Stress: How Does it Affect Our Bodies?
Stress is a normal part of life, but what happens when our stress levels get out of control and unmanageable? If you find yourself feeling irritable and tense even when there are no obvious stressors, you probably are experiencing chronic stress. Not only can chronic stress affect our mental well-being, but it has been shown to impact all areas of our life, including our physical health.
When our stress levels get out of control and reach a point of chronic stress, it makes it hard to be able to process and handle ourselves. It’s ok to need added support. Finding mental health counseling in your area can drastically change your ability to combat chronic stress. Having a customized treatment plan that you create with a therapist specializing in your needs will improve your stress levels and provide you with an outlet to process new stressors as they arise.
What is chronic stress?
There are two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is short-term and not innately unhealthy for us. Things like meeting work deadlines or losing your keys in the morning are examples of acute stress. Chronic stress, on the other hand, lasts for long periods of time and is persistent in nature. It can stem from various sources, such as ongoing conflicts, financial troubles, or occupational pressures. Unlike acute stress, chronic stress keeps the body's stress response constantly activated, leading to a state where the stress switch remains "on" for an extended period. This prolonged exposure to stress hormones can have detrimental effects on both our mental and physical health.
How does chronic stress show up in our body?
Chronic stress is more detrimental to us than just leaving our minds in constant “on” mode. While it begins in our mind, prolonged stress will start to show up in various ways in our bodies. Many ways that stress manifests may cause us to go to our doctors to treat the symptoms, and then the symptoms still continue even with medical intervention.
When you have experienced obvious stressors that have become chronic, it’s important to identify them to prevent the stress from manifesting throughout your body. For example, things like grief and PTSD cause our bodies to be in a constant state of alert, and until we work on processing it, our bodies will continue to feel the effects. This is why grief and PTSD counseling can be so important to prevent physical symptoms from showing up.
Here are some of the most common ways stress can manifest into physical symptoms:
Chronic headaches
Frequent and unexplained muscle tension
Weakened immune system
High blood pressure and heart disease
Digestive issues like stomach pain, nausea, and bowel changes
It’s vital for us to start seeing the connections in all areas of our lives and within our bodies. By approaching our health holistically, we can address many things we would not be able to see and understand if we were only treating each individual symptom.
What can we do to combat chronic stress?
We can’t reverse the clock and undo all of the physical ailments that can be caused by chronic stress. There are some things we can do though to keep it from continuing. By integrating stress management techniques and lifestyle changes, we can begin to manage our stressors better and feel more connected to ourselves.
Stress Management Techniques
Meditation: Meditation is known to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. It lowers cortisol, the stress hormone, and increases levels of serotonin. Meditation also helps us increase our ability to focus and regulate our emotions more effectively.
Mental Health Counseling: A therapist can help you create a plan to cope with your stressors, identify your triggers, and process the stressors you are or have already experienced. While all of the techniques outlined here are beneficial, a mental health professional will be able to cater the plan to exactly what you need.
Breathing Techniques: Similar to meditation, breathing techniques can lower cortisol. It’s a great way to ground yourself quickly in moments of stress. Deep, slow breaths will help your body release tension and reduce feelings of anxiety. A great breathing technique to utilize is box breathing.
Lifestyle Changes
Adequate Sleep: Lack of sleep or poor sleep has major effects on our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. While sleep issues sometimes feel out of our control, improving the habits surrounding your sleep can help us improve sleep quality. Things like sleep meditations or white noise can help you relax and fall asleep. You can also limit your screen time and try to only engage in non-stimulating activities for a couple of hours before bed.
Social Support: Having a support network that you can be vulnerable with and lean on will improve your overall stress levels. We often don’t want to burden the people we love with how we feel, but when you can be open and honest about the stressors you’re experiencing, you may find that your loved ones can relate. They also may be going through their own stressors and feel unable to speak about it. Vulnerability helps us connect, heal, and thrive.
Exercise: Body movement is a natural stress reliever. It releases endorphins that help improve anxiety and depression, improves muscle tension, boosts our immune system, and promotes better sleep. Exercise looks different for everyone, and the level of intensity and frequency varies, but consistent physical movement is key.
If you resonate with this blog and need additional support, one of our mental health counselors can help you create a plan to handle your stressors. We serve Georgia, Florida and Pennsylvania virtually, with office locations in Buford, Ga and Peachtree City, Ga. Book a consult with us today!
