How Stress Directly Affects the Body
Besides disrupting our mental wellbeing, the consequences of stress can reach well beyond the moment and into other areas of our lives and bodies.
Stress actually affects all areas and systems of the body. Stress affects the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, and the reproductive systems.
Signs and symptoms of chronic stress include:
insomnia
hair loss
loss of appetite
skin irritations
depression
headaches
Irregular menstrual cycles
Now, of course we don’t want to stress you out by imagining all the ways stress can impair one’s overall health. We just want to stress how important it is for us to manage our stress levels, and learn to adapt coping mechanisms for any levels of stress that may creep into our days and lives.
The Central Nervous System and the Endocrine System
The most obvious system to start with is the nervous system. Our nervous system is where our ‘fight or flight (or freeze)’ mode is naturally triggered. We’re ‘designed’ to respond to environmental threats, and our nervous system is the system that physically aids in preparing our bodies for the great escape, out of harm’s way.
Our nervous system triggers our endocrine system to circulate hormones like adrenaline and cortisol through the body. When our bodies go into fight or flight mode, rapid breathing occurs, we experience an increased heart rate, and blood rushes to those vital parts of that body that will steer us out of danger - like your muscles and your eyesight.
Centuries ago, after we would have escaped (hopefully) the external threat, the body would have then returned to its state of homeostasis. But, if the external threat never really goes away (which is often the case in our modern world, with the demands at work and at home), then the body continues to overwork itself.
Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems
When stress-response is triggered in the body, our breathing and heart rate accelerate to get more oxygen to the blood, in order to circulate faster to our vital response organs. This increased rate of breathing and heart rate can increase blood pressure and can overwork the heart and lungs.
The Digestive System
Stress directly affects our gut, which is almost like our body’s second brain; as it acts independently from the brain. Our gut and the good and bad bacteria in our gut directly impacts our moods. When our gut health is disrupted, our skin will be more prone to acne, rashes, breakouts and our moods can lean more towards depression.
Under stress, we may overeat or undereat. All levels of stress can cause pain in the abdomen, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Chronic stress, or prolonged stress can impact our digestive and intestinal health.
How to Manage Stress
As you can imagine, it’s incredibly important that we get a hold of our stress levels before it gets a hold of us. Luckily, because stress is just so common in many of our cultures and lifestyles, there have been vast studies for alleviating stress and for adapting an effective stress management system.
The best strategy for managing stress is by first taking preventative measures, to prevent stress from invading our space. Then we can look at ways to manage stress, for those instances where our guards are down and we buckle under the pressure of stress.
Tips for preventing stress:
Eat healthy and build up your immune system- the foods we eat can promote strong immune systems and strong defenses against diseases and the negative side effects that can come with stress. Drink lots of filtered ways, eat a variety of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.
Exercise, yoga and meditation- living a healthy lifestyle further enhances our immune systems and works hand-in-hand with our eating habits. Exercise, yoga and meditation all help in relieving stress, help us feel more prepared for stressful situations, and help us feel empowered and clear headed when the time comes to overcome any obstacles that may appear throughout the day.
Sleep and don’t be too hard on yourself- it’s important that we sleep our full 7-8 hours a night so that our bodies and minds stay sharp and have the opportunity to recharge. Along with sleep, we should also do our best not to be too hard on ourselves and not to put too much pressure on ourselves.
It’s okay if things don’t work out as you had planned. And if we make mistakes in our work or in our relationships, we don;t have to beat ourselves up over it. What’s important is to stay grounded, give yourself a clear perspective, and forgive yourself when you don’t succeed as high as you had expected.
Stay focused on the lessons you may have learned from your mistakes and shortcomings, and don’t be afraid to congratulate yourself and value yourself for what you did achieve.
Tips for coping with stress include:
Breathe- before overwhelming yourself, try to take a step back and breathe. Give yourself some space and distance from the situation, so that you can handle it in a more grounded and secure way. Breathing is a great technique to reduce heart rate and rapid breathing, and it’s also a good cue for the body that you are not in a state of danger.
Accept you can not control it all- once we accept we can't control it all, then we start working towards what we can control and ways we can improve our situation, rather than trying to triumph over every single obstacle.
Pay attention- learn what triggers the stress, this way we can prepare ourselves for stressful and anxiety driven situations. When we know what triggers a panic attack, then we’re better equipped at handling the situation.
Do you have your own unique ways of handling stressful situations so that it doesn’t overwhelm you? We’d love to hear all about your own coping mechanisms. And who knows? Maybe your technique might be useful for someone else!
More Blog Post’s you’ll Enjoy
The Value of Relaxing and Taking a Break to Live a Better, Healthier and more Productive Life
The Importance of Sleep and Its Effect on Your Mood, Mental Health and Body
Self Care Tips to Feel Your Best Right Now
Relatable Podcast Episodes you’ll Enjoy from: It Didn’t Break Me Podcast
Breaking the Idea of Being A Strong Black Woman with Cafria Hart
Harnessing the Power of Mindset with Michelle Wolfe
Persevering through a Long-Term Disease with Nono Osuji
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