Busy schedules, high expectations, and financial pressures are just a few of the common causes of stress. It’s normal to have some level of stress when a significant milestone or deadline is looming, but when stress becomes a common occurrence, it might be time to inspect your life. Chronic stress has become the norm in a significant proportion of the population, and this is very alarming.
There are many stressful events and seasons of life. When the pressure, deadlines, trauma, or other stress triggers have stressed your body, this can cause you to feel threatened, which raises your stress hormone, cortisol. High cortisol levels are characteristic of a fight or flight reaction, which causes your muscles to tense. With this comes high blood pressure and an increased heart rate. If the stress persists for a long period, it can lead to long term mental and physical health problems as well as social issues. Here are six signs stress making you sick and some suggestions to deal with it.
You Have Brain Fog and Confusion
When there is too much to do and a lot of stress in your life, one of the tell-tale signs is brain fog and lack of clarity. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and be unable to concentrate even on tasks that are usually a breeze. Stress can also interfere with your sleep and overall life satisfaction, but there are ways to deal with it. Some stress management techniques you can apply to deal with the mental fatigue include prioritizing your tasks, eliminating multi-tasking, getting more sleep, and asking for help. Don’t neglect your mental health because it affects your whole life.
You Always Have a Cold
When you are chronically stressed, this can affect your resistance to infection. Chronic stress suppresses the normal functions of the body’s immune system. As a result, it is much easier for you to catch a cold than normal. If you find that you are going from one cold or flu to another, stress could be the problem.
To treat a persistent cold, you can take your regular cold and flu medications. It is also essential to get a full night’s rest and to increase your vitamin C intake. Many people also enjoy a relaxing hot bath with Epsom salts for stress relief.
Your Skin Becomes More Sensitive
Your affected immune system can also lead to more sensitive skin. Rashes and allergies are a normal part of life, but these can easily be exacerbated and increased by persistent stress. When your body is very stressed, your nervous system is through off, causing skin sensitivities such as acne, eczema, hives, and rashes. You can treat acne with green tea ice cubes. For hives, a cold compress can work on the affected areas. It is also good to make sure that there isn’t another cause for the allergic reaction.
You Have Headaches Often
Tension headaches and an increase in their prevalence is a common tell-tale sign that stress is affecting you. Alongside these headaches can come increased light and noise sensitivity, trouble focusing, and throbbing pain in the sides and top of your head.
To deal with headaches from stress, you can rub your temples and hairline with essential oils such as peppermint oil. Another helpful trick is to use either a cold compress or a heating pad on your head.
You Stomach Is Irritable
High levels of stress can also affect your appetite, digestion, and stomach health. When your brain is overwhelmed by stress, this trickles down and affects your gut as well. Common symptoms include cramping, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and gas. To deal with these issues, you can reduce your caffeine intake, try relaxation therapy, and talk to your doctor to make sure there are no other causes.
You Have Low Energy
When you are overly stressed, this can affect your sleep cycle, your brain focus, and your muscles and joints. Some people stay up worrying and don’t sleep enough, while others end up oversleeping. It’s common to have long spells of fatigue and even lack motivation. Getting to the root of your stress is the best way to deal with it. Combined with digestion and increased appetite problems, this could lead to weight gain. York City residents can also talk to counselors about stress management solutions.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that stress can have a negative impact on everyone’s lives; however, it’s what you do with it that determines the intensity and seriousness of the situation. The signs above should be taken seriously and not undermined.
