How Your Stress Negatively Manifests Itself
In today's society, modern stressors are death by a thousand cuts.... Our bodies were set up to deal with real life or death situations, but small things that stress us out now are telling our bodies the same thing as back then (this is life or death) constantly. So we’re always in this fighting mode that’s slowly tearing us apart. Year after year, we think that we can build in recovery time, but it doesn’t work that way. Notice the healthcare crisis? We’re borrowing from tomorrow to get through today, but we can't replace that stolen energy. We take hits daily, and then we’re cranky and crabby and we’re bankrupting our energies! By the end of the day, we have nothing left in our tanks; we’ve used all of that energy up to deal with our everyday stressors from work and life.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
- Toxic relationships?
- “Plugged in” 24/7?
- Body aches and pains?
- Frequent colds/flu or getting sick?
- Short temper/lack of patience?
- Fatigued/tired/lack of energy/sluggish?
- Bloated?
- Poor sleep/not sleeping well?
- Of feeling of spiritual disconnect?
- Need to spend more time with friends? Better work/life balance
- Not feeling as creative as you want to be?
These are just a few of the signs that you could be stressed out. The key is to manage your stress before it becomes Chronic Stress, or Adrenal Fatigue.
Let's look at what can happen if to your body & emotions when you're stressed:
Common symptoms of stress on your mood
- Anxiety or anxious racing thoughts
- Restlessness
- Lack of motivation or focus
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Irritability or anger
- Sadness or depression
- Constant worrying
- Seeing only the negative
Common symptoms of stress on your behavior
- Overeating or undereating
- Angry outbursts
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Tobacco use
- Social withdrawal
- Exercising less often
Common symptoms of stress on your body
- Headache
- Muscle tension or pain
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Change in sex drive
- Stomach upset
- Sleep problems
So what happens if you let that stress get to you for more than a few months? What happens if you're in a constant state of stress for one year or longer?
Here are some common long term effects of stress on health:
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Respiratory Disease and or Asthma
- Obesity
- Heart Disease
- Adrenal Fatigue and Failure/Autoimmune
- Diabetes
- Heartburn
- Acid Reflux
- Hormonal Imbalance/Infertility
- High Blood Pressure
- Skin Problems
- Mental/Thinking
We truly believe that creating a life of wellness and health is a process and must be done with balance in mind. Our core philosophy is that if you focus on your foundation, or "the Pillars of Health", you can then bring attention to the other areas of your life that give you fulfillment and joy.
We also acknowledge that life throws us curve balls all the time and that finding joy is a dance we do with reality and intentions. It is critical to maximize each pillar if you want to manage your stress vs. your stress managing you.
If you properly care for your foundation you can effectively manage your stress. Each of us may be off balance in one or two areas. We use our Pillars of Health as our guide and foundation and the Circle of Life to define a life of wellness, as we maneuver through this beautiful journey!
For a look at the science behind stress and tips on how to manage stress, jump over to our blog " The Science Behind Stress and Tips to Manage Your Daily Stress"