It is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who are not stressed. Almost everyone we meet is ‘stressed’ about something or the other and the side effects that this brings along are hardly unknown to us. We know stress can cause headaches and lead to lack of productivity or focus. But there is more!
As this becomes a hugely researched topic, there are a lot of new discoveries being made. Here are the top three uncanny effects of stress that research has discovered recently and some ideas on how these effects may be addressed.
Stress Leads to Social Withdrawal
The Research
This interesting effect of stress was unearthed in a study done among students with the aid of an app called StudentLife. This app recorded the activities of the students in real time. Aspects such as number of face-to-face interactions, time of engagement, sleep patterns, and activity levels were monitored. In addition to this, students were asked to rate their stress levels on a scale of 1 to 16 randomly throughout the day.
The Results
The research showed that stress levels were a crucial predictor of social contact. Those who reported high levels on day 1 were likely to reduce their social engagements significantly on day 2. This was true irrespective of whether the student qualified as an extrovert or introvert personality type (even though one would expect extroverts to engage more in social contact since they derive energy from it). It was also equally true for males and females (even though one would expect women to seek out company when perturbed or anxious). The universality of the results also indicates that they are likely to be true for older people who are not living in colleges, especially since college life is generally more social.
The Why
The base of this withdrawal reaction to stress is rooted in evolution. One of the common responses to stress is ‘flight’ and this can get manifested in the form of withdrawal from everyone as one recuperates energies to fight back. While this may have been a great strategy for the hunter-gatherer, it does not lead to any positive results in the changed world we live in today.
The Problem
This revelation is perturbing since social contact can actually reduce the negative effects of stress. Human connection, even if it is a smile from a stranger or a nod from the neighbor, helps in creating a feeling of belongingness and provides comfort. Social connections have also known to increase resilience, a key trait required to bounce back from a stressful time. Needless to say, this can create a circular issue that can become difficult to come out of.
The Solution
Being aware of this negative and spiraling side of stress is the first step towards conquering it. Assuming that you are able to identify that you are stressed and that it has not reached unmanageable levels, you can always consciously choose to make some human contact. Some of the ways in which you can connect are listed below. You can choose the one that appeals to you in the moment or rather feels as if it will require the least effort.
- Make a phone call to a close friend
- Call someone who you have not connected with in a while
- Schedule a video call with your extended family
- Look up events around you and randomly pick one that you will go to for a while
- Take a walk around your neighborhood without headphone or music and make sure to acknowledge the people you see
- Go around to the community club in your condo
- Take a leisurely walk in the mall without any intention of buying anything
- Sit beside someone in the park and make small talk
Some of these may sound weird to you to start with, especially since we live in an isolated world where random contact is frowned upon and everyone is glued to their phones. However, these options merit a chance, especially if you want to avoid the downward spiral that stress, withdrawal, and isolation can create.
If you feel you are not able to try these options listed here and need more motivation to get out of the withdrawal and stress cycle, get in touch!
Featured image by Pixabay/vdnhieu
Gosh! I never realised that it was stress which made me unsociable at certain times!
Thanks for sharing the findings of this research.
It’s the body’s self defense mechanism of saving energy to combat stress and not use the energy in social engagements.
I would guess that those who are relatively more introvertish are more likely to withdraw during such stressful times (aka your’s truly!)