If You’re Stressed All The Time, Your Body Is Paying The Price In These 8 Worrying Ways
fotostorm | Canva I used to believe I had no stress in my life. I had very tight muscles in my shoulders and hardly ever felt relaxed, but I wasn't stressed. It took me a while to realize I was tense because I was stressed out.
I had job stress (like everybody else researchers have studied), a commute, financial stresses, and health stresses, so when I became honest with myself, I realized I was on stress overload, and I needed to make some changes — fast.
That's the thing about stress: it can sneak up on you and do all kinds of damage without you catching on. If you’re stressed all the time, your body is paying the price.
If you're stressed all the time, your body is paying the price in these worrying ways:
1. Your breathing may quicken, potentially triggering asthma or panic attacks
Medical experts discussed how the human body is hard-wired to react to stress to protect itself from threats and aggressors. "When the body thinks there's a threat, such as a barking dog on a morning run," the piece explained, "the hypothalamus (a tiny region at the base of the brain) sets off an alarm system."
A study of panic attacks and asthma found that when people with asthma are under high levels of stress, they often experience a "panic-like anxiety, breathlessness, and a respiratory pattern consistent with hyperventilation."
2. Your risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol increases
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Time Magazine created an infographic highlighting some of the negative effects of stress on Americans.
- 42 percent say they don't do enough to manage their stress levels
- 72 percent feel stressed about money at times
- 41 percent have lost patience and/or yelled at their partner out of stress
- 18 percent have done the same with a coworker
All that stress is bad for the heart. Research has helped explain the interrelationship between stress, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
The study showed "the relationship between cholesterol levels and exaggerated blood pressure response to stress," and "both stress and an exaggerated blood pressure response to stress are also risk factors for chronic heart disease."
3. Your liver may produce excess glucose, putting you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
The hormones adrenaline and cortisol go into action when you are under stress, causing your heart rate to increase and sugar levels in your bloodstream to rise, weakening your immune system.
A study of the effect of psychological stress on glucose control in patients with Type 2 diabetes explored how blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels all increased under high levels of stress. So when these raging hormones seize control of your body, there can be harmful effects on your overall well-being.
4. Your menstrual cycle may become irregular or stop for a time
The mind and body are connected, and this can be seen in the way stress can affect the menstrual cycle. A study explained how stress can alter the body's maintenance or promotion of a healthy menstrual cycle.
Women who have good stress management and coping skills also "have reduced risk for irregular menstrual cycles in the face of low to moderate chronic stress; however, this association is changed at the highest level of chronic stress."
5. Your muscles may tense up, causing tension headaches
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Psychotherapist Maxine Langdon Starr advised, "You might be grinding your teeth at night because of the stress in your life — whether at work, home, in your relationship, or with your friends. The stress and muscle tension can manifest as a migraine or tension headache the next day.
If you're dealing with these symptoms of stress, be nice to yourself, stay hydrated, and get plenty of rest. This might mean taking a few nights off from going out with friends this week, taking a relaxing bubble bath this evening, or leaving work a bit early, if possible."
6. You may experience difficulty with self-control
In particular, you may be more prone to make poor food choices. Many of us fail to realize the damage we are doing to ourselves. A study on stress found "people who are stressed have more difficulty with self-control and are more likely to choose to eat unhealthy food."
Health coach Lisa Newman added, "The dieting and wellness messages that surround us can lead to anxiety when faced with food and eating choices. Instead of relaxing and enjoying your food, you may find yourself tense and worried. This anxiety is counterproductive to health.
It not only takes away the pleasure you should feel in eating, but it adds stress that interferes with appetite signals and the ability to make good choices. This stress can also lead to GI symptoms, which become a self-reinforcing cycle."
7. You may experience nausea, ulcers, and/or severe stomach pains
Starr explained, "Many people often bypass how mental and emotional issues contribute to physical health issues, like a sensitive stomach. When a person is stressed, their hormones and neurotransmitters are released, which impacts the mobility within their gut. It also affects the way our intestines and stomachs squeeze to expel waste from the body.
"Additionally, stress can wreak havoc on the balance of bacteria needed within our stomachs. Anxiety causes us to hold tension within our gut and digestive tract, which holds up its normal processes."
Now is the time for self-care and managing the damaging effects of stress. Make a healthy diet and exercise a priority, and get enough sleep. Try adding a walk daily and practice breathing exercises to lower blood pressure and stimulate the nervous system, which helps calm the body and mind.
The best thing you can do is to take breaks and do whatever you can to calm down and relax. De-stressing is the key to feeling better and living longer.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer and performer. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Salon, Bustle, Medium, Hello Giggles, Yahoo, and Woman's Day.
