This constant stress is known as 'chronic stress' - the response to socioeconomic pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time that causes emotional distress, accelerated health decline, and the perception in which an individual perceives they have little or no control: 'a sense of powerlessness, defeatism, and fatalism'.
African Americans suffer more chronic stress which includes unending feelings of despair/hopelessness, anger, shame, worry, and grief; poverty, family dysfunctional stress, early childhood traumatic experiences, experienced and perceived racial discrimination, neighborhood stress, daily stress, acculturative stress, and environmental stress.
In her book, ‘Environmental Stress and African-Americans’, author Grace Carroll states that race is brought to the consciousness of African Americans every day through interaction with employers, service providers, landlords, the police, and the media.
Carrol says the stress experienced by Blacks merely as a result of being African American causes 'micro-aggressions' that include experiences such as being denied service, being falsely accused, being negatively singled out on account of one's race - 'Living While Black' (LWB).
Carroll labels the stress that results from such micro-aggressions as Mundane Extreme Environmental Stress (MEES) - which she says is a daily experience, has a significant impact on one's psychological well being and world view, is environmentally induced, and is detracting and energy consuming.
Arline Geronimus a professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan echoes Carroll by stating the stress of living and working in a race conscious society slowly wears down Black people from all walks of life.
From Geronimus perspective racist stress, coupled with poverty, eventually erodes Blacks mental and physical health, a gradual process that she calls ‘weathering’. This daily weathering results in depression, substance abuse, suicide, strained relationships, and frustration that leads to misplaced Black-on-Black violence.
Stress and Heart Disease
Since African Americans suffer the most from chronic stress it should not be a surprise that we have the highest heart disease rate in the US.
Our body’s response to stress is supposed to protect us, however if it is constant – chronic it harms us. The hormone cortisol is released in response to stress; studies suggest that the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers looked at blood samples from both the stressed mice, as well as humans who came from differing socioeconomic statuses.
1: Humming grounds and brings you back to your center; it helps settle the feeling of being restless or scattered on the inside.
2: Promotes clarity of thinking by refreshing your mind. You can physically feel the vibration of the “hum” clear out the cob webs.
3: Has a very relaxing and soothing effect on your neck, face, head and shoulder muscles, which helps dissolve stress.
4: Humming reduces the number of thoughts that fill your head. When you are humming there is little room for over thinking.
5: Humming puts a smile on your face.
6: Humming slows down your breathing rate significantly. Dr. Kataria’s research shows, we normally breathe 15-17 times in a minute but with humming you can bring it down to 4-6 a minute which helps to slow down your heart rate and brings down your stress level.
7: Helps dissolve unproductive thinking. If you are having a bout of negativity, jump straight into a few rounds of “hmmmm” and notice a shift in your thinking.
8: Calms your nervous system as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
9: Dr. Kataria firmly believes it helps those with insomnia or restless sleep patterns, and perfect for inducing a deep sleep without dreams (the best kind of sleep).
10: “Humming creates a wonderful circuit of energy in your body re-vitalizing its cells and charging its chakra’s” as quoted by Deva Premal
11: Improves sinusitis. The vibration helps shifts and clears pathways and blockages.
12: Lowers blood pressure as proven by Dr. Kataria. 5 minutes of humming can reduce your blood pressure between 10 – 20 mmHg.
Chronic stress constantly raises the levels of cortisol creating inflammation that prevents cholesterol from freely moving throughout the body resulting in it accumulating in artery walls.
Moreover chronic stress causes changes in immune cell genes, researchers found that chronic stress changes gene activity of immune cells before they enter the bloodstream so that they’re ready to fight infection or trauma - even when there is no infection or trauma to fight. This then leads to increased inflammation.
The changes in immune cell genes was seen in mice, as well as in blood samples from people with poor socioeconomic statuses (a predictor of chronic stress), reported the researchers from Ohio State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, Northwestern University and the University of British Columbia.
Moreover chronic stress causes changes in immune cell genes, researchers found that chronic stress changes gene activity of immune cells before they enter the bloodstream so that they’re ready to fight infection or trauma - even when there is no infection or trauma to fight. This then leads to increased inflammation.
The changes in immune cell genes was seen in mice, as well as in blood samples from people with poor socioeconomic statuses (a predictor of chronic stress), reported the researchers from Ohio State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, Northwestern University and the University of British Columbia.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers looked at blood samples from both the stressed mice, as well as humans who came from differing socioeconomic statuses.
Just like in the mouse part of the experiment, 387 genes were identified that had differences in activity between the people who came from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those who came from high socioeconomic backgrounds. And just like in the mice, the up-regulated genes in those who came from low socioeconomic backgrounds were pro-inflammatory.
Even minor stress can trigger heart problems like poor blood flow to the heart muscle. This is a condition in which the heart doesn't get enough blood or oxygen. And, long-term stress can affect how the blood clots, this makes the blood stickier and increases the risk of stroke.
