I love this image Vicky, and NO, I will not go for a walk with him.
I'm not going there either
This is quite a walk. It might improve your balance if you don't end up in the abyss.
We need to reduce stress in our lives to live longer.
Mindfulness is becoming more popular in the western world and this is for valid reasons. In fact, it is one of the best way to deal with stress. Mindfulness is described as the psychological process of bringing your attention to to the external and internal experiences happening in the present moment.
Regular physical activity is probably one of the most important habit you can to benefit your health. Exercise has a lot of positive outcomes such as weight control, prevention of illness and a lot more. Physical activity happens to be one of the effective ways to deal with stress and depression.
Adequate sleep is crucial for daily function, general health and mental health.
What happens to our bodies when we are stressed?
The effects of stress on our bodies are immense. The following are examples of what can be affected by not properly managing stress.
- Immune system – if we are under prolonged stress, our immune system can be compromised making us susceptible to frequent infections. Even viral illnesses like the common cold and flu will be prevalent.
- Musculoskeletal system – stress affects our muscles. They tense up when we are stressed. This is the body's way of guarding itself against injury. With taut muscles, tension-type headaches are very common.
- Respiratory system – the heart beats faster when one is under stress. This in effect can trigger other conditions like asthma or panic attacks.
- Cardiovascular system – continued levels of high stress can have adverse effects on the heart and the other organs related to it. These could lead to problems with blood pressure, having adverse effects on other organs of the body.
You can find more information at:https://trystressmanagement.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsJfhBRCaARIsAO68ZM5F7qqLqvqN5esivOpHvnyPuNRd-49atmRDbBE_9W5ksa751c_D8yYaA
You are right Inda. Stress is a real serious killer. Some stress is necessary to keep us going, but large amounts of stress will surely age us and kill us if not controlled.
Find some peaceful, stress free moments.
Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior
By Mayo Clinic StaffStress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit.
Common effects of stress
Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Common effects of stress on your body
- Headache
- Muscle tension or pain
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Change in sex drive
- Stomach upset
- Sleep problems
Common effects of stress on your mood
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Lack of motivation or focus
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Irritability or anger
- Sadness or depression
Common effects of stress on your behavior
- Overeating or undereating
- Angry outbursts
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Tobacco use
- Social withdrawal
- Exercising less often
Act to manage stress
If you have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have numerous health benefits. Explore stress management strategies, such as:
- Regular physical activity
- Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or getting a massage
- Keeping a sense of humor
- Socializing with family and friends
- Setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music
Aim to find active ways to manage your stress. Inactive ways you may use to manage stress — such as watching television, surfing the Internet or playing video games — may seem relaxing, but they may increase your stress over the long term.
And be sure to get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid tobacco use, excess caffeine and alcohol intake, and the use of illicit substances.
When to seek help
If you're not sure if stress is the cause or if you've taken steps to control your stress but your symptoms continue, see your doctor. Your doctor may want to check for other potential causes. Or, consider seeing a professional counselor or therapist, who can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.
Also, if you have chest pain, especially if it occurs during physical activity or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, or pain radiating into your shoulder and arm, get emergency help immediately. These may be warning signs of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.
The Effects of Stress on Your Body
IN THIS ARTICLE
Stress is any change in the environment that requires your body to react and adjust in response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.
Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you -- and many things that you do yourself -- put stress on your body. You can experience good or bad forms of stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.
How Does Stress Affect Health?
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive ("eustress") -- such as a getting a job promotion or being given greater responsibilities -- keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative ("distress") when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds.
- We can prepare for stress by learning some self-management tips.
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php
What is stress?
Each person responds to stress in a different way, but too much stress can lead to health problems.
Stress is the body's natural defense against predators and danger. It flushes the body with hormones to prepare systems to evade or confront danger. This is known as the "fight-or-flight" mechanism.
When we are faced with a challenge, part of our response is physical. The body activates resources to protect us by preparing us either to stay and fight or to get away as fast as possible.
The body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These trigger an increased heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating, and alertness. All these factors improve the ability to respond to a hazardous or challenging situation.
Factors of the environment that trigger this reaction are called stressors. Examples include noises, aggressive behavior, a speeding car, scary moments in movies, or even going out on a first date. The more stressors we experience, the more stressed we tend to feel.
Changes to the body
Stress slows normal bodily functions, such as the digestive and immune systems. All resources can then be concentrated on rapid breathing, blood flow, alertness, and muscle use.
The body changes in the following ways during stress:
- blood pressure and pulse rate rise
- breathing is faster
- the digestive system slows down
- immune activity decreases
- the muscles become tense
- a heightened state of alertness prevents sleep
How we react to a difficult situation will affect how stress affects us and our health. A person who feels they do not have enough resources to cope will be more likely to have a stronger reaction, and one that can trigger health problems. Stressors affect individuals in different ways.
Some experiences that are generally considered positive can lead to stress, such as having a baby, going on a trip, moving to a nicer house, and being promoted.
This is because they often involve a major change, extra effort, new responsibilities, and a need for adaptation. They are also steps into the unknown. The person wonders if they will cope.
A persistently negative response to challenges can have a detrimental effect on health and happiness. However, being aware of how you react to stressors can help reduce the negative feelings and effects of stress, and to manage it more effectively.
Stress means different things to different people. What causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another. Some people are better able to handle stress than others. And, not all stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help you accomplish tasks and prevent you from getting hurt. For example, stress is what gets you to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of you. That's a good thing.
Our bodies are designed to handle small doses of stress. But, we are not equipped to handle long-term, chronic stress without ill consequences.
What Are the Symptoms of Stress?
Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune. But, because people handle stress differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Symptoms can be vague and may be the same as those caused by medical conditions. So it is important to discuss them with your doctor. You may experience any of the following symptoms of stress.
We really all need some stress free moments these days. Every day there is another stressful event somewhere.
As yoko mentioned: We can handle small amounts of stress, but long term chronic stress is not good for our bodies.
Take out some time for meditation every day to give you some peace of mind.
Thank you for sharing this yoko and Vicky. We really have had so much stress at this time and it is not good for our health and wellbeing. Let us do some things that give us some peace like walking, gardening, listen to soft music and get off the phones.
