How the Stress Response Impacts Our Ability to Hear and Process

We all know that stress has an immediate effect on our bodies. It raises our heart rate and can make us sweat more. Most of us are also aware of the negative effects of prolonged stress. For instance, stress produces cortisol, which in turn signals to our bodies to store more fat, making it difficult for overly stressed people to maintain a healthy weight.

Did you know that the stress response also impacts our ability to hear and understand those around us, which in turn disrupts our ability to process sensory and emotional inputs?

The brain is the centre of all our abilities to receive information and process it. When we are stressed many of those abilities are compromised:

• Cortisol is released and, after prolonged exposure, can break down cells in the hippocampus
• Cortisol also inhibits the production of happy hormones which can lead to depression
• Stress inhibits memory by slowing down activity in the cerebral cortex
• The constant release of hormones and other hormones to counteract them can cause adrenal fatigue
• Long-term metabolic stress can be caused because the brain doesn’t have the energy to regulate it properly
• It also causes more chemicals to pass through the blood-brain barrier

For more on how the brain processes stress and its effect on your abilities watch the video below.

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