What is Stress?
Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is your body’s response to anything that requires attention or action.
Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall well-being.
There are many different things in life that can cause stress. Some of the main sources of stress include work, finances, relationships, parenting, and day-to-day inconveniences.
Signs
Stress can be short-term or long-term. Both can lead to a variety of symptoms, but chronic stress can take a serious toll on the body over time and have long-lasting health effects.
Some common signs of stress include:
- Changes in mood
- Clammy or sweaty palms
- Decreased sex drive
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Digestive problems
- Dizziness
- Feeling anxious
- Frequent sickness
- Grinding teeth
- Headaches
- Low energy
- Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders
- Physical aches and pains
- Racing heartbeat
- Trembling
Identifying Stress
Stress is not always easy to recognize, but there are some ways to identify some signs that you might be experiencing too much pressure. Sometimes stress can come from an obvious source, but sometimes even small daily stresses from work, school, family, and friends can take a toll on your mind and body.
If you think stress might be affecting you, there are a few things you can watch for:
- Psychological signs such as difficulty concentrating, worrying, anxiety, and trouble remembering
- Emotional signs such as being angry, irritated, moody, or frustrated
- Physical signs such as high blood pressure, changes in weight, frequent colds or infections, and changes in the menstrual cycle and libido
- Behavioral signs such as poor self-care, not having time for the things you enjoy, or relying on drugs and alcohol to cope
Impact of Stress
The connection between your mind and body is apparent when you examine the impact stress has on your life.
Feeling stressed out over a relationship, money, or your living situation can create physical health issues. The inverse is also true. Health problems, whether you’re dealing with high blood pressure or you have diabetes, will also affect your stress level and your mental health. When your brain experiences high degrees of stress, your body reacts accordingly.
Serious acute stress, like being involved in a natural disaster or getting into a verbal altercation, can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmias, and even sudden death. However, this happens mostly in individuals who already have heart disease.
Stress also takes an emotional toll. While some stress may produce feelings of mild anxiety or frustration, prolonged stress can also lead to burnout, anxiety disorders, and depression.
Chronic stress can have a serious impact on your health as well. If you experience chronic stress, your autonomic nervous system will be overactive, which is likely to damage your body.
Stress-Influenced Conditions
- Diabetes
- Hair loss
- Heart disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Obesity
- Sexual dysfunction
- Tooth and gum disease
- Ulcers
Treatment
As you can see, stress can cause a lot of negative effects on the human body both physically and mentally. In today’s society, where more people are stressed than ever, it is important to manage this stress whether it is acute or chronic to live a happy and healthy life.
Stress is not a distinct medical diagnosis and there is no single, specific treatment for it.
Treatment for stress focuses on changing the situation, developing stress coping skills, implementing relaxation techniques, and treating symptoms or conditions that may have been caused by chronic stress.
Some interventions that may be helpful include therapy, medication, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
We believe in the power of natural substances to combat stress. While these substances can do great things alone, they work even better when combining them with conventional methods. Ashwagandha, Marijuana, and Kava have shown great promise as anti-stress supplements. Are you willing to give them a try?
Take the quiz below to determine whether you are stressed and keep reading about these substances and their properties on our website to learn more about what you can do to manage your stress.
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Click one of the following links to learn how natural substances can help you with your stress.
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Resources
https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-health-3145086
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress
https://www.healthline.com/health/stress