Stress Management: Key to a Healthy Thyroid |

Thyroid disorders have become extremely common nowadays. Apart from genetic predisposition, there are a lot of other external factors that increase the risk of thyroid diseases, one of them being stress.
Chronic stress has been shown to affect the thyroid gland in some studies.
When we are stressed, there is an increase in the hormone cortisol in our body, and adrenaline also increases.These hormones can cause both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when our body produces less thyroid hormone than is required for the normal functioning of our body. It is a very common disorder affecting 10 percent of the population, that is, one in ten people suffer from it. Stress can worsen or contribute to hypothyroidism by decreasing the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone and decreasing the production of T4, which is the active thyroid hormone. Similarly, stress-induced increases in cortisol can cause Graves disease, that is hyperthyroidism(when our thyroid gland produces more hormone than is required ) also, by increasing the production of the antibody that causes it.
Both these thyroid disorders are on the rise nowadays and there are many reasons for it, one of them being increased stress levels in our lives and our inability to deal with it.

How to manage this stress?

There should be a holistic approach to dealing with stress that has become a part and parcel of our daily lives. Here are some tips to deal with it-
1. Deep breathing exercises and meditation– taking some time out in your day for Mindful breathing – in which you concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath and meditation are shown scientifically to reduce stress levels.
2. Regular exercise – Exercise causes the release of endorphins or happy hormones. Regular exercise in any form is a great stress buster apart from having numerous other health benefits as well. A lot of hypothyroid patients complain of fatigue despite adequate supplementation, in such patients especially, exercise helps in reducing fatigue.

3. Healthy food – Having wholesome food, with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains which are rich in antioxidants is a great way of reducing inflammation In the body. Some important elements for thyroid function are iodine, selenium, and zinc. So including food rich in these elements such as nuts, whole grains, and seeds maintains good thyroid health.
4. Sleep – For our body and thyroid to function well, good quality sleep for adequate duration, that is at least 8 hours is a must. Setting a good bedtime routine like reading a book before sleeping and dimming the lights might help if falling asleep is a problem. Having a completely dark room with no noise is also important for good quality sleep.
5. Living in ‘Day tight compartments’-A beautiful book by Dale Carnegie – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living- has its first chapter called Living in ‘day-tight compartments’ which means not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow and focusing only on today. However big a problem is, focus on what can be done about it today and work on it. Most of the worries or problems do get easier with this approach.
6. Work-life balance-With the advent of working from home and its advantages, it has a big disadvantage in that the line between personal life and work gets blurry. There are long hours and irregular timings, targets, and deadlines which make stress seep into our lives. So compartmentalizing work and personal time is very important. Taking multiple breaks in the day can give a refreshing time and improve productivity. Taking some days off from work once in a while also can help reduce stress levels.
7. Seeking help – Seeking professional help and not feeling guilty about it is extremely helpful as in some cases medication and counseling are required and make a big difference.
(Author: Dr. Vidya Tickoo, Consultant Endocrinologist & Diabetologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad)