Dietary and nutritional content reviewed by Jasmin Gorostiza, DT, DM, DSS, CFPP.️
Stress isn’t good for us. Maybe a little can help us get some work done but too much of it is just not good for our health.
We need to manage stress. If we don’t, it’s going to eat us up. We won’t notice it but eventually, we will lose the battle if we don’t manage it well.
Stress is so much a part of our life. We can really only manage it. Unfortunately, we can never take it out of our everyday life.
There are lots of reasons as to why we get stressed. We should be able to identify them as the initial step to managing stress.
We should never underestimate the effects of stress on ou body. If we do, it could really harm our body. So learn more about the 9 negative effects of stress on our body below.
9. Insomnia and Stress
Stress can cause a number of sleep-related issues including trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and poor-quality sleep.
8. Stress and Reduced Immunity
Researchers have found that adolescents who were abused or experienced other, intensely stressful situations as children were less able to ward off certain infections even years later.
7. Concentration and Stress
One small study showed that medical students studying for board exams had more trouble focusing their attention than others who were not stressed.
6. Sexual Problems Due to Stress
The effects of stress can extend to the bedroom.
5. Substance Abuse and Stress
Interestingly, not only can stress in adulthood contribute to substance abuse, but experiencing a severe psychosocial stressor during childhood can also increase a person’s risk for drug or alcohol abuse as an adult.
4. Skin Problems From Stress
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, our internal thoughts and feelings can actually affect our external appearance. This is particularly true when it comes to stress.
3. Stress and Dental Health
During the day and even while sleeping, people under stress may clench their teeth or grind them back and forth against one another. This action, called bruxism, can not only wear down and damage our teeth, but may also cause temporomandibular joint problems (TMJ), leading to severe jaw and neck pain.
2. Forgetfulness Due to Stress
Research shows that the more stress we are under, the more frequent these mental lapses may become. In fact, not only can long-term stress (over a period of weeks or months) disrupt communication between brain cells, but even several hours of acute stress can affect the brain’s ability to store information and create solid memories.
1. Stress-Induced Hair Loss
When we’re under physical or emotional stress the normal shedding of 100 or so hairs a day can speed up to the point where half to three-quarters of our hair can fall out.
So if you have to stop and smell the flowers, do it. Don’t think twice. Go ahead and do it. We should never surrender to stress. Manage it to stay healthy.
To learn more on how stress can really affect our overall health, read this article now.