The Effects of Stress on Your Body
Don't Stress
Anxiety is a major problem. It clouds thoughts, makes situations seem impossible, creates worry when there shouldn't be. But another problem is the effect on your body. Stress can cause a degrade in your personal hygiene. Certain remedies can help with some issues, but the true resolution is found in natural stress reduction.
Trust Your Instincts
When you start thinking about things in your life that seemingly cannot be resolved, your natural response is anxiety. The effect on the body can vary from minimal to severe. When anxiety is chronic, it is often categorized in one of the following categories: socialized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, phobia, hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Trust your instincts and know what affects you the most. Is it fear, and what exactly are you afraid of? While it's easy to say, "Don't worry"...this often does little or no good.
Physiology
The physical effects of stress include tension, headaches, restlessness, rapid heart rate, sweating, shaking, and, in severe cases, panic attacks. If the symptoms are severe and long-lasting, you may want to consult with your physician about anxiety-reducing medication or a hormone balance supplement. These medications are designed to help you keep your emotions in check and reduce your stress before it becomes a severe and disabling problem.
Cosmetic Effects
Stress and hair loss have been found to be connected. The greater the level of stress, the more likely you will suffer from three different types of hair loss: telogen effluvium, trichotillomania, and alopecia areata. All three are causes of serious hair loss and are related to elevated levels of stress. That’s one reason why it’s so important to take care of your body to reduce the effects of stress.
Beyond the risk of hair loss, stress causes damage to fingernails, teeth (from clenching), atrophy of muscles, and stomach issues. Acne, as well, has been linked to high levels of stress.
Natural Solutions For Stress
Meditation and mindfulness are the two optimal natural remedies for stress. Included with these factors are diet and regular exercise. Meditation calms the mind and removes rumination or constant reflection upon past mistakes. Mindfulness makes you aware of your surroundings and immediate presence, releasing anxiety over things that are unknown or out of your control.
A diet free of caffeine can help reduce stress as well. Caffeine raises the heart rate and blood pressure and therefore, puts stress on the body. If you are feeling the impact of stress, your mind will respond and thus, place you in the path of greater stress.
Exercise helps with stress reduction by releasing endorphins in the brain that reduce your fight or flight response. Exercise has multiple benefits such as reduction of depression, reduction in hypertension, and regulation of blood sugar.
A Healthy Body, A Healthy Mind
The condition of the body directly affects your body. Stress and anxiety cause you not to care about hygiene. You may not shower as often, choose not to brush your teeth because you do not care. Anxiety has consumed your daily routine. It keeps you up late at night so that you're flooded with fatigue throughout the day. Once you take the necessary steps to reduce your stress, you will find that your hygiene improves. You start to care more about your body. Anxiety blocks that attention to your body because you're spending too much time focusing on things that have not happened, or are out of your direct control. If you are needing additional help reducing stress in your life, consider implementing the use of TouchPoints into your daily routine. TouchPoints are a wearable device that helps to eliminate stress and introduce calmness into your body.
Conclusion
Stress and anxiety have devastating effects on the body. Practicing mindfulness, as well as maintaining a proper diet and regular exercise can help you reduce the stress in your life. The choice is yours. Only you can make the decision to take the step toward a stress-free life.
*This blog post was written by Lindsey Patterson.
