The effects of stress aren’t just psychological… This is how your body begins to “destroy itself” with elevated cortisol levels.

In a world whose pace is accelerating, where news arrives in moments and scenes of war and bombing enter our homes via screens, a hidden enemy emerges that silently accompanies our lives: stress.

Stress is not just a passing feeling, but a series of chemical reactions that are active in the brain and body, and can affect our health and change the way we live.

Scientific research has revealed that chronic stress is capable of causing biological changes in the human body; a body that lives for a long time under the pressure of repeated anxiety does not remain the same as it was before. Although stress is a natural part of life, our bodies react differently to it, and this is where the secret lies.

Stress and cortisol: The protagonist

Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland above the kidneys, sometimes called the alertness and emergency hormone. It prepares the body for two decisions: fight or smart withdrawal to protect yourself.

Cortisol is not an enemy of the body, but a necessary hormone that needs balance, a balance that we can support through a healthy lifestyle, but it can cause problems when it remains high for a long time.

There are two types of tension:

1. Transient tension: beneficial and stimulates interaction with challenges.
2. Chronic stress: It lasts for long periods and begins to drain the body and mind.

HPA Axis: A precision instrument of perfection

Cortisol is produced via the HPA axis, a complex hormonal cascade consisting of:

1. H: The hypothalamus is a very small part of the brain that picks up stress signals with amazing speed.
2. P: The pituitary gland precisely coordinates hormonal messages in the body.
3. A: The adrenal glands affect the balance of the entire body despite their small size.

The HPA system is a delicate masterpiece of perfection; the pituitary gland is very small, and despite its small size and weight of only about 0.5 grams, it controls many vital bodily functions. The adrenal gland is responsible for producing the stress hormone cortisol. Each weighs no more than about 5 grams, yet they send stress signals to various parts of the body.

The hypothalamus, despite its small size of approximately 4 grams, issues precise instructions at the right moment, directing the release of stress hormones in the correct amounts from the appropriate glands. All these organs work in remarkable harmony; each has its own size, location, and specific role, which it performs with astonishing precision.

Consider the small size of these organs and the remarkable things they do. All these processes occur automatically without any intervention from us. How does the body sense that we are stressed before we even express it? And how does it release the right hormones from the right glands in the required amounts? It is a precise regulatory network that reflects the magnificent perfection in the creation of the human body.

How does this system work?

When we feel pressured or threatened:

• The hypothalamus picks up the signal and sends it out.
• The pituitary gland receives the message and releases a hormonal command.
• The adrenal glands secrete cortisol.

Cortisol levels rise temporarily, giving the body energy, then return to normal if the stress is temporary.

Chronic stress and its effects

If stress becomes a permanent condition, its effects appear on several systems:

Heart and circulatory system

1. High blood pressure.
2. Increased inflammation within the arteries and cholesterol buildup.
3. Higher risk of cardiac arrest with continued high blood pressure and heart rate.

The immune system:

Chronic stress weakens defenses and makes the body less able to resist infection.

The brain and nervous system:

1. Depression: High cortisol levels affect the hippocampus, a small region deep in the brain primarily responsible for memory formation, emotion regulation, and learning. The hippocampus contains receptors for producing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates feelings of happiness. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression.
2. Chronic anxiety: Increased activity of the amygdala puts the person in a constant state of alertness.
3. Sleep disturbances: Elevated cortisol levels at night impair deep sleep.
4. Studies suggest a possible link between chronic stress and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
5. Burnout: extreme exhaustion and loss of the ability to concentrate and be productive.

Stress and the digestive system

Chronic stress can lead to health disorders such as ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome, so it is important to follow methods that help reduce stress levels and the hormone cortisol in the body.

This can be achieved by sleeping 7 to 9 hours a day to reset the body’s stress axis balance, practicing deep breathing for a few minutes daily, along with regular physical activity.

Remembrance of God, prayer, and supplication also contribute to calming the nervous system, while reducing caffeine, maintaining healthy social relationships, laughing and activating happiness hormones, in addition to time management, help to reduce psychological stress.

When science meets prophetic guidance

The prophetic text expresses with remarkable precision a meaning that modern psychology has only recently come to appreciate. Among the supplications attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, and from helplessness and laziness.” This supplication distinguishes between worry and grief; worry is often associated with anxieties about the future and what might happen in it, while grief relates to what has already occurred in the past.

This is a subtle psychological observation that psychology has only recently begun to highlight, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) clearly pointed it out centuries ago. While modern science focuses on treating the effects of worry and sadness, supplication guides people to prevent them from occurring in the first place, and to avoid being consumed by them.

Smiling: a simple medicine

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Your smile to your brother is charity.”

Smiling releases dopamine and serotonin, and increases oxytocin – the hormone of social bonding – and it may be contagious; therefore, it is a charity that distributes happiness hormones among people. Truly, it is an amazing statement whose greatness has surpassed laboratory analyses.

Whispers for the mind and heart

Your mental health is your most valuable asset in life, and always remember that you are the one who can change your life the most. Stress is not a sign of strength or awareness, but rather a hidden condition that arises when the mind is constantly working while the body forgets its need for peace and rest. We don’t break down because life is too harsh for us to bear, but because we live it as if danger is always present, and as if rest is a form of negligence.

Stress means living in the present with a mind preoccupied with a future that hasn’t yet arrived, and paying a psychological price for things that may never even happen. An anxious mind doesn’t protect you from pain; it makes you experience it prematurely. Therefore, you don’t need to control everything to be well; it’s enough to stop exhausting yourself with worry about what hasn’t happened. Often, what burdens us isn’t the weight of life itself, but rather our attempt to carry it alone instead of walking with it calmly and with balance.