What long term stress can do to your health and how we can deal with stress when it arrives.
When the body experiences changes that it isn’t used to, the body will create its response-stress. The body can respond to stress with a physical, emotional or intellectual response. Everyone experiences stress because it is a natural function that humans go through. The problem with stress is when you experience it for too long at a time. This can create some serious health problems.
My own experience with stress was when I took on a role at my old work and had just received a promotion to a management position. I was in charge of a difficult program that needed my 100% commitment to. On top of that, at the time we had major change over of staff and I was trying to study full time. This made for a month of full-on stress that I couldn’t handle, and it resulted in me being very anxious all the time. I had multiple panic attacks, couldn’t sleep and my mental wellbeing was spiralling out of control. I ended up resigning from my job and that’s when I had major problems which resulted in a mental breakdown. Today, I know what I am capable of and try to keep myself as balanced as possible to enjoy my life happily.
They were some of my health concerns that I had from stress, some health concerns others may experience include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Depression, anxiety and personality disorders
- Weight gain/loss
- Skin and hair problems
- Sexual Dysfunction
It is so important that you manage your stress levels and do not get yourself into a situation where you are experiencing stress over a long period of time. Some tips I have for dealing with stress include:
- Exercise- Walking especially has been shown in studies to be very effective in combating stress
- Healthy Eating- Stress can lead to weight gain, so make sure you are dieting right and exercising because this will help negate stress.
- Good Sleep hygiene- Stress can be hard enough to deal with. Your body trying to battle stress with a lack of sleep is a recipe for disaster.
- No alcohol- Drinking can be people’s outlet when stressed. But it is actually doing you more harm. The mix between alcohol and your body’s stress systems is not a good one.
- Be social- A strong group of friends that have your back is so important. The affects that being around friends also has on the body’s stress coping mechanism is proven to be effective.
- Daily affirmations- By thinking positive and we can change our response to how we react to stress.
By using these tips, I hope you are able to manage your own stress levels and keep them at a healthy level. Remember in the short term everyone experiences stress, its natural! Stress becomes a problem over a longer period of time and can lead to serious health issues if not dealt with. If you have tried these tips and haven’t seen an improvement, make sure you see your doctor.
Let us know how you deal with stress in the comments.
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