Stress in life can be defined as stress which is inevitable. Stress in the lives of all people, and it does not matter whether they are at work and precipitating by the top-priority deadline, a family and waiting for a turn to come tests and exams, disease or accident. Stress is not problematic in small dosages—it sharpens our wits and assists with reacting to the current problematic situations that might be encountered; however, this is dangerous when it becomes chronic. As you may expect, chronic stress is one of the strongest ways of damaging your health due to its influence on physical, psychological and emotional conditions.
Technology and the unprecedented-soared up rates of life and the demands of family, work and social norms, stress has become chronic. The fact is you have to learn what chronic stress does to your body and then learn the ways to combat it. Chronic stress is defined and examined in details along with its effects on body and mind, and the blog contains useful advice on managing stress.
What Is Chronic Stress?
Stress is actually the body’s normal way of responding to a threat or a pressure stimulus. Whenever we are stressed, the brain sends signals to the hormones and the body releases chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol for protection. This is well understood as the “fight or flight” response. However, this type of stress response can be a positive thing in short periods needed to complete a task, out of harms way, or to stay awake. Nevertheless, prolonged and long term stress implies different outcome and it is associated with number of health problems.
Acute Stress and Chronic Stress
- Acute Stress: This is the stress that is prompt by specific events within a short time that perhaps a few hours or days at most like a job interview, an argument or a deadline. They are rapid and when the stressor is removed the body goes back to balance easily.
- Chronic Stress: This kind of stress is characteristic of a steady accumulation of stress during a definite time period. This may be blamed in a number of issues including work, interpersonal issues, monetary issues, and day to day pressures. In contrast with acute stress, chronic stress does not actually have a certain time which the stress response will stop, which is why the body’s AP is constantly raised and therefore gets potentially hazardous long-term consequences.
The Physiology of Chronic Stress
In most cases of stress, the body goes on an overdrive and its hormones, such cortisol and adrenaline, are always high due to an overworked stress response system. These hormones are meant to assist the body to act out on pending danger, and therefore it may take a toll on your health in the long run.
Section 2: Where Chronic Stress Strikes—How Chronic Stress Affects the Body
- Goosebumps, Sweating and Cold Hands/Foots
Prolonged stress raises your blood pressure and heart rate, making them constant. This position may also lead to increase chances of developing hypertension (high blood pressure), heart diseases and stroke in the long run. High levels of cortisol also lead to inflammation of the cardiovascular system and writing blood vessels. - Digestive Problems
Stress is a common trigger for acid reflux disease, bloating, indigestion, and other ailments, right up to serious intestinal disorders such as IBS. The stress can cause the body to slow down digestion or cause blood to flow away from the digestive system causing pains and other digestion problems. - Weakened Immune System
Cortisol affects the immune system and prolonged exposure lowers your body’s ability to fight off diseases and infections. Another way that stress and its physiological counterpart, cortisol, take a toll on the body is that when cortisol levels are consistently high, the body produces fewer white blood cells which is needed in large amounts when you have viruses and bacteria to battle off . - Weight Gain or Loss
Stress has an effect on your eating pattern. Known effects of stress include desire for or indulgence in food; this is either in large portions or foods that are rich in fat or sugar. In other cases stress may result to poor appetite. Cortisol also contributes to fat accumulation, mainly at the abdominal region, hence may cause weight increase in the long run. - Sleep Disturbances
If stressed, the body cannot go to rest or it will be a restless rest rather than a reparative one. Stress in the form of cortisol is known to interfere with normal circadian rhythms, which results in insomnia or poor quality sleep… This lack of sleep makes stress worse making it a cycle that is almost hard to avoid. - Muscle Tension and Pain
This is quite common and is attributed to a number of factors, including chronic stress that leads to tighten in muscles found in the neck, the shoulders and the back. Magnesium depletion by doing this regularly may even end up in chronic soreness, headaches, and TMJD or temporomandibibular joint dysfunction.
CHRONIC STRESS AND THE MIND
Stress affects the body most ways imaginable but it also greatly affects the mental and emotional wellbeing of a person. Chronic stress can contribute to a wide range of psychological issues, including:
- Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Chronic stress will increase the level of anxiety; it leads to worry or nervousness that persists. This in turn results in panic disorders in which the person suddenly develop swollen heart rates, dizziness, and breathlessness among other features. - Depression
Chronic stress alters brain chemistry, and hormones such as serotonin are impacted since they are involved with controlling one’s mood. Cortisol is associated with the feelings of hopelessness, fatigue and depressive symptoms, which are the hallmark of depression. - Cognitive Impairment
Stress causes memory, concentration and decision making abilities to be negated as it has been seen to be a chronic condition. This is because the brain is always in an alert mode, and thus cannot pay attention to matters that need concentration. When taken to excessive levels, it might cause burn out of workers as well as reduced work productivity levels. - Emotional Regulation
The chronic activation of the stress response can also spelt trouble for efficient management of ones emotions. This may lead to irritability, temperamental flux, or even blunting of affect. It’s also possible that chronic stress turns individuals into sharper reacting to what might be considered petty irritations or obstacles.
