Written by: Arathi Vinod | Edited by: Sameer Rajesh and Nicole Xu

Stress During COVID-19

Stress is difficult enough to manage without a global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left its unpleasant mark on everyone’s lives in one way or another. Whether this involves coping with the loss of a loved one or putting up with an ever-changing lifestyle, COVID-19 has caused a global change in the way civilization fundamentally functions. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the pandemic has greatly increased stress worldwide. 

Despite the negative context with which it is often used, stress is a natural, and even beneficial, biological process. Commonly known as the “fight-or-flight” response, stress is an evolutionarily clever development that helped early organisms escape immediate danger. 

Any life-threatening event triggers the sympathetic pathway of the body’s autonomic system. Tissues receive sensory input and transfer this information to the central nervous system via neurons. Finger-like dendrites of a preganglionic neuron then take in this information and transmit it as electrical signals across its axon through an action potential (Brown). As the action potential reaches the neuron’s synapse, it releases vesicles filled with the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These small chemical substances diffuse to the dendrites of another neuron, where they bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (Brown). Just like the first neuron, this postganglionic neuron goes on to transmit this information along its axon and eventually releases another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. Norepinephrine molecules finally bind to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on smooth or cardiac muscles and ultimately bring about the changes associated with stress (Brown).

The sympathetic pathway generates a variety of stress responses in the body. For instance, a common characteristic of the fight-or-flight response is increased heart rate (“Understanding the Stress Response”). Similarly, a sympathetic response can trigger pupil dilation, bronchial dilation, and digestion inhibition (“Understanding the Stress Response”). These reactions help the individual escape the instantaneous threat by prioritizing increased environmental assessment and oxygen intake while giving less importance to other bodily processes.

However, COVID-19 is no instantaneous threat. The global outbreak has persisted for over a year now, and individuals’ increased health concerns and turbulent lifestyles have led to a more long-term stress response. Chronic stress repeatedly triggers the same sympathetic pathways, and this can have a severe, irreversible impact on the body. For example, a persistent increase in heart rate can lead to cardiovascular strain, increasing the risk of hypertension and heart disease (“Understanding the Stress Response”). Likewise, along with digestion, the body also inhibits the immune system while stressed. Therefore, overtime, the body becomes less capable of defending itself against infections (“Understanding the Stress Response”).

Fortunately, stress is curable, and the cure does not have to involve medication. Exercise and meditation not only serve as diversions from stress factors, but they also release endorphins, the body’s natural morphine that stimulates a sense of positivity (“Physical Activity Reduces Stress”). Diet is also critical; healthy eating can reinvigorate the immune system and counteract the negative effects of chronic stress. Additionally, just as exercise increases desirable hormones, caffeine acts as a stimulant, increasing the amount of stress hormone cortisol in the body, and should be avoided (Scott).

Of most importance is the understanding that no one is alone in this struggle. COVID-19 might have overstayed its welcome, but stress does not have to.

Bibliography

Brown, Jacquelyn. “Fight or Flight: All You Need to Know About This Response.” CogniFit, 16 May 2017, blog.cognifit.com/fight-or-flight/. 

“Physical Activity Reduces Stress.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, ADAA, 2019, adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st. 

Scott, Elizabeth. “How Does Caffeine Affect Your Stress Levels?” Verywell Mind, 17 Jan. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/caffeine-stress-and-your-health-3145078. 

“Understanding the Stress Response.” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard University, Mar. 2011, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.