Stress. It’s a five-letter word that feels more like a four-letter one. The tension creeps into your shoulders, you feel your stomach unsettle, and you start to sweat. It’s not a good feeling.
You probably already know that stress isn’t great for you. The way you feel in the moment tells you that much. But the problem is that we all too often assume stress is a normal part of life, letting it linger. That’s why we wanted to take a look at how stress affects you.
Better understanding the physical and mental toll of stress can help you identify stress in your life and, more importantly, do something about it.
This is the first of a two-part series. In our next blog, we’re going to give you lots of tips to help you manage stress.
But to understand why stress management is important, let’s first explore what stress does to you.
How stress affects you mentally
A little stress here or there can motivate you. The deadline of an upcoming project can help you focus, for example. But chronic stress — or the state of pretty much always feeling stressed — is hard on your mental wellbeing.
When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands produce more of a hormone called cortisol. Your body needs cortisol for certain things, like regulating your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. But too much cortisol creates problems.
Specifically, a sustained increase in cortisol is linked to a heightened risk for depression. And if you’ve ever considered how stress affects you, you’re probably not surprised to hear that cortisol can disrupt your sleep.
Additionally, stress’s mental toll can cause behavior changes, like overeating or under-eating, angry outbursts, substance use, and social withdrawal.
All told, if you’re stressed all the time, it’s hard to protect your mental wellbeing. But that isn’t the only cost of chronic stress. It also affects your body, too.
How stress affects you physically
Chronic stress is linked to a whole bunch of physical health consequences. Those include:
- Diabetes
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Weakened immune system
Yikes. Clearly, if you want to do something to support your longevity, stress management should be toward the top of your list.
Next up: ways to combat stress
Is reading about the effects of stress stressing you out? Don’t worry! In our next blog, we’re going to give you tons of tips and tricks to combat stress and bring more calm into your life.
But you don’t have to wait until then. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, our team of caring therapists is available for telehealth appointments. To get help with stress management and coping techniques, contact the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center today.
