Guest article from queer-voices.com
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Every time we turn on the TV or tune into a podcast, we can hear about stress and how stressed everyone is. However, what we don’t understand is that stress is not inherently a bad thing. When your body is stressed, it triggers the fight-or-flight response which makes you faster, energized, alert and focused. According to research, if your body is under a manageable amount of stress, it’s actually a good thing that can boost your metabolism, your brain function and immune system. However, chronic stress is another thing. This type of stress is too much to handle and it can have serious physical and mental effects on the human body. So, why is it so important to keep your stress managed?
Causes of stress
First, let’s examine what causes chronic stress at any given moment. The situations that cause stress are known as “stressors” and they can come from both external and internal factors. For instance, common external stressors are big life changes (buying a house, moving, health-related news), work or school changes (getting fired, getting promoted, studying for important exams), relationship difficulties, financial difficulties and problems with children. Some of the most common internal stressors for people around the world are pessimism, negative self-image, perfectionism, lack of flexibility, all-or-nothing attitude and chronic worry.
Effects of stress on physical health
Your physical health can take a serious hit if you don’t take steps to manage stress. Many health professionals agree that chronic, unmanaged stress can contribute to severe conditions such as heart disease and even cancer. So why aren’t we doing more to combat it? The problem is that stress tends to build up gradually, and our bodies continuously adapt to these rising levels, often making it hard to detect. Even if you feel like you’re handling stress well, your nervous system may be overwhelmed, and eventually, that pressure can manifest physically. One of the most common physical effects of stress is muscle tension, which often leads to headaches, back and neck pain, and other musculoskeletal issues. This is where services like mobile physiotherapy can be incredibly beneficial, offering convenient treatment at home to help relieve tension and restore physical balance. Stress also disrupts the digestive system—affecting how you absorb nutrients, how fast you digest food, and your appetite—which can result in nausea, acid reflux, or diarrhea. Taking stress seriously and seeking the right support is essential for long-term well-being.
Effects of stress on mental health
Aside from many physical issues it causes, stress can also affect your mental health. There are various mental and emotional disorders that stem from stress like depression, anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. All that stress can make it hard to make decisions, focus, think clearly and remember things. Aside from that, people who are under chronic stress are often irritable, easily frustrated and experience frequent conflicts. While physical effects of stress may be more evident, you mustn’t ignore these psychological effects either.
Stress management techniques
One of the best ways you manage stress (aside from finding a therapist) is exercise. Any form of physical activity no matter if lifting weights, doing yoga or swimming, can help you reduce stress and provide you with many other benefits. When you produce endorphins triggered by exercise, you tend to feel more confident and less depressed and anxious. Regular exercise also affects your sleep cycle which is often affected by stress, depression and anxiety. When you combine it with a clean diet, exercise can make you healthier, stronger and happier. However, if you have zero experience in working out, make sure to find a good coach and invest in personal training in order to avoid injury. No matter if you choose workouts for weight loss, strength, conditioning or just want to stretch, a personal trainer will be here to aim you in the right direction and make your workouts more effective.
You can also try other forms of stress management like meditation. This technique pushes you to relax your mind and body and re-examine your thoughts and feelings. Many people use meditation to shed their old patterns of behavior and encourage a healthier and more relaxed state of mind that allows them to heal and find motivation and happiness.
While not all stress is bad, it’s best to react fast to any indications of chronic stress in order to manage it quickly, easily and effectively. Luckily, now that you know what stress can do and how you can beat it, you’ll be ready to battle it as soon as it starts developing.
