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- How does stress affect health? - is the question you should be asking. Especially in the workplace, so...
- Is it all in your head?
- A weak man's game?
- An excuse?...
....Like the SUN, stress can grow you. Stress develops your emotional intelligence and your creative capabilities. It's your greatest teacher.
But if you don't learn to recognize the adverse effects of stress and learn how to deal with them, stress could hit you hard and unexpectedly.
Stress affects the body and the mind, building up pressure, until either or both, fall apart.
So you might be at the bottom of the Yerkes-Dodson Law Curve, burnt out and depressed or you might be flying at the top. Knowing how to balance the right amount of stress in your life can change your world.
(Copyright Kalavati 2007. Drawing by Mercia Komen)
The Stress Center shares a stress management article and provides a comprehensive free essay on stress:
...And much more to help you manage your stress.
How does stress affect health if you're a nurse?
The stress in nursing is more than most professions. Click here to see this incredible personal development website catering specifically for nurses and people in the health profession. Claire has been a registered nurse of 25 years. She supports mentors using her personal development experiences to teach others.
How does stress affect health? Physical Stress!
Health related problems include:
- Light-headedness,
- Diarrhea,
- Nausea,
- Headaches,
- Dry mouth and throat.,
- Difficulty in swallowing,
- Difficulty in speaking,
- Ulcer damage,
- Feeling cold,
- Feeling hot and sweaty,
- Colds, flu and other infections including allergy disorders.
All of which can turn into heart conditions, cancers and other serious illness.
How does stress affect health? Emotional stress!
What starts off as mild anxiety can become crippling. People find they:- Can't enjoy life,
- Can't sleep at night.
- Suffer from mood swings,
- Depression,
- Memory lapses,
- Flashbacks or re live past situations.
Managing Stress can really make a difference. Go to Stress Management Strategies
How does stress affect health? The Gradual Slippery Slope!
So it's definitely not a lazy man's guide to bliss. But stress definitely can affect your overall health....
First, you start to look a little wired.
And weird.
To recognize the symptoms of stress, go from
How Stress Affects Health to The Symptoms of Stress
(Cartoon with permission from DR Jason Wolfe)
So, I still haven't answered your question: 'Exactly how does stress affect health?'
Over a long period, the physiological and physical effects of stress have a direct impact on the body's army (the immune system). Your body's soldiers are suppressed and oppressed. The enemy (infections, virus etc) attacks. If not attended to, stress may leave you vulnerable to a major illness.
It can also affect you emotionally. Many of the chemicals and hormones your body produces or suppresses during periods of stress are responsible for your emotional well being. When these are out of balance you may develop symptoms which once were attributed to mental illness. They are now understood to be stress related.
How does stress affect health? Understand how stress affects the body!
The Superman Response...
...Your body is a brilliant yet complex system. It is designed to turn you into a super hero at a moments notice. It's fantastic. You too can be superman!
But it can overdo things and leave you exhausted.Your heart beats faster, adrenalin pumps, your breath shortens, ......you're sweating profusely, butterflies are churning in your stomach ....
...and you want to throw up.
You might as well have a gun pointed at your head. The triggers are different but the effects on your body are the same.
You have two natural instincts.........
To Fight or Flight! Learn more about the fight or flight reaction
here!
Return from How Does Stress Affect Health? to Stress Management
The Psychological Effects of Stress
The mental and emotional effects of stress may be the most damaging. Depression, anxiety and other mental disorders are affecting societies more and more. Often, extreme stress is an unspoken illness. We are putting together a series of free stress articles about topics related to this, including a free researched stress essay with recommendations from the experts. Go to psychological effects of stress.
How Does Stress Affect lifestyle?
Breaking the Cycle!
Most important is recognizing the signs. Just asking the question, 'How does stress affect health?' increases your awareness.
The stages you can expect:
- first disrupted sleep;
- then aches and pains as your pain tolerance decreases;
- a loss of energy and motivation;
- lack of interest and ability for pleasure;
- lastly serious emotional and physical illness.
...The best way to break the cycle is to balance your body's sleep patterns and natural ability to manage the production of chemicals and hormones. As soon as possible. As early in the above stages as possible.
You do this through the way you think, the food you eat, exercise, meditation, relaxation, fun, rest and sleep etc. Kalavati will provide everything you need to know on each area.
For more go to the Physiological and Physical Effects of Stress!
WORDS OF CAUTION: Though we can advise you, based on our personal experiences and the experiences of others, we are not medical experts. Nor have these articles been checked by a medical expert. We can only point you in the right direction. We advise you to see your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms or health effects described.
Now that you understand just how serious stress can be for overall health, if you think you are suffering from stress, visit a professional in your area. You will find the exercises and practical activities available here will support your doctor or psychologist's programs.
Kalavati Home Page
The Stress Center
Affects on Health Part II
