Stress Reduction
Stress affects our physical body.
This is something most of us are aware of each day. Our heart beats faster, our breathing picks up and then we get a sudden boost of energy. These physical responses are set in motion with the release of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol the moment we perceive a situation to be threatening. What we may not immediately notice during this stress response, however, is that cortisol is also busy suppressing systems in our body that are deemed non-essential, such as our digestive system and our reproductive system.
Our body needs this stress response for emergency situations (like running away from that hungry tiger) so that we can operate at our peak performance. The tendency, however, is to overuse this response to make the deadline, catch the plane and to deliver the presentation. How does the body react to this constant state of alarm otherwise know as chronic stress? Just to name a few: high blood pressure, upset stomach, insomnia, irritability, acne, obesity, depression and digestive problems.
Evidence is mounting that chronic stress also causes infertility.
How Can Stress Affect Fertility?
Preliminary research shows that chronic stress in humans and animals can disrupt the menstrual cycle to the point of blocking ovulation (1). It’s not surprising that stress has this potential when we understand that the human body is a complex maze of communication. Organs and glands, although carrying out different functions, are completely interdependent. In order to ovulate each month, for example, the almond sized part of our brain called the hypothalamus has to signal the gland below it called the pituitary to release a lutenizing hormone (LH). This hormone travels through our bloodstream to the ovaries where it stimulates ovulation. If there’s a disruption anywhere in this sequence, ovulation may not occur.
Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Stanford University, explains how the delivery of the hormone LH in mammals is hindered by stress in his lecture Biology of Behavior (2). He explains that stress hormones in the brain make it less likely that LH will be secreted. Additionally, the ovaries are made less receptive to the hormone LH by the class of stress hormones called Glucocorticoids, known in humans as cortisol. Without LH, ovulation can not occur and fertility is compromised.
LH is just one of the hormones in the reproductive system that is affected by stress. Numerous other mechanisms are thought to affect reproduction and although extensive research exists more studies are needed to fully understand the biological mechanisms and to deliver definitive results. Dr. Sapolsky sums up the far reaching effects of stress in our bodies by stating, “Sometimes all you need to do is think a thought, have a memory, have an emotion and every single organ in your body will work differently.” (2)
Does Stress Reduction Boost Fertility?
In the journal Human Reproduction in 2005 researchers published an extensive review of 22 studies on stress and fertility and found that psychotherapy alleviates anxiety and depression (3). Their analysis also indicated a possible increase in conception rates due to psychotherapy. Although more studies are needed for scientists to make a definitive connection between stress and fertility in humans, there are a couple of studies that show strong promise on increasing fertility through stress reduction.
A team of researchers studied the effects of a weekly stress reduction session on women who had been trying to conceive for over one year (4). The sessions included problem solving, psychological support, relaxation techniques, and guided imagery. Of the 74 women studied, half of the women attended the sessions for 5 weeks and half of the women were assigned to the control group and did not attend sessions. The research group found that the women attending the stress reduction sessions had significantly decreased psychological discomfort and a significantly increased pregnancy rate of 38%, compared to 14% for the control group.
In another study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility in 2003, researchers studied 16 women who for no apparent medical reason had absent or extremely irregular periods, a condition known as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (5). Half of these women were given cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to reduce stress. The CBT included discussions on stress management, nutrition and exercise: essentially creating a study that combines stress reduction, proper nutrition and exercise. Ovulation was restored in 5 of the 7 women getting therapy, compared to 1 of 7 who did not receive therapy.
Stress Reduction in Action
Stress reduction is already being recommended in the treatment of infertility. In the journal of Human Reproduction, for example, Daniel Campagne, PhD., argues that patients and doctors should begin implementing stress reduction and stress management because in addition to the ample evidence that it does work, there are no negative side effects (6).
If you are looking for a place to start here’s a sample of techniques for reducing stress:
• Autogenic Training – This technique focuses on different sensations in the body while resting in a comfortable position. With a practitioner or independently, different parts of the body are focused on and associated with a sensation. For example, “my right arm is getting heavy.”
• Breathwork – Breathwork is a technique in which breathing is consciously altered. There are various ways in which this can be done such as slow and deep or breathing through one nostril. Breathwork is taught in yoga courses and through instructional books and audio programs.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT is used to recognize the negative thought patterns that cause stress and to learn new ways of thinking and reacting to avoid the stress altogether. CBT is learned with a therapist or through a self-help program (books, audio, etc.).
• Exercise.
• Massage.
• Meditation – Meditation is the focusing of the mind. This can be by focusing on a physical object, breath, a word, or even just focusing on being. Meditation is done in numerous positions and movements (sitting, lying down, walking etc.). Meditation centers, yoga courses, instructional books and instructional audios teach the different meditation techniques.
• Support Groups
• Tai Chi – Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art where sequences of slow, flowing movements are used to achieve a meditative state. Tai Chi is taught through Tai Chi instructors, books and videos.
• Yoga – Yoga is an ancient practice from India which incorporates poses, meditation and breathing techniques. There are various forms of yoga that emphasize different aspects such as precise poses or spirituality. Yoga is taught by Yoga instructors and through books and videos.
How I Found My Way Out of Chronic Stress
One sleepless night, halfway through my graduate work, I realized that my stress had reached an unbearable level. Too tired to work, I sat in front of the TV flipping through the channels until I came across an infomercial that made me pause – it was about stress. This is me, was the thought that kept ringing in my head. I ordered the program and, after completing it, sounded just like the people on the commercial: It changed my life.
The program was cognitive behavioral therapy and took several months to complete. The time I put in was a small price to pay considering what it did for me: restful nights of sleep, clarity instead of panic while working, ability to enjoy a day off – just to name a few.
After going through that program I asked myself, “why?” Why, that is, was the cognitive behavioral therapy program more effective than going to the gym to reduce my stress? Because stress reduction is not primarily about avoiding stress or finding activities to curb it. To truly manage stress and minimize its effects on my body, I needed to change the way I dealt with stress on a daily basis. It has been said that the amount of stress a person experiences in any given situation depends less on the situation itself and more on how that person deals with the situation.
Consider this. Two people are sitting in rush hour traffic. The first person is breathing heavily and continuously calculating how late this is going to make her for work. The second person, sitting in the same traffic jam, is admiring the blue sky and listening to the humorous morning talk show on the radio. Both of these people are going to be late for work. Neither of them can do anything about it. The only thing they can control is how they deal with it.
Dr. Sapolsky, the Stanford professor who has been researching stress for over two decades, emphasizes in his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers that we all have the power to change the way we cope with stress regardless of our genes and our background (7). These two factors may make it easier for some of us, but it’s possible for all of us.
Making It a Way of Life
Once I completed my transformation that changed the way I coped with stress in my daily life, I found it helpful to add activities like exercise, yoga and meditation. These activities are great supplements because they help curb stress and provide numerous health benefits as a bonus. Exercise, for example, enhances mood for a few hours to a day after the exercise session. Yoga and meditation also have the benefit of reducing stress and can be used as more than just a stress curbing activity if the teachings are incorporated into everyday life.
Here’s my stress reduction journey in a nutshell:
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy – Attacking Anxiety & Depression program, Midwest Center for Stress & Anxiety, www.stresscenter.com
• Yoga – Hatha & Kundalini
• Exercise – walking, hiking, blading
• Breathwork – Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing, Dr. Andrew Weil, audio
• Living Consciously – A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle, audio book/book
I wish you a new experience of life with a mind and body free from the grip of stress and I leave you with this thought by the author Henry David Thoreau: “Things do not change; we change.”
For a full list of citations please visit the Sources Page.