In a 2014 study conducted by a University of Pittsburgh researcher Dr. Peter Gianaros found that negative stressful emotions contributes to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) by raising the levels of inflammatory causing chemicals in the body.
Recent research led by Dr Ahmed Tawakol of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (2017), shows chronic stress can lead to the over-production of white blood cells, which can form plaques in the arteries and lead to heart disease.
Tawakol advocates that chronic stress should be treated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease like other major cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Even minor stress can trigger heart problems like poor blood flow to the heart muscle. This is a condition in which the heart doesn't get enough blood or oxygen. And, long-term stress can affect how the blood clots, this makes the blood stickier and increases the risk of stroke.
In a 2014 study conducted by a University of Pittsburgh researcher Dr. Peter Gianaros found that negative stressful emotions contributes to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) by raising the levels of inflammatory causing chemicals in the body.
Recent research led by Dr Ahmed Tawakol of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (2017), shows chronic stress can lead to the over-production of white blood cells, which can form plaques in the arteries and lead to heart disease.
Tawakol advocates that chronic stress should be treated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease like other major cardiovascular disease risk factors.
African Americans with heart disease must start managing our stress just like we are told to manage the other major heart disease risk-factors: high blood-pressure, diabetes, and weight (obesity).
Stress Management
As Blacks being up under so much pressure reducing stress in our everyday lives is vital for maintaining our overall health and quality of life; improving our mood, boosting our immune functioning, promoting longevity, and allowing us to be more productive.
As Blacks being up under so much pressure reducing stress in our everyday lives is vital for maintaining our overall health and quality of life; improving our mood, boosting our immune functioning, promoting longevity, and allowing us to be more productive.
When we let constant stress get the best of us, we put ourselves at risk to finding relief in negative coping mechanisms 'addictions' of all types and developing a range of illnesses from the common cold to severe heart disease.
The following are four healthy techniques that psychological research has shown to help reduce stress in the short and long-term:
Tip 1: Deep breathe - as soon as you become stressed breathe deeply because it lowers stress in your body by sending a message to your brain to calm down and relax.
Tip 2: Identify your stress - this will help identify how much stress you are under and ways to reduce stress in your life.
Tip 3: Be assertive - when you have too much unnecessary pressure demands coming at you from others just say no!
Tip 4: Take a break from the stress - when you step away from a stressful situation you let yourself have time to do something else 'debrief', which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed.
Humming for Stress Relief
During the dark days of slavery our Ancestors particularly our foremothers hummed everyday for stress-relief 'soul-comfort'.
12 instant benefits of humming (Carole Fogarty):
The following are four healthy techniques that psychological research has shown to help reduce stress in the short and long-term:
Tip 1: Deep breathe - as soon as you become stressed breathe deeply because it lowers stress in your body by sending a message to your brain to calm down and relax.
Tip 2: Identify your stress - this will help identify how much stress you are under and ways to reduce stress in your life.
Tip 3: Be assertive - when you have too much unnecessary pressure demands coming at you from others just say no!
Tip 4: Take a break from the stress - when you step away from a stressful situation you let yourself have time to do something else 'debrief', which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed.
Humming for Stress Relief
During the dark days of slavery our Ancestors particularly our foremothers hummed everyday for stress-relief 'soul-comfort'.
12 instant benefits of humming (Carole Fogarty):
1: Humming grounds and brings you back to your center; it helps settle the feeling of being restless or scattered on the inside.
2: Promotes clarity of thinking by refreshing your mind. You can physically feel the vibration of the “hum” clear out the cob webs.
3: Has a very relaxing and soothing effect on your neck, face, head and shoulder muscles, which helps dissolve stress.
4: Humming reduces the number of thoughts that fill your head. When you are humming there is little room for over thinking.
5: Humming puts a smile on your face.
6: Humming slows down your breathing rate significantly. Dr. Kataria’s research shows, we normally breathe 15-17 times in a minute but with humming you can bring it down to 4-6 a minute which helps to slow down your heart rate and brings down your stress level.
7: Helps dissolve unproductive thinking. If you are having a bout of negativity, jump straight into a few rounds of “hmmmm” and notice a shift in your thinking.
8: Calms your nervous system as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
9: Dr. Kataria firmly believes it helps those with insomnia or restless sleep patterns, and perfect for inducing a deep sleep without dreams (the best kind of sleep).
10: “Humming creates a wonderful circuit of energy in your body re-vitalizing its cells and charging its chakra’s” as quoted by Deva Premal
11: Improves sinusitis. The vibration helps shifts and clears pathways and blockages.
12: Lowers blood pressure as proven by Dr. Kataria. 5 minutes of humming can reduce your blood pressure between 10 – 20 mmHg.
