For many people, a small amount of stress is a part of everyday life and they may not recognise that it has a negative impact on their overall health. Studies have shown that feeling stress or anxiety on a long-term basis doesn’t just affect your peace of mind. In fact, you’re more likely to suffer from things like digestive issues and a weak immune system if your mind is persistently stressed.
Cortisol, the hormone your body produces when you’re feeling stressed, can take a heavy toll on your physical and mental health. Giving your mind time to relax and recover is one of the most important self-care routines that you can practice. Your state of mind has the potential to greatly benefit your health, or degrade it, over time.
Digestion
Your liver produces glucose to give you an energy boost when your body is feeling the effects of stress. Whatever your body doesn’t use is then reabsorbed. However, if you’re suffering from chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with the extra blood sugar your liver is producing. You may be at an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes if your body is producing too much glucose. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux if you suffer from stress. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers, but it may cause pre-existing ulcers to act up.
Sexuality and Reproductive System
Stress affects the menstrual cycles of some women. You may have irregular or even non-existent periods or more painful or heavier cycles. Too much stress may magnify the physical symptoms of menopause for women. For men, prolonged periods of stress can result in a drop of testosterone levels, erectile dysfunction, and even impotency. For many, the loss of sexual appetite is a common occurrence as a result of too much stress.
Immune System
Stress is known to stimulate the immune system, which is good if it’s short-term because it helps your body stave off infection and heals wounds. But if you’re stressed for prolonged periods of time, cortisol compromises your immune system. This inhibits histamine secretion and your body’s inflammatory response to foreign dangers. People who are affected by chronic stress are more likely to catch viral illnesses like the common cold. It also takes more time for the body to recover from injuries or illness, if you’re chronically stressed.
Relaxation Techniques to Calm Your Mind
There are numerous techniques for calming your mind. For some, exercise is an excellent outlet to give their mind time to recharge. Meditation is a well known method for clearing your mind. There are many different styles of meditation, tailored to suit your needs and lifestyle.
Remember to focus on the positives rather than focusing on everything that’s going wrong around you. Practice self love and compassion and acknowledge your reality rather than criticising yourself. Set daily routines that will provide a day-to-day sense of peace and comfort that you can use to escape the stresses of everyday life, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day.
The well-being of your mind plays a very significant role in your health, physically and mentally. Maintaining a peaceful state of mind is one of the best ways to protect your body from the negative effects of stress. Remember that stress and anxiety are inevitable hurdles everyone deals with. It’s how you manage the stresses of your everyday life that’s important. It’s also the key to overcoming them.
This is such a great post. When I’m going through an anxious period I tend to get run down and catch colds easily.
I’ll devour the rest of your posts over the weekend! 🙂
I am always stressed out and struggle with anxiety. I didn’t know about the excess glucose being produced by my liver. I’ve been doing meditation, but I need to make sure it’s a daily habit now!