Why You're Exhausted: The Stress Nobody Blames on the Environment
Personal wellness practices and stress management can only go so far. When chronic stress persists despite genuine self-care, the environment itself is often the source. You can do everything right: sleep, breathe, rest, heal, and still feel depleted. Sometimes the problem isn't you. It's what surrounds you.
Could the air itself be affecting your mental health?
Debris from explosions and waste can directly expose residents of conflict zones to toxins. The most prominent of these are the following: particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and toxic combustion products from burning waste, wood and plastic.
Evidence has shown us that particulate matter, (which is absorbed directly into the blood stream), can directly activate stress response in the body. As we discussed last week with stress hormone release, cortisol is also released, which is the same as responding to psychological threat or danger.
So in short, environmental stressors from air pollution → leads to higher cortisol levels in your body → which will lead you to feel much more stressed, even though there is no immediate danger around you.
Environmental stressors impact your hormones, which impact your body’s response and functioning, leading you feeling anxious and on-high alert.
What happens when your brain learns that loud sounds mean danger?
When your brain repeatedly hears loud noises associated with danger, whether that’s bombs, war planes, etc. your mind begins to make a direct link between loud noise = danger.
After this learning occurs, the sound alone is enough to trigger a full fear response — even when no actual danger is present. This is called fear conditioning. Your brain will continue to think of these signals as immediate danger. This means the body is already in fight-or-flight before the conscious brain has even finished deciding whether something is actually dangerous.
Vulnerable populations include:
- Children: especially young ones with developing brains, having early exposure to these toxins could alter their brain chemistry.
- Pregnant Women: For both the mom and the baby they are carrying, prenatal exposure to toxins can impact the baby growing in utero, making toxic exposure at this stage capable of producing long-lasting consequences for the fetus. On top of that, pregnant women are more likely to experience anxiety and depression and potentially make post-partum depression even worse.
- People already experiencing PTSD: Research indicates that adolescents found that link between air pollution and elevated cortisol stress responses was strongest in those who had pre-existing anxiety symptoms. The stress plus their hormonal inflammation causes an amplification of biological damage, which creates a worse outcome than either would produce on their own.
- The Elderly: Research shows elderly face heightened risk due to age-related declines in coping with stress. At this stage, their body simply cannot keep up with the ongoing stress on their bodies, particularly if they have pre-disposed to conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Pollution directly worsens, creating a cycle of harm.)
Helpful Tips
- Regulating Nervous System
Make sure to ground yourself during the day. We’ve talked extensively about breathing techniques in this article, but even just practicing controlled breathing and dropping an anchor when you feel overwhelmed really makes all the difference.
Controlled breathing is one of the most accessible tools available. Even 3–4 slow, extended exhales activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body's built-in calming response, and can interrupt a stress or panic response without requiring any equipment, safety, or privacy.
- Sleep
Even fragmented sleep is extremely crucial. Making sure you anchor yourself around a time and place to sleep, whenever you can, can help signal to your body that it is time to rest.
- Community + Surrounding yourself by loved ones
Being physically close to someone you trust, your friend, family member, etc, speaking to them about your troubles, or simply sitting close to them can do wonders for your mental health and the stress you feel.
- Eating good foods (will provide freebies)
Eating regularly, even small amounts, helps stabilize cortisol. When the body is food-insecure, stress hormones spike further. Drinking water consistently throughout the day supports basic cognitive and emotional regulation.
We will be providing a free list of foods you should prioritize eating during this time later this week!
- Movement
Even small amounts of movement: stretching, walking within a shelter, gentle exercise, help metabolize the stress hormones that accumulate in the body under chronic threat. The body prepares for fight or flight but rarely gets to discharge that energy, and movement provides an outlet.
If this resonated with you, the Stress Management Bundle was designed to support you. And if you’re still figuring out what you’re feeling, start with our free Stress vs. Anxiety guide.
Take Care,
Sarah - PHP Team
Head of Content and Programs