Dr Rangan Chatterjee: How to manage stress

If you’re a patient at Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s surgery, you might not present with an obvious stress issue. But chances are your IBS, your anxiety, insomnia, low libido or perimenopausal symptoms will have stress at their root. “As a GP, 80 per cent of what I see every single day is in some way related to stress,” Dr Chatterjee tells us. Being a GP and a bestselling author on stress, Dr Chatterjee is a realist and bases his advice on what he has seen working in his practice and in his own life. Here’s a summary of the advice he had for us.

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1. What does stress do to the body?
The stress response affects every organ and system in the body, our blood sugar, our brain our immune system and even our gut, says Dr Chatterjee.

2. How do I not let stress get to me?
We’ve become so busy jumping from task to task that we’ve lost the connection between our bodies and our brain, he says. Taking time to reconnect with our bodies helps us to realise when our shoulders are tight, or back pain is increasing – all indicators that our stress levels are rising.

3. How do I start my day without getting stressed?
Make sure you have a morning routine, he advises. It can be five minutes or even an hour but it should incorporate the three Ms: Mindfulness, Movement and Mindset.

4. How do I fix stress-related headaches?
When we are stressed, our breathing changes. We breathe faster and with our chest (a more shallow breath). Try the 3,4,5, breath, where you breathe in for three, hold for four and breathe out for five. By making your out-breath longer than your in-breath you activate the relaxation part of your nervous system, which helps to switch off the stress side of it.

5. Can stress make my hormonal symptoms worse?
Yes. The sex steroid hormones (e.g. oestrogen and testosterone) and the stress hormones (e.g. cortisol) are both made from the same precursor - LDL cholesterol. When we’re stressed, the body prioritises cortisol over sex hormones, which affects our hormone balance. Dr Chatterjee often addresses hormonal issues in patients by tackling stress levels first.

6. How do I make sure I don’t bring my stress home?
Use your journey home to try to get into a more relaxed state. If you drive home, skip listening to the news which might gee you up. If you are on public transport, use the time to listen to something inspiring such as music, an uplifting podcast or a meditation app.
Many people use alcohol to unwind, but it can impact your sleep, he cautions.

7. What are the best supplements for stress?
While Dr Chatterjee always prefers that we address stress with lifestyle first, some supplements can be useful, he says. Magnesium is known as the relaxation mineral and many us have suboptimal levels of it. He’s seen how a good quality magnesium supplement can help particularly with menopausal symptoms, or if you have trouble sleeping or switching off. There’s increasing research to show that the health of our gut impacts our stress levels. Dr Chatterjee recommends a high-quality probiotic supplement to some of his patients.

8. How do I get to sleep when my mind is racing?
Adults need a bedtime routine just like children. A bath can be a powerful signal to the body that it’s time to wind down. Switching off your technology for the final hour before bed is beneficial not only for avoiding the blue light which can keep you awake but avoiding the emotional stimulation. Deep breathing can help relax the body. Try the 3,4,5 breath as above or box breathing - breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four more.

9. How do I go to sleep earlier?
It’s generally lifestyle rather than genetics that makes us night owls; too much caffeine in the day and light exposure in the evening can shift our body clocks. Enjoy caffeine before noon - remember that if you have a large cup off coffee at noon, a quarter of the caffeine will still be in your blood stream at midnight. Get at least 15-20 minutes of natural light during the day, limit electronic light exposure in the evening. Use night mode on your device or invest in some blue light blocking glasses.

10. What’s the best exercise for stress?
Anything you want, says Dr Chatterjee. For some, a ten-minute walk or 20 press ups will be enough. Exercise not only helps us destress when we’re stressed it makes us more resilient to stress in the future.

Credits:
Dr Rangan Chatterjee is author of The Stress Solution, 4 Steps to Reset Your Body, Mind, Relationships and Purpose. https://amzn.to/2Cdk8bh
Director: Sarah McGinnis
Producer: Victoria Woodhall
Find more from Dr Chatterjee at: https://drchatterjee.com