If you’ve ever gotten a sudden burst of energy during a hard workout or a boost of focus while working on a deadline, you can thank stress for your body’s performance. Contrary to popular belief, not all stress is bad. In fact, short bouts of stress are necessary for our safety and survival. But when stress starts to linger, it can lead to uncomfortable symptoms and health concerns, including thyroid disorders. 

What is stress?

Stress is any situation that triggers a response in our bodies. These situations can be physical such as intense exercise or injury. They can also be psychological like grief or jealousy. It’s important to know that stress responses vary between people. For example, one person may be exhilarated by public speaking while another dreads it. Regardless of the situation, our bodies respond to stress in the same way—by preparing us to face the challenge ahead.

The stress response—also known as your body’s fight-or-flight response—is regulated by the HPA axis. This body system contains the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in your brain and the adrenal glands on top of your kidneys. These three areas work together to produce epinephrine (or adrenaline), norepinephrine, and cortisol. With these stress hormones coursing through your body, you’ll experience higher blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure, a faster heart rate, and a heightened immune system. All these effects are critical in keeping your body safe from danger. Once the threat is gone, the HPA axis slows down the production of stress hormones, the stress response is turned off, and your body goes back to homeostasis. 

What happens when we have chronic stress?

Chronic stress is continuous and doesn’t go away easily. It’s linked to symptoms, inflammation, and disease. When your HPA axis is constantly turned on, you can eventually experience adrenal fatigue. Also known as burnout, adrenal fatigue happens when your body becomes less sensitive to stress. As a result, the HPA axis will slow down the production of stress hormones. Cortisol output decreases, which leads to symptoms like fatigue, sleep troubles, brain fog, low libido, and inflammation. 

How does chronic stress impact your thyroid?

It’s not a coincidence that thyroid disorders are often diagnosed after traumatic or stressful times. Life events like pregnancy, severe illness, or losing a loved one can trigger chronic stress. Just like the stress response system, thyroid production requires the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. When you’re suffering from chronic stress, your body prioritizes the stress response over other body functions. This means your hypothalamus and pituitary gland are working to produce stress hormones instead of thyroid hormones. As a result, chronic stress can lead to decreased TSH output and low conversion of T4 to T3. To further conserve your body’s resources, it may convert T4 to reverse T3. Cortisol also makes thyroid hormone receptors resistant to T3. Chronic stress can lead to an increased production of inflammatory cells, which results in autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s. Finally, when your HPA axis is working in overdrive, it burns through necessary nutrients like selenium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium—all of which are important for thyroid function.

Now that you know how stress can impact your thyroid health, here are ten ways to help manage stress.

1. Identify stressful areas in your life. Maybe this looks like getting your kids ready for school on time, or perhaps stress comes from high demands at work. When these tough times come up, ask yourself: Can I do anything to reduce my stress? Asking a loved one to help at home or requesting an extension at work can go a long way toward lowering your stress levels.

2. Learn your stress symptoms. In some people, stress leads to a racing heart and flushed face. In others, it may cause nausea or headaches. The next time you’re feeling stressed, note your symptoms. Doing so can help you recognize stress and respond to it quickly.

3. Balance your blood sugars. Repeat this mantra: “Coffee alone is not breakfast.” When we don’t give our bodies the fuel they need, we can feel increased stress. Skipping meals can even lead to increased cortisol levels. Balancing your blood sugars looks like eating regular meals and snacks that contain a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Some examples include veggies paired with hummus, oatmeal with nut butter, or fruit with string cheese. Sometimes, stress can lead to cravings for sweet or salty foods. Know that a balanced diet can decrease your stress response and give your body the nutrition it needs. 

4. Break up with (or take a break from) caffeine. There's no way around it--caffeine raises cortisol levels. Quitting coffee cold turkey may be an extreme move, so start by drinking one or two cups per day (paired with food, of course), and note how you feel.

5. Practice joyful movement. Intense exercise to burn calories and build muscle can create stress, raise cortisol, and increase inflammation in the body. When you aren’t feeling your best, aim for activities that make you feel good and bring you joy. Try yoga, walking your dog, or dancing around the house with your kids.

6. Rest without guilt. Whoever said we need to “earn” our breaks was totally wrong. A lack of adequate rest—including sleep—is a one-way ticket straight to burnout. Whatever your idea of rest looks like, do it unapologetically. Your to-do list will still be there in the morning.

7. “Hack” your stress with adaptogens. This class of herbs has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines to help promote wellness. Examples of adaptogens include ashwagandha, holy basil, and Rhodiola. You can find them in teas, powders, or pills. 

8. Find stress-reducing strategies that work for you. Meditation, journaling, deep breathing, and yoga are all science-backed ways to lower your stress levels. Experiment with different techniques to find one that works best for your lifestyle.

9. Connect with nature. Research has shown that just 20 minutes outside can reduce your levels of stress hormones. Try going for a walk in a park, reading under a tree, or practicing grounding, a therapeutic technique that involves standing barefoot on the Earth.

10. Make time for fun! Even with a jam-packed calendar, aim to do something fun every day. This can look like practicing a hobby, laughing with loved ones, or snuggling a pet. A little bit (or a lot) of fun can go a long way in reducing chronic stress.

Stress is a part of life. You can’t take it all away but you can learn to recognize it, minimize it and help support your body to better tolerate it. Those are the keys to preventing or improving the long-term effects stress can have on the body.

If you’re needing individualized support in this area, schedule a free strategy call where we can discuss if working together 1:1 would be a good fit (US residents only). You can also join the waitlist for the upcoming new 4-week group course where we will focus on nutrition solutions for thyroid health, including stress resilience.

Written by Lauren Williams, Dietetic Intern