Does your stress level, mood and how you think directly impact your immune system?
Absolutely! More and more research is revealing a connection between the brain and immune system.
How has COVID-19 impacted you? Are you stressed, lonely, depressed, anxious?
No one likes uncertainty, so we often consume more media in search for answers from the news, friends, family and strangers.
While we may need to know what's going on in our community and world to stay informed, too much media consumption is likely making our mental health worse. News and media exposure is a known source of stress and can be highly biased toward the negative.
It's normal to have some worry and anxiety in our lives, however, extreme fear or panic activates a part of the brain promoting the release of hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. Chronic activation of this stress response system is linked to an increase in depression and anxiety. It also worsens our immune system by decreasing the body's lymphocytes, more commonly known as white blood cells, which are essential to healthy immune function.
Several studies have been conducted on the brain and immune system connection. In one study, students were exposed to the common cold. Some had their happiness level boosted (e.g. funny movies) just before being exposed to the virus and some did not. Those who watched the funny videos and had their happiness boosted were less likely to get the cold compared to those who did not have their happiness boosted. Similar results were found with the flu virus.
Another study exposed 350 adults to a cold virus. Their emotions were measured for two weeks before exposure. Those who reported more positive emotions were less likely to get a cold.
In addition, those with greater stress and lower social status (feeling "less than," alone, ashamed) were more likely to develop a cold and those with more support were less likely to develop a cold (even if they were around more people that were sneezing on them).
Thirteen studies including 1,158 people found that higher psychological stress was associated with lower antibody response to a flu vaccine, making it significantly less effective.
It's an understatement to say our immune systems are highly sophisticated. We don't even know what they are doing for us every second of the day to protect us. Its far-reaching influence supports overall wellness by fighting infection and other harmful substances such as viruses (like COVID-19), bacteria, parasites, precancerous cells and growing cancer cells. Through highly complex and adaptive processes, a healthy immune system is always at work for you, protecting you from infections by identifying and destroying harmful microorganisms.
Your immune system also helps you build immunity so that when you encounter certain invading germs again, you can fight them faster the next time around, often without even getting sick at all.
So the take-home message is don't let an unhealthy level of fear or panic overtake you during this COVID-19 pandemic. It's counterproductive and just might be a contributor to poor mental and physical health.
Look at what you do have control over in your life and reduce stress where possible. Taking action to cope with COVID-19 stress in the following ways will help boost your mental health and immune system:
- Take breaks from watching, reading or listening to news stories, including social media.
- Take care of your body.
- Take deep breaths, pray or meditate.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Make time to unwind.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and stay hydrated.
Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Surround yourself with people that make you feel happy and supported. Avoid unhealthy relationships or people that will feed your existing fears.
Melinda Ridenhour, RD, LD, IBCLC, has been with the Cole County Health Department for 22 years and serves as the director of nutrition services.