The Ways Chronic Stress Affects the Body
There are so many ways we may feel stressed or anxious in our daily lives, and many times we don’t even realize it. For example, current events are one big reason for many of us right now, but in our daily lives even outside of current events there’s stress that may occur at home and work.
Our daily commutes and the risks of the roadways may be just one of the many ways we’re exposed to stress. Our careers and workplace tress bombard us, and then there is the stress of raising children and taking care of our families.
All of this leads to not just situational but chronic stress, which can take a serious toll on our physical health. By being aware of these risks, it’s possible we can work on ways to combat some of the stress we face and improve our health.
What’s Chronic Stress?
Chronic stress is what we deal with when we face ongoing, prolonged physiological arousal. When we face stress often, our autonomic nervous system doesn’t have the ability to activate our relaxation response.
When you’re always on high alert, it can affect every part of your body.
The human body is meant to deal with short-term, acute stress, but not chronic stress.
Our fight-or-flight response may be activated nearly all the time when it’s only meant to help us in severe, life-threatening situations that are stretched out over long periods of time.
An estimated 90% of doctor’s visits are related to conditions that are linked to chronic stress.
What are the Symptoms of Chronic Stress?
There can be many wide-ranging symptoms of chronic stress, like:
- Extreme irritability
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Problems with concentration or brain fog
- Disorganized thoughts
- Sleep disturbances
- Digestive and appetite issues
- Loss of sexual desire
- Frequent illnesses or infections
Long-term effects of stress include:
- An increased risk of mental health problems like anxiety and depression
- Higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, which can include heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, and high blood pressure
- Obesity
- Menstrual problems
- Sexual dysfunction
- Gastrointestinal problems including gastritis and ulcerative colitis
- Problems with skin and hair like hair loss and psoriasis
How Can You Manage Stress?
As it becomes easy to see, so many chronic health conditions have links to chronic stress. Chronic stress can make it feel like you’re out of control in your life, but there are strategies that you can utilize to get your stress under control and reduce your risk of developing related health complications.
Chronic stress management strategies include:
- Start learning more about the signs and symptoms of chronic stress. When you can recognize you’re dealing with chronic stress, then you’re going to be equipped to find healthy ways to deal with it.
- Lean on friends and family when you’re feeling stressed. Many of us don’t want to burden our loved ones, but emotional support can help so much, so open up and be willing to accept support.
- Know what your triggers are. Not all stress triggers can be avoided, but some can be. When you can reduce your exposure to your triggers, you can reduce your stress.
- Get enough physical activity. It’s critical that you exercise for all areas of your physical and mental health, and physical activity is one of the best ways to help yourself with stress.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness.
- Make a concerted effort to get enough sleep each night. Set sleep as a priority in your life every night.
As you work on building long-term, healthy habits to cope with stress, it can help your body and mind be more resilient. It also gives you a much-needed break from constant stress.
There are also medical treatments that you might consider if you make lifestyle changes and don’t find they’re helping much. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy is one way to cope with stress.
When you participate in CBT, the goal is to help you shift your behaviors and thoughts and manage your stress more effectively.
If you find that you’ve utilized self-help strategies for your stress and it’s not working, speak with your doctor because they may be able to advise you on other strategies.
Stress is an unavoidable part of our lives, but it shouldn’t overtake your life. Work on identifying symptoms and triggers, reaching out to loved ones when you’re dealing with stress, and avoiding triggers whenever possible.
When you’re less stressed, it can be beneficial to every part of your body and mind.
