Stress not only affects our feeling emotionally, but also physically. You may not realize the signals that your body trying to tell you. In fact, the stress symptoms can affect your body, thoughts, feelings and even behavior. A little stress is fine, but too much stress can make you sick. Read on to find out the health issues caused by stress and get to know how to protect yourself.
Heart disease
As the heart rate and blood level rise directly when we are under stress, it increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart problems. Also, stress will increase the likelihood of smoking, alcohol intake and obesity. It is the indirect causes of heart disease as well. This is why the one who has heart problems need to avoid emotional change and try to keep calm and relax in harmful situations.
Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are the obvious symptoms connected with stress. Stress is our body reaction towards harmful situations like examination, demanding work and important meeting. The body signals of anxiety are included the increase of heart rate and blood pressure, quick breathing and tight muscles. What is more, when you get depressed by high stress, you will find a decrease in your amount of deep sleep and an increase in night-time wakefulness as well that affecting your sleeping quality.
Weight gain and obesity
Under the stressful situation, body hormones increase its preference for sugar, starch and fat foods. So that we are more likely to eat fast and junk food on a stressful day. When you are with high-stress level, the excess fat is usually stored in the belly rather than on legs and hips. When you find the amount of fat seems to increase in the abdomen, it is probably caused by your stress.
Effective ways to relieve stress
Meditation
It has been a popular way to relieve the stress recently. You can just simply sit down, close your eyes, keep the natural breath and focus your mind on the breathing speed to make your whole body relax.
Write it down
There are two approaches to help you relax. One way is to jot down anything that bothers you on the paper. The other is to write down what you are grateful for. Gratitude can keep your thoughts focusing on the positive attitude to relieve your stress.
Time with friends and family
Getting support from friends and family can help get through a stressful period. Share your experience and get the advice from your close relationship to find ways to get rid of stress.
