What are the 3 Systems of Stress Management?

by Dr. Eric First June 18, 2020

We know we throw around a bit of medical lingo when we talk about stress and how R3SET helps manage it. In light of that, today we are going to talk about the three systems we continually reference, how they work individually, and how they work together. We’re also going to break down homeostasis and allostasis, the end goal of stress management in the body. We’ll try not to get too Biology 101 on you, but if we do, we promise to be the fun professor.

The Nervous System

It is composed of tons of neurons, or nerve cells, that transmit signals all over the body. There are two main parts of the nervous system – the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord; and the peripheral nervous system, which is mostly nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. In a nutshell, the nervous system carries messages from one area of the body to the other and back again controlling the body's functions. Just like there are many ways we as humans communicate: in person, on the phone, via text, and so on, the nervous system also communicates a lot of different ways.

Now honestly, breaking down all of the functions, what’s, and how’s of the nervous system would take a long while, so right now, we are going to focus on how it works to manage stress. There are two branches of the nervous system: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic activates the "fight or flight" response, which are all the feelings that happen when a stressful situation occurs and the body puts out its own personal Bat-Signal. Neurotransmitters and hormones are what activate this response – your heart starts racing, you start to get anxious, maybe you even break out in a sweat.

So, now you are mildly freaking out and your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to try to get you into homeostasis, or balance. The parasympathetic nervous system counteracts the sympathetic nervous system, releasing neurotransmitters that induce a more relaxed state, lowering the heart rate, blood pressure, and those jitters you were feeling. In fact, you probably heard of this being called the "relaxation response.” That is the activation of the parasympathetic system, counteracting the sympathetic system. In short, it’s the stress whisperer.

Pro Tip: One of the best ways to get on the fast-track to the relaxation response is by doing some focused breathing and using aromatherapy. It can calm you quickly and start bringing you into homeostasis.

The Endocrine System

This system includes all of the bodily organs that produce hormones. It regulates this like tissue function, metabolism, growth, development, and also affects mood. Like the nervous system, the endocrine system also uses signals to make things happen (see why they get along so well?). The endocrine system secretes hormones, complex chemicals that are released into the bloodstream where they go swimming to specific tissues to elicit a response. For instance, the hormone testosterone can put you in the mood for amore, oxytocin can make you feel so good you think you’re in love, and cortisol tells your body it’s stressed (sorry, they can’t all be desirable). Since we brought up cortisol, let’s move into how the endocrine system is involved in this whole stress mess.

When the nervous system activates its stress response, the news travels to the endocrine system. The endocrine system then secretes a boost of cortisol into the bloodstream. It’s important to note that cortisol is waltzing through your body all day, but when stressed, the body gets an extra dose in one big jolt, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

The Immune System

The immune system is an intricate web of cells and proteins that defend the body against infection. The main parts include antibodies, white cells, the lymphatic system, the complement system, the spleen, the thymus, and bone marrow. One of the really cool things about this system is it has a very unique sort of research library within it. It keeps a record of every single microbe, a fancy word for germ, it has ever conquered, so if it shows up again it can snuff it out fast.

So let’s move on to the stress connection. Once the endocrine system lets the cortisol out, it suppresses the immune system and causes inflammation. Those killer cells that go out and execute microbes and other nasties are slowed down by cortisol and then there’s also a decrease in white blood cell production which are what help fight off infection. In essence, it turns your former sturdy citadel into a straw shack just waiting for a Big Bad Wolf to huff and puff it down. Also, long-term, chronic inflammation can lead to very serious diseases among other things.

Allostasis – What it is and How R3SET Gets You There

Now that we’ve covered how each system works, let’s do a little stress response recap. It all begins in the sympathetic nervous system activating the stress response, and while the parasympathetic tries to smooth things out, the endocrine system gets the memo and releases cortisol into the body. Then the immune system hears about the stress from the cortisol and it gets inflamed, lowering immunity. Eventually, all three systems rebalance, which is known as allostasis.

R3SET targets all three systems involved in the stress response to help your body reach allostasis faster. By supporting all three systems with the key ingredients found in Calm and Unwind, all systems are supported and the result is a synergistic effect that promotes allostasis, which in turn reduces stress, cortisol production, and preserves immunity. Using minimal, high-quality ingredients, our supplements don't overtax the system and instead help it manage stress efficiently and pleasantly. And bonus, they look and smell pretty too!

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