, Parenting Counseling, and Family Therapy. As well as Eating Disorder Therapy, School and College Counseling, ADHD Treatment, Autism Therapy, Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling, and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.

For more resources and support, please visit our website or contact us directly. We are here to help you every step of the way.