Coping with Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety rates have significantly increased within the past few years. The global pandemic has put immense strain on many people’s lives. “The term anxiety describes the experience of worry, apprehension, or nervousness in association with physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms’’ (Aucoin et al., 2021). Anxiety can be experienced on occasion or in frequent bouts and levels may vary from person to person or due to a particular situation.
Stress, anxiety, and coping all go hand in hand. How a person chooses to cope with these symptoms is dependent on them, there can be intentional or unintentional coping. “Coping stands for any mechanism of prevention and adjustment to stress, for any transaction between body and environment in order to reduce stress intensity” (Vaida et al., 2015). Taking a mindful approach to stress, anxiety and coping tools can be a great approach to finding the best strategies for coping. There can be positive or negative ways in which a person copes.
Some people have coping practices that can poorly affect their relationship with food. “Stress can act through the brain to cause an increase in over-eating, including binge-eating, and a reduction in exercise that in turn leads to obesity and/or metabolic syndrome” (Bremner et al., 2020). Stress-induced eating can give the familiar comforts and satiation but can also become problematic for food relationships. “Given the rewarding properties of food, it is hypothesized that hyper-palatable foods may serve as ‘comfort food’ that acts as a form of self-medication to dispel unwanted distress” (Yau et al., 2013).
Individuals who are in states of stress and negative effects have been shown to favor more hedonically rewarding foods (Yau et al., 2013). “Repeated bouts of minor daily stressors that keep the stress system in a chronically activated state may alter brain reward/motivation pathways involved in wanting and seeking hyper-palatable foods and induce metabolic changes’’ (Yau et al., 2013).
On the other hand, some people have chosen to use their relationship with food to support their mental coping skills. In a study comparing anxiety symptoms and dietary patterns, “The diets associated with lower anxiety include ‘healthy’ diet patterns, the Mediterranean diet, traditional diets, the anti-inflammatory diet, and diets with increased variety; all of these diet patterns share common elements such as an emphasis on vegetables, fruit, limited sugar and refined grains, and greater consumption of minimally processed foods” (Aucoin et al., 2021).
Other notable dietary influences on mental health was the intake of beneficial microorganisms and prebiotic fiber, these may be beneficial for the treatment of anxiety (Aucoin et al., 2021). The gut microbiome has been linked to various mental health-related outcomes, the best way to support a healthy gut is to create and maintain consistency within your dietary patterns as well as including “fruits, vegetables, fiber, and fermented foods in the diet” (Aucoin et al., 2021). The gut microbiome is “composed of a range of bacterial species that have beneficial effects for our digestion and other functions; these are also affected by factors such as stress and a high-fat diet and influence brain function through the release of various signaling molecules” (Bremner et al., 2020).
Protein sources have also had a correlation to mental health and anxiety or depression care, tryptophan is an amino acid needed for the production of serotonin and is found in many protein sources. Some common and high-level “food sources of tryptophan include egg, soy, seeds, fish and meat” (Aucoin et al., 2021). Fish as a protein source also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on mental and physical health (Bremner et al., 2020).
In addition to finding what dietary practices can help aid in your personal food relationship, coping and self-care routines can support ease of stress. Spending time in a way that is soothing or relaxing can help to balance the nervous system and reduce cortisol levels. Some people find meditation, walks in nature, or a warm bath as a way to find a balance in stress. Learning what coping tools work the best for you and how to use your relationship with food to lower stress and anxiety can help some people feel more confident in their health practices.
Tips for coping with stress and anxiety
- Create a self-care regimen
- Self-care ideas: taking a bath, putting on a face mask, watching a funny movie, cuddling a pet or human, taking a walk
- Find ways to soothe stress when it arises; calling a friend, practicing breathing exercises, meditation, setting boundaries, movement activities
- Seek balance in the foods you eat; a well-balanced diet can help support mental and physical health
- Take care of your sleep routine; 7–9 hours is recommended for adults
Overall, stress and anxiety are highly prevalent as well as detrimental to overall wellness. They can lead to inflammation and tension within the body and mind. Mental health has seen a tremendous effect from the pandemic. Stress and anxiety also affect a person’s relationship to food and metabolic factors. Learning coping skills and behaviors can help to lessen the effects of stress and strain.
References
Aucoin, M., LaChance, L., Naidoo, U., Remy, D., Shekdar, T., Sayar, N., Cardozo, V., Rawana, T., Chan, I., & Cooley, K. (2021). Diet and Anxiety: A Scoping Review. Nutrients, 13(12), 4418. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124418
Bremner, J. D., Moazzami, K., Wittbrodt, M. T., Nye, J. A., Lima, B. B., Gillespie, C. F., Rapaport, M. H., Pearce, B. D., Shah, A. J., & Vaccarino, V. (2020). Diet, Stress and Mental Health. Nutrients, 12(8), 2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082428
Vaida, L., Todor, B. I., Bertossi, D., & Corega, C. (2015). Correlations between Stress, Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms in Orthodontic Patients. Iranian journal of public health, 44(1), 147–149.
Yau, Y. H., & Potenza, M. N. (2013). Stress and eating behaviors. Minerva endocrinologica, 38(3), 255–267.
