Do you ever just feel overwhelmed? Find yourself getting sick easily or feeling tired all of the time? You can’t ever seem to get enough sleep? There’s a good chance you could be experiencing stress. Let’s talk about the long-term effects of chronic stress. According to the American Psychological Association (2023), chronic stress causes our body to enter a constant state of tension. This can often cause our bodies to experience muscoskeletal pain. Stress can also affect our respiratory systems and can even trigger events such as asthma attacks or panic attacks (APA, 2023). Being in a constant state of acute stress can also cause an increase in the risk of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, fatigue, increase cortisol levels and inflammation, and can often trigger immune or chronic health conditions such as diabetes (APA, 2023). Additional systems affected can include gastro issues such as upset stomach and acid reflux along with noticeable effects to menstrual cycles for women and libido in both men and women. Finally, those who experience stress may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and may notice exacerbation of anxious or depressive symptoms.
Stress doesn’t discriminate and anyone can be effected. In 2022, the American Institute of Stress reported that 57% of people who experienced stress reported feeling paralyzed and 63% of Americans reported wanting to leave their jobs due to work-related stress. A whopping 94% of American workers reported feeling stressed at work (AIS, 2022). These statistics show that many of us are likely not handling stress as well as may think. It’s easy to avoid dealing with stress as we often feel we have no other choice.
These are just a few of the many issues a person who is chronically stressed can experience. I have often heard, “stress is normal and just a part of life.” In a sense, this is true. Short-term stress happens and we can usually cope and move forward, but what happens when the stress starts to impact our ability to work or be present for our families? Maybe we notice that we are short-tempered or finding ourselves unable to engage in conflict without anger or panic. Harvard Health (2022) offers six techniques to help incorporate stress reduction in our daily lives. First, we can work on deep breathing (please check with your physician if you have any medical issues or breathing problems). This involves taking deep, focused breaths while disengaging from negative thoughts or feelings happening in the body (Harvard Health 2022). Second, we can incorporate body scanning, which involves us focusing on specific muscle groups in the body and mentally releasing any tension we feel in those muscle groups. Third, is guided imagery, which involves peaceful or relaxing images that we experience in our mind. Fourth, mindfulness, which encourages us to bring our mind to the present while focusing on our breathing. Fifth, participating in yoga, tai chai, and quigong. Finally, incorporating spirituality or religion if preferred to reduce stress can be helpful to those who find significance in these practices. Other ways that can help us manage stress could include physical activity, healthy diet, and ensuring we are getting plenty of sleep each night.
If you feel that you have tried everything and still are unable to manage chronic stress, it may be time to reach out to speak to a licensed therapist to identify strategies that are effective for you. Stress reduction is an important skill and can help build a healthier lifestyle. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s just nice to have someone to talk to about all of the weight we carry in the chaos of life. If you find yourself struggling to manage stress and would like support, please reach out to Greenway Therapy.
References
American Institute of Stress. (2022). What is Stress?
https://www.stress.org/dailylife#:~:text=Stress%20causes%2057%25%20of%20US,stress
American Psychological Association. (2023, March 8). Stress effects on the body: stress affects all systems of the body including the muscoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive
systems.https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
Harvard Health Publishing. (2022, February 8). Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
Tiffany Meek is Licensed Professional Counselor at Greenway Therapy. Learn more about her on her BIO page.
