It's not something to be scared of, but it is important to take certain precautions . It is a reality that after a An intense year , with a lot of work, obligations, pressure and stress , it is very likely that your body will manifest it in some way .
The way our bodies somatize stress can take many forms. It can affect our emotions and mood, making us irritable, and even cause more serious consequences .
Loss of appetite, sleep disorders, tachycardia, gastrointestinal problems , muscle spasms, migraines, dizziness, among other symptoms that can play tricks on us and affect our health.
Since it's so important to detect any symptoms early, here are the signs our bodies may be sending us so we can respond quickly.
Why does my body react this way to stress?
We often bottle up our stress and move on , and there may be many reasons for doing so—such as avoiding conflict because we have a very responsible position, or because we need the money and are overworked.
It may also be that we have no other alternative, or that what we do is a personal choice that is helping us grow, or because we are caregivers for a person with a disability or an older adult, among many other reasons.
While all the reasons are valid, the truth is that keeping stress inside may work at first , but then all that pressure will have to escape somewhere, and depending on our personality and physical factors, the warning signs will start from one side or another.
Fun Facts About Stress
Stress acts as a danger signal in our body: It activates a defense mechanism that automatically puts us on alert, as if something dangerous is about to happen. If this tension persists over time, the body could collapse, along with our mind and organs.
Stress can make us lose our memory.
Being very nervous or under pressure for a prolonged period can cause sleep disorders, such as nightmares or insomnia .
Lack of sleep prevents our nervous system from performing certain nighttime processes that exercise and work our memory. If our brain isn't healthy, neither will we.
It affects the heart
The American Heart Association indicated that people with high stress levels would have a 27% higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease , having high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol than people who remain calmer or manage their stress.
Causes infertility
In this sense, women would be more affected than men because it would impact the quality of the eggs , or cause implantation problems in the uterus.
In the case of men, they may suffer from sexual impotence and a significant decrease in testosterone.
There are two kinds of stress: POSITIVE stress and NEGATIVE stress
Positive stress is natural, and it's associated with all the things that make us grow . Such as work challenges, studies, exams, travel, children, a partner, etc.
They are situations and moments in life with small crises , but which are ultimately the result of our personal choices that will have favorable results for our lives.
On the contrary, negative stress is stress that undermines our health and can be very risky if we don't act quickly. While the two are distinct, they pose an equal risk to our health.
Most common symptoms of stress
If you have one or more of these symptoms, your body may be sending you some signals that you should pay attention to , as stress could be affecting your health.
- Rapid heartbeat
- Migraines
- Contracture in the neck and/or shoulders.
- Backache
- Labored and difficult to control breathing
- Sweaty palms
- Feeling of stomach discomfort such as nausea or chronic diarrhea
- Emotional irritability and intolerance in the most minor situations
- Feeling sad or frustrated
- Excessive sensitivity and crying
- Nerves and exhaustion despite having rested
- Difficulty concentrating and focusing on a topic
- Extreme concern for unimportant things
- Lack of motivation, low self-esteem
- Negative thoughts and nightmares
- Feeling like you're missing out on opportunities because you're making bad decisions
Tips to combat stress
At Theramart, we care deeply about your well-being, and we even want you to feel better every day. So, we're going to give you some tips to help you ease some of the pressure you've been feeling and help you begin working slowly on your well-being.
- Facing stress will make us feel better. This means stopping the accumulation of stress and taking steps to eliminate it from our lives. Eating and sleeping well, having established schedules, and limiting work hours and obligations are the main goals.
- Recognize those things that cannot be changed. While it's certainly tempting to tilt at windmills, there are some individualities we can never change; it's a futile struggle that saps our strength. Do you know the song "Let It Be "?
- Try to change your perspective whenever possible. We know it's impossible to always take life with optimism, because there are situations that seem to have no bright side. However, it's helpful to understand that challenges will always arise in life and that we won't always be able to emerge victorious.
- Look for relaxation methods to help reduce some of your symptoms. At Theramart, you'll find a complete line of products designed to relieve muscle tension, improve sleep, and enhance your daily life.
- Connect with friends and loved ones. Having someone to talk to and share our fears and worries with allows us to have an outside opinion and can greatly help us feel better. People who care about us can profoundly relieve our stress.
- Learn to say no. If we're overwhelmed with work or obligations, or don't feel like going anywhere because we're uncomfortable or tired, we have to learn to say no, regardless of what others think or say. Stopping doing things we don't want to do out of obligation or fear will take a huge weight off our shoulders.
Did you find this article helpful? Do you think it will help you interpret your body's signals from the accumulated stress of the end of the year and be able to respond in time?
If you're interested in this topic, here's another very useful article where you can find some answers on how to quickly release tension without leaving your home. Relax in just seconds: discover the basics of how to release tension.
