1. What does stress do to our mental health
Stress is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. There are millions of people who complain about having a hard time with their stress levels. For people who are diagnosed with a stress disorder, it can cause serious damage to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Most people tend to overlook their stress because they feel that they are under pressure from others or they may be worried about losing someone important. But the truth is, a major cause of stress and the reason most people live with stress can be traced to a chemical imbalance in the brain.
It is normal for us to be a little stressed every now and then. That stress is normal as it keeps us motivated and on track. But when it becomes excessive and gets out of hand, that’s when we start to have a problem. Most of us experience stress because our mental health becomes threatened. When a person has a physical illness, they usually don’t worry about having a chemical imbalance in the brain.
When mental disorders manifest, they can be quite harmful to the sufferer. Stress can make a person’s behavior harder to control which increases the risk of risky behavior. According to recent studies, the chemical imbalances in the brain can actually increase the risk of having a few mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
What does stress do to our mental health? First, stress affects our immune system and slows down the healing process of our body. It decreases our ability to concentrate on tasks that require focused attention and can even lead us to have short attention spans. In general, a person who is always on the go and always under pressure is more likely to suffer from stress than a person who is more relaxed and laid back. Some researchers found out that stress can actually change the structure of the brain itself, which can make a person susceptible to psychological disorders.
Another thing that stress does to us is that it decreases the amount of oxygen that our brain receives. Aside from the fact that oxygen is essential for our survival, this lack of it can make us become tired and irritable most of the time. Oxygen deprivation can also cause changes in the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that can affect memory and cause depression. There are many other physical and psychological effects that stress can have on us.
Fortunately, there are some things we can do to prevent stress from affecting us too much. There are things like exercise and a healthy diet that we can do to maintain our health. We also need to learn how to deal with stress in a constructive way instead of getting angry or depressed and withdrawing from the people we love. If we are going to use stress as an opportunity to improve our mental health, we need to be willing to accept the challenges that come to us but at the same time be able to overcome them.
2. What stress does to physical health
A large amount of human stress in the United States is centered on our work environment. Our jobs are demanding and physically demanding. Stress from our personal lives can also affect our physical health. It has been found that most people find their stress symptoms rise when they are physically ill, such as when they have an illness or injury.
There are many disorders that can be caused by stress. Some of these include digestive disorders, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and autoimmune diseases. These disorders can make it complicated for an individual to concentrate, which can lead to depression and ulcers in the mouth. Other physical symptoms include headaches, asthma attacks, high blood pressure, problems with the immune system, and weight gain.
When people are under a great deal of stress at work, they often do not feel the physical effects of this stress. This can result in a loss of concentration and make it difficult for an individual to perform their job responsibilities in a productive manner. Our jobs are not the only sources of stress that we experience in our lives. Other sources include relationships with our children, friends, other people, and even our home life.
It is important for everyone to recognize the potential dangers associated with work-related stress. It is also important for each person to take steps to eliminate this stress if possible. For instance, if you find that you are constantly under stress at work, you may want to consider seeking professional assistance. In some cases, a physician or a mental health professional may be able to help you manage your stress and offer suggestions as to how to improve your overall health.
The good news is that there are many resources available for individuals who are suffering from what stress does to physical health. If you are experiencing physical problems, you may want to seek the advice of a medical doctor. In most cases, a physical therapist may be able to help. If you are already suffering from a physical issue, you may wish to discuss these issues with your doctor. Together you can determine the best course of action in terms of what stress does to your physical health.
3. How to de-stress
First and foremost, you need to identify the stress cycle – this is essentially the process by which stress builds up in your body. When we are highly stressed, we can have the body’s natural reaction of slowing down circulation, increasing our heart rate, and processing oxygen. This can increase our perceived intensity and thereby our emotional response – it can be like running out of steam! Once this has started, it can progress to increased workload and tiredness, all of which have the effect of increasing our feelings of stress and anxiety. All of these processes need to be broken or reversed if we are going to begin to feel more relaxed and calm. That is why many people choose to do some form of exercise (either aerobic or anaerobic) each day so as to release their ‘work stress’ and re-energize themselves.
Another simple but effective technique for de-stressing is to meditate – just relax and breathe deeply, taking time to let thoughts of the day and concerns sink into your mind. The process of deep breathing has been shown to help reduce the effects of stress. Indeed, research shows that regular meditation can reduce the signs of stress by as much as 60%.
Of course, there are other ways of de-stressing at work which will help you relax and reduce the effects of stress on your health. One is to carry out routine breaks. At the end of a busy day, you should walk away from your desk and breathe in the fresh air. If you do this on a daily basis, your body will be encouraged to produce more ‘feel-good chemicals such as serotonin, resulting in much lower blood pressure. Even short, 15-minute walks along your local High Street will result in you breathing in the fresh air and feeling much more relaxed.
Yet another de-stress tool is to perform some form of relaxation like meditation or yoga. Although these techniques may seem similar to meditation, they are very different from it. Whereas meditation requires you to remain sitting still for an extended period of time, yoga usually involves moving around throughout the exercise routine to get the muscles working. Although both involve deep breathing and relaxation, you would not compare the two with how to de-stress at work.
One of the keys to de-stressing at work is to find an activity that you enjoy and can control – one that involves you getting your heart rate up and out of your digestive tract for a few minutes each day. This will work much better than simply breathing in stale air. If you do not like exercise, you could try walking around the block, taking long walks with If you do not like exercise, you could try walking around the block, taking long walks with your dog, riding your electric bike along a short trail, or doing anything that gives you enjoyment – just don’t forget to breathe in fresh air afterward! There is no better way to de-stress than to take a moment to breathe in the fresh air. Try it today, and see if it helps.
Self-car, meditation, and relaxation techniques are all great ways to minimize stress but another great way to deal with stress is to work on eliminating your stressors and the things in your life that bring you anxiety. For example, money issues are a prevalent stressor among many so one way to help minimize that stress is to work on money management techniques and savings strategies that can get your finances in better shape. It can be as simple as saving on your Ohio Edison bills by conserving energy, ditching takes out, or canceling your gym membership. Applying proactive practices to eliminate your stressors will be hard in the beginning but the result will be worth it.
