Physiological Effects Of Stress – How It Affects You

by Inspiration4Living.com

No one can get through the day without some degree of stress; however, there will be times when the stress seems to be the key factor in your day.

Stress is a natural response to situations that are frightening, demanding, or confusing. Everyone responds to and deals with stress in different ways. There are, however, some common physiological effects of stress that are shared by most people.

Tension and headaches are common reactions to stress. When your body experiences stress, your muscles contract (become tense). This in turn can lead to a headache as the muscles in the neck and shoulder tighten up. One way to combat this physiological effect of stress is to take deep breaths in order to relax. By using this technique, you are releasing the tension and thereby reducing your stress level.

Problems sleeping are also common reactions to stress. When people become stressed, they may sleep a lot less or a lot more than normal (with less sleep being more common). As you worry about the situation that is causing you stress, you may find that you are unable to fall asleep or to stay asleep.

There are some things you can do to help reduce or prevent this symptom of stress. One is to take sleep medications; however, you must be very cautious when taking medications to help you sleep. You don’t want to become dependent on sleep aids. Also, this will not eliminate the stress; it will only mask it. It is important, however, that even when stressed, you get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep keeps your body from fighting the stress effectively. Also, a lack of sleep impairs your mental abilities to fight stress.

Digestion problems are also very common physiological effects of stress. When people experience stress, they either overeat (comfort foods) or they don’t eat at all. In addition, stress impairs the body’s ability to digest foods and process sugars. This in turn causes you to experience symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems. One way to combat this is to stick to foods that will not cause stomach upset when you are stressed. Look at your eating habits when you are stressed and when you are not and see what the difference is.

Extreme (acute) stress or long term exposure to stress can cause depression, anxiety, or panic. When you are exposed to stress for long amounts of time or you undergo a traumatic experience which causes stress, you are at an increased risk of developing symptoms of depression, anxiety or panic disorder. If you find yourself in this situation, talking to your doctor or counselor can help you learn to manage your symptoms as well as how to effectively manage stress.

Stress is very normal. It is the body’s way of telling you that something may be wrong or dangerous. Stress is part of daily life and cannot be avoided completely; however, there are things you can do to understand and treat the physiological effects of stress on you and your body.

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