When body and mind do not agree
If you read my previous article, you know that before starting a new stress management program or signing up for a meditation retreat it might be a good idea to stop and ask yourself one question: what is the real reason behind your stress?
Instead of repeating my stressor article and the psychological phenomena behind stress, today I want to talk about the difference between the physical stress our body experiences, and our perception of it. As weird as it sounds, we don’t necessarily know what’s causing the stress response in our body, and what is not. The mind and body might disagree.
At least that’s what stress research from Finland found out a couple of years ago. I came across with this research the other day and found some of their findings worth sharing.
Mouth and heart spoke a different language
The study found out that our stressors are not necessarily what we think they are. Researchers measured participants’ stress by monitoring their heart-rate variability throughout the day, focusing on finding common peaks and stress patterns within Finns.
One of their many findings was that people perceived stress slightly differently compared to the data collected from their heart.
For example, an argument with a loved one was often perceived as more stressful than it actually was for the heart. As a contrary, getting ready for a party was surprisingly stressful, even though a person saw that situation as something fun and entertaining.
Same goes with the household chores — people reported that housework causes them stress, but their heart-rate variability said something different. Interestingly, an argument with a boss stressed out their heart more than an argument with their partner.
Another fun fact: Finnish people have their lunch around 11 am, and dinner at 5 pm. Consequently, those were the times when stress was at its lowest level.
At least my fellow countrymen know how to enjoy their meals!
During the week, stress was at its highest around 8 am, and another peak was found at 8 pm. People tend to think that their work stresses them out, but surprisingly in this study, stress lowered down after the morning hassle right after people got to the workplace.
Your body knows if a nagging partner is not a new thing
More studies are needed to find out the whys and hows of this phenomena, but there are some intelligent guesses to explain the differences between mind and body.
As covered in my previous article, there’s often some fear, uncertainty, lack of control, or a sense of unpredictability behind our stress. Those elements are often more visible in a new situation, which is why new things might stress us out.
Hence, if a nagging partner is nothing new to you, your physical stress response might be smaller than you’d think. It’s unpleasant, but familiar. Then again, an exciting party could cause social stress, and as something new and unpredictable, it can trigger the stress response.
Recognizing the stressors on our own
The results of the Finnish study are interesting regarding how we perceive stress. It raises up more questions and inspires more studies to explore and test our stressors.
When we know what’s stressing our bodies the most, we’re more capable of deleting the stressors and reducing the perceived stress. That’s where the newest health-tracking technology and mobile app solutions come in the picture:
Once the latest stress-tracking technologies are in daily use, we can spot our stress triggers even more efficiently.
Thanks for reading!
In case you enjoyed reading this, you’ll find more wellness and stress-related articles on my profile and INME Health Publication. Oh, and a couple of claps make me always happy! Feel free to comment, discuss or disagree — interaction is where the learning happens.
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