The Silent Intruder:
How Stress Affects the Body
Stress is an omnipresent facet of modern life, affecting individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles. While it's normal to experience stress occasionally, chronic stress can have a profound and often detrimental impact on our physical and mental health. One in 14 adults in the UK are feeling stressed today (CIPHR)- 74% are so stressed they feel unable to cope according to the Mental Health Foundation, the workplace being the largest contributor.
Stress is our body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure, our fight or flight mode. When our body is in a state of stress, it has negative physical affects.
1. Low energy- no get go in the mornings or the day perhaps? With an endless to do list, questioning the purpose of it all or perhaps feeling burnt out, your body just does not want to move and you feel consistently tired or exhausted.
2. Upset gut- stomach literally in knots, needing the toilet or IBS playing up? Fears, insecurities and pressures are building up and playing havoc with your gut.
3. Shallow and quick breathing- you may even be experiencing panic attacks. Negative thoughts can spiral quickly and can have a powerful affect on our breathing making us feel out of control, scared and hesitant in social situations.
4. Sleep problems- Stress can cause us to sleep more or unable to sleep at all.
5. High blood pressure- feelings of faintness, headaches and chest pains can all be symptoms that can lead to more serious threats.
It is crucial to address your stress levels as soon as possible to prevent longer-term illnesses, disease and mental health challenges. As gut wrenching as the current statistics are, you do have control over emotions, thoughts and behaviours despite what is going on in the environment around you. It can be very difficult if you are facing a challenging time so here are five ways you can help relieve stress this week…
Move- physical activity changes your state of mind. When we exercise we release endorphins and the ‘feel good’ hormones in our body instantly lifting our spirits and burning off all the stresses of the day.
Breathwork- take control of your breathe to take control of your life! Breathe is our life force and we can take simple slow, long, deep breathes to regain inner peace and calm. There are many YouTube videos and methods to help and all with consistent practice it is the most affective management tool for anxiety.
Gratitude- Write down three things you are grateful for today.
Journal- daily journal can help you to uncover pattern in your stress levels and emotions. It can help to identify the causes of your stress like people, places, situations, and time year and reflect on how you typically respond so you can actively begin to change.
Comedy- laughter is the best medicine! It may not tackle the cause of stress but can definitely help to manage it in a positive way. So hit Netflix for the latest comedy, search for the best stand up of book tickets to a local show and laugh out loud.
If stress is impacting your life- book a free consultation call today