Vanessa Harry
gynaecology.tt@gmail.com
For many, stress can be part of daily life, a constant churn of just one thing after another.
But not all stress is bad. It is essentially your body’s way of protecting you from any kind of demand or threat. This stress response, when it works well, can help you stay focused, alert, and energetic.
For instance, stress can help you rise to meet certain challenges such as keeping you on your toes during a presentation at work or compelling you to study for an exam when you would rather be watching television.
However, beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and can begin to cause major damage. Stress that feels overwhelming can have a negative impact on your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and quality of life.
April is Stress Awareness Month with an aim to raise awareness of the negative impact of stress, particularly long-term or chronic stress. Some of the common causes of stress include cost of living and finances, workplace issues, personal health and safety, relationships, and family life as well as uncertainty about the future. The isolation that came with the pandemic also did not help as it heightened both stress and anxiety.
The unfortunate consequences are that stress can affect your outlook on life, interpersonal relationships, and performance in the workplace, school, or other areas of life. But it also goes beyond just the impact on mental and emotional well-being.
Ongoing stress affects the entire body.
If you tend to get stressed out frequently, like many of us in today's demanding world, your body may exist in a heightened state of stress most of the time. And that can lead to serious health problems.
Stress is known to be a risk factor for heart disease, dementia, stroke, accelerated ageing, prolonged digestive issues, and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can also suppress your immune system and disrupt the reproductive system, cause weight problems and insomnia, and has the ability to rewire the brain leaving you more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
One of the most dangerous things about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it and it starts to feel familiar, even normal. You may not notice how much it is affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll on your health.
Some of the warning signs of stress overload include memory problems, an inability to concentrate, anxious or racing thoughts, and constant worrying. Others are moodiness, anger, or irritability, and seeing only the negative, while feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and lonely are other symptoms.
But there are many ways to combat stress. The World Health Organization recommends keeping to a daily routine, getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy foods, and limiting your time following the news or engaging in social media. It also helps to stay connected with others and use calming practices such as meditation and deep breathing.
However, even from a medical point of view, one of the most successful tools to combat stress is physical activity.
Numerous scientific studies continue to show over and over that exercise is remarkably effective for managing stress. It can boost mood, reduce tension and improve sleep, all of which are impacted by stress.
The reason exercise is so effective is actually fairly simple and well-documented. Exercise causes your body to produce more endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that boost your mood. Movement also combats elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol while improving blood flow.
In the end, stress in small doses is to be expected and something we are equipped to handle. The same is not true for stress that is ongoing or left unattended to when it can have dire consequences.
It is therefore crucial to recognise daily stress, manage your current stressors and adopt healthy coping skills. Nevertheless, if you and your life are otherwise affected by stress, do not hesitate to reach out to a medical or mental health professional who can help.
