Stress has a huge impact on the body. Though there are healthy ways to alleviate stress, our bodies often unconsciously develop their own methods to cope – methods that might be unhealthy or detrimental to your health. This blog post will describe how the body handles stress, and what you should do instead.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep and/or stay asleep during the night. There is a huge link between stress and insomnia. Stress affects the nervous system, causing a constant state of hyperarousal in which the mind and body stay on alert for potential dangers. This hyperarousal keeps the brain alert and awake at all times, preventing one from falling asleep. Additionally, stress can cause one to worry excessively. Constantly ruminating on bad thoughts keeps the brain active and raises anxiety levels – the perfect recipe for a sleepless night. In turn, the lack of sleep harms the brain and lowers your mood, making it a vicious cycle between stress and sleep.

Stomach Problems

While most people don’t think that stress and the stomach are related, they are very closely linked. If you have ever had butterflies in your stomach before a job interview, or been in a highly-pressured, “gut wrenching” situation, you have felt the effects of stress on the stomach. The brain and gut are highly connected; the digestive system has its own extensive network of nerves, just like the brain. Stress effects every part of the digestive system, and can cause bloating, cramping, inflammation, indigestion, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, and a loss of appetite. It can even lead to gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcers, and more.

Muscle Tension

When the body is stressed, the reaction is to flex the muscles as a way to defend against injury or run away from danger. Humans adapted this fight or flight response centuries ago as a way to survive against predators. Even though we are never face-to-face with a lion or tiger today, the brain still registers stress as a form of danger, which can cause the muscles to tense up. When the body is constantly tensed up for long periods of time, it can lead to chronic pain. Many people experience muscle tension in the head, neck, and shoulders, while others tense their hands, arms, legs, or stomach. Other people clench their jaw or grind their teeth (bruxism). Muscle tension can lead to headaches, sore muscles, fatigue, chronic pain, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Low Sexual Desire

Stress affects the nervous system, which also controls arousal – meaning that stress consequently affects libido, as well. When the body registers stress, it releases a hormone called “cortisol” that activates and maintains the fight or flight response. Excess amounts of cortisol negatively affect the reproductive system of both males and females. Males may experience low libido, erectile dysfunction, impotence, and infections of the testes, prostate gland, and urethra. Females may experience problems with sex, menstruation, pregnancy, and increased sexually transmitted infections.

Frequent Illnesses

When the body is under a constant state of stress, the immune system is suppressed. Because of this, the body is more susceptible to infections. In a stressful situation, the body will release stress hormones, which reduce the effectiveness of the immune system by lowering the number of lymphocytes (antibodies that fight off bad bacteria and viruses). In addition to catching frequent colds and flus, stress can cause people to more easily develop more severe conditions. Stress causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, lowered immune system, and disturbed digestive system, which all contribute to the onset of serious illnesses. Additionally, many of the unhealthy methods people use to cope with stress (unhealthy eating, smoking, drinking, etc.) also contribute to these illnesses. Stress is linked to asthma, ulcers, diabetes, heart disease, and much more.

What To Do

Stress has a huge impact on the body, but there are various ways to cope with it. Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet are some of the best ways to handle stress. Find ways to get enough sleep at night, and keep a group of friends and family for social support. Yoga, meditation, massages, and breathing exercises are also great ways to keep the mind and body relaxed. If necessary, visit a doctor, counselor, or physical therapist to help you learn effective stress management techniques.