Feeling the Impacts of Chronic Stress Brings You Back to Old Habits

Do you feel frazzled and overwhelmed? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you anxious and impatient? These are just some of the symptoms of chronic stress. According to a new study, the effects of chronic stress force us back into old habits. And this may actually cause us to make bad decisions because in some situations, we are better off inhibiting a habit and instead using a goal oriented strategy – an effort that will force us to approach the situation differently. But when we are stressed we are more likely to just fall back on our habitual approach to dealing with the situation as opposed to being creative and forging a new path.

The study, reported in the July 31, 2009 volume of Science Magazine, shows how chronic stress negatively affects decision making. Using different behavioral strategies is critical to appropriate decision making, the study points out. When making choices, the study participants (rats) experiencing chronic stress cared less about the outcomes of decisions they made and resisted changes, falling back on old habits. Actions have consequences, the study authors state, and goal oriented behavior is critical to facing the ever-changing environment. Previous studies have shown that chronic stress impacts working memory and behavioral flexibility. This new study looked at whether the exposure to chronic stress would affect the animals’ ability to select the appropriate action, based on the consequences of their choice.

The authors make the point that general rules and habits are often advantageous. When the same behavior is repeated over and over for extended periods of time and the outcome is reliable, that’s a good thing. They say it’s possible that the rapid shift back to a habitual response after chronic stress could be a coping mechanism used to improve well-trained behaviors while new information is being acquired and processed ~ in other words, we keep ourselves busy with habitual responses while we are also seeking new avenues and preparing to do things differently. But, the study indicates that stressed subjects are often unable to switch from their old habits to new, more appropriate behaviors. The authors point out that this impairment might explain why stress disorders often co-exist with addictive or compulsive behaviors.

Let’s look at a few examples. An assisted living facility in our town had a water main break on the third floor – water gushed everywhere. Maintenance was able to shut off the water, but some residents were displaced from their rooms. One of the displaced women had severe Parkinson’s disease (but she was very mentally capable). She insisted that the bed in the new room she had to move to for a few days was too high off the ground; it was much higher than her own bed. She insisted she sleep on the mattress on the floor. The nurse on duty at the time, despite being concerned that this sleeping arrangement was not safe, decided it was easier not to fight with the woman (she came from a family that often argued and she hated fighting). So she asked the maintenance guys to take the bed frame away. After the nurse went home she worried about her decision all night, fearing that that the woman wouldn’t be able to get out of the bed if she needed to. The older woman woke in the middle of the night surprised to find that she was practically sleeping on the floor. And when she wanted to get up to use the bathroom, she couldn’t. Now was this good decision making on either of their parts? No. The next day the older woman said that she didn’t know how she ended up on the floor. When told she had insisted, her response was, “I probably did, but I think I was in a zombie state when I made that choice.” The nurse came into work and immediately told the maintenance people to move the bed frame back in – she didn’t even check with the older woman first. She knew that under stress, she’d made a bad decision, one that could have really had severe consequences.

Habit = The nurse, stressed because of the events of the day, didn’t fight the older woman despite knowing the sleeping situation might be unsafe – she habitually avoided fighting. The older woman was also stressed from the day’s activities and being moved out of her usual environment. She overlooked the challenges of her Parkinson’s, while thinking on some level she was managing the situation well. Only later did they both realize the mistakes stress caused them both to make.

Another example. A journeyman linesman worked a double shift for the third day in a row after a major ice storm. He felt severely fatigued. Carrying 30-50 pounds of equipment he climbed up the utility pole. His hands were freezing – it was still snowing and sleeting a bit outside. He was strong and in good health and he’d done this work a million times. Three guys stood down below watching and waiting for him to call out to them – telling them what he needed. While climbing up, almost reaching the top, he slipped and fell to the ground, knocking over one of the other men before landing a few feet away. The other two guys rushed over to his side; they leaned over him trying to gauge how serious his injuries were. A few minutes later, after concluding the man was not too seriously hurt, one of the others called an ambulance, which was company policy. He told the dispatch operator that there’d been an accident, but the man was doing okay. After he hung up they turned their attention to the other man, the one who had been knocked down. He was still lying on the ground, completely still. They tried to take his pulse, but there wasn’t one. Only later did they learn that he’d had a heart attack and died while all of their attention was on the other worker. Little did they know that the one who died was suffering from chronic heart disease due to unmanaged, extremely high cholesterol. He hadn’t told anyone.

Habit = When someone falls from high above, it’s normal for people on the ground to worry about injuries. And, they followed policy by calling 911. No one thought of the other guy, and by the time they did, it was too late.

How can you manage your stress level?
• Find ways to make yourself feel better.
• Keep control as best you can; try not to allow yourself to feel out of control
• Be confident in yourself; you can make it through tough spots.
• Try and maintain an optimistic attitude.
• Keep a good sense of humor as often as you can.
• Don’t isolate yourself; rely on family and friends – keep your network strong.
• Don’t blame yourself too much when mistakes happen; learn from them instead.

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