Step by Step through Chronic Stress
This is one of the worst things about chronic stress – it creates a vicious cycle. When stress prolongs, the human body will fail to recover from effect of stress and experience an ongoing stress. For instance:
- Physical Stressors
Stressors such as work and financial pressures, relational issues and physical challenges all cause our bodies to go into stress mode otherwise known as the fight or flight response which produces cortisol and adrenaline. - Lack of Recovery
In the modern world, people are most of time running around with no time to relax, let alone recover from stress. There is no sufficient rest or breaks time; they only prolong, maintain or even worsen the state of stress. - Health Consequences
When the body is constantly under stress, it suffers for its physical and mental well-being in the ways listed above: sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety and so on. These symptoms actually lead to more stress as they create further difficulties in workplace or in relationships, and impair functioning in daily chores. - Exhaustion and Burnout
In the long run, stress can cause burn out and much pressure. This is usually the time when people literally feel like they have been used up, mentally and physically. Everyone may suffer from burnout, yet is more often a problem with caregivers, nurses, doctors, and anyone who works in a stressful job.
Stress Management for Healthier Life
This being the case, while chronic stress is a severe medical condition, it can be handled and minimized in equal measure. Thus stressed people can easily free themselves from the loop and begin to look after their physical, mental and even emotional health.
1. Physical Activity and Exercise
Stress also needs to attended to since its management has been found to be easily undertaken by doing regular exercises. In addition, moderate exercise every day has a positive effect on cortisol levels, stimulates the production of endorphins and improves night rest. It also teaches us how to let off unnecessary built-up stress and current frustration.
- Recommendation: Try to perform at least the 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise including walking, jogging, swimming or cycling for most days of the week. Yoga and Pilates are also nice to help alleviate stress levels and to flex the muscles as well.
2. Mindfulness and Meditation
Some forms of practising mindfulness include: meditation, deep breathing and mindful movement these help to minimize the impacts of chronic stress. They are useful in managing anxiety, stimulating the relaxation response and increasing relaxation.
- Recommendation: Begin with 10-15 minutes a day in meditation practice and slowly as the body gets use to it try to increase the amount of time that is being spent on it. New to the practice of guided meditation? There are numerous guided meditation applications such as Headspace, Calm. Breathing techniques—especially when using deep breaths–is very useful especially with instances of heightened anxiety.
3. Sleep Hygiene
As we have noted, chronic stress causes most individuals to have poor sleep quality and, therefore, they should maintain good sleep hygiene. Expression of sleep is needful for regulation of emotion, cognitive process and recovery.
- Recommendation: Try to get between of 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Go to bed at the same time every day, do not eat foods containing caffeine in the afternoon, and minimise the use of electronic devices at night. Try out activities such as taking a bath, or reading a book before sleeping.
4. Nutrition and Hydration
There is no wearing away of the essence of nutrition for stress with the result of the human body needs balanced diet. High intake of caffeine, sugar and processed foods should be discouraged because they cause anxiety and irritation. Nutrient density – avoid empty calories while consuming foods that are good for the brain these includes; spinach, fish (fatty fish particularly), whole grains, and fruits.
- Recommendation: Eating foods that are rich in magnesium such as spinach, almonds and avocados, as well as vitamin B6 foods such as bananas, potatoes and chicken will also lessen the impact of stress on the body. Make sure you take enough water to increase your chances of proper brain and body functionality.
5. Social Support
It is therefore very crucial that people especially clients within this project develop adequate networks of support to manage stress. Sharing your stressors with friends, family, or a counselor allows you to get a different take on things, blow off steam and have someone offer assistance in solving your troubles.
- Recommendation: Those people who encourage you or whom you find inspiring should be around you. From time to time talk to some of your close friends or family members about how you find yourself feeling. If stress gets to an intolerable level, there’s nothing wrong with looking for help from a therapist or a counselor.
6. Organization and Setting up of Time Constraints
Cortisol stress is usually as a result of embedding oneself in too many demanding tasks and obligations
. Even though stress cannot be fully avoided, taking time to understand how you organize your week, managing your time properly or establishing the right boundaries can help to lower stress levels.
- Recommendation: Managing one’s time can also be done through a number of steps which include; Prioritizing- this involves looking at the level of urgency and importance of a given task before attending to it Setting of time – this involves sub dividing of a comprehensive given task and assigning a number of hours for each sub division Delegation – this involves trying to get a number of people to do a certain task, instead of doing the whole task alone. Know when to turn down clients when your plate is full and don’t be afraid to take a moment off when needed.
Conclusion
Stress remains one of the most common and influential enemies of your health, which do not appear to have an end in their impacts. A range of issues are connected to stress; anxiety and depression, heart diseases, digestive problems and many others. Nevertheless, if you have a vision of how stress affects your physical health and emotions, and if you follow the strategies discussed in this paper on how best to prevent these effects, you will be able to reverse the trends to a healthy lifestyle.
Some ways which are helpful to cope up with chronic stress are exercising, practicing yoga/mediation, having heath hours proper dieting, quality sleep, and the right company. If you manage to make these changes you do not have to constantly be on the evil cycle of chronic stress and you successfully decrease the negative impacts of stress in your life and achieve better overall health. Start acting right and get moving today and indeed both your body and mind will be the better for it.