I’m a person who has trouble sleeping when I have a lot going on in my life. It got me thinking about how stress can be a powerful (and potentially dangerous) factor in our lives. Can stress actually affect our physical health?
Without being a medical expert or research scientist, it can be easy to ignore the impact of stress on our minds and bodies. But the results are pretty clear—there are connections between the mind and the physical body.
So, what does that mean for us?
We know that stress can trigger a variety of mental health complications, but it could also lead to physical issues. In short, it could mean that those hard to pin-point pains, constant aches, and even more severe ailments that seemed to come from nowhere could have an identifiable cause.
As we continue to learn about our bodies, we can incorporate self-care techniques to improve the quality of our lives.
A brief history between mental health and bodily ailments
As far back as ancient Greece, the idea that the mind can affect the body was a widely held belief. Hippocrates, well-established in his time and well-known in ours, was a physician in ancient Greece. He was so influential that we still see traces of him in the medical field, such as giving his namesake to the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge that all doctors/physicians must take before being licensed.
Besides the oath, Hippocrates is known for his concept of ‘hysteria.’ Now shrouded in negative social connotations, the idea behind hysteria diagnosis is clear: your mind can make you ill. Hysteria was thought of as an unconscious psychological conflict manifesting itself physically.
Another example of doctors being on the right trail is the diagnosis of ‘shell shock’ during the World Wars. It was accepted that an array of medical illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, duodenal ulcers, colitis, asthma, hypertension, and others could all stem from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
The link between the mind and body became part of popular culture with Jane Austin’s or Charles Dickens’s literary works. People in the stories would die from ailments caused by ‘ill-humor’. Whatever “ill-humor” means is up to interpretation, but many researchers are certain, it suggests untreated mental illness.
Scientific backing of stress affecting physical health
People claim to have “butterflies in their stomach” when they’re nervous or that their “heart is pounding” when they’re afraid. These common sayings suggest we understand the connection between our mental state and our physical wellbeing.
Science agrees. Our bodies naturally react to our emotions. Blood vessels constrict and expand depending on our anxiety levels, a steady stream of hormones are regularly released into our bodies due to signals in our brains from the pituitary gland.
One hormone you’ve likely heard of is cortisol. Cortisol is released when we are under stress. If someone shouts at you or you’re running against a deadline, this is the hormone that courses through your body, making you feel stressed. But cortisol doesn’t just make you feel, it also permeates throughout your entire body, affecting several organ systems as it goes.
Just think about the body’s natural fight or flight reaction. When we perceive a threat or danger, our mind makes a choice and sends signals to our body. These signals can cause digestion to halt, intestinal muscles to relax, our adrenal glands (linked to anxiety) to fire, and our blood pressure to skyrocket.
What if we felt like there was always something awful looming? What if our job, education, debt, relationship, or family troubles are that thing? Perhaps the feeling of doom or gloom just never goes away. You’re tired, exhausted, worn out, and any extra stressor is always the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
What then? Is our body just constantly bombarded with signals, hormones, fluctuations, and pressure?
As of now, the answer is yes.
If that’s the case, what physical problems can be exacerbated by stress?
Stress can obviously lead to mental health concerns such as depression and a variety of anxiety disorders. According to health professionals, constant stress weakens the immune systems and exhausts the fight or flight stress response system. This can interrupt many of your body’s daily processes and can increase the risk of many physical health problems including:
- Sleep problems
- Digestive problems
- Headaches and muscle aches
- Heart disease
- Weight gain
- Memory and concentration impairment
Lack of sleep
Perhaps most obvious is lack of sleep. Our brains and bodies need sleep to regenerate and recalibrate—Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep to be more exact. Sleep can be disrupted by a number of disturbances.
Stress, sleep apnea, insomnia, uncommon work hours, whatever it is, getting a good night’s sleep is harder than it seems. Furthermore, REM only occurs during certain timed cycles, which can be missed during napping or regularly disrupted sleep.
So, when we can’t sleep, we have no respite. Our thoughts are fogged, and we’re usually quick to anger. Since our brain is the epicenter of all we are, it controls most hormone cycles and organic, unconscious bodily reactions. If it can’t function well, neither can anything else.
When our mind doesn’t function properly, the rest of our body can’t. Just like a car—if the engine is failing, the car can’t drive.
More seriously, according to the CDC, adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart disease. In fact, even one night of sleep deprivation can lead to the accumulation of beta-amyloid, the Alzheimer’s causing protein, in our neurons.
Muscle Tension
Stress is well-known for bringing on migraines, unrelenting headaches, chronic or nagging pains, and muscle tension. Your thyroid activity can also fluctuate under constant stress and wreak havoc on your health. Consistent anxiety can also lead to muscle aches, stomach aches, and breathing issues. Research has shown that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has a connection with anxiety disorders.
Stress is also linked to a variety of physical symptoms including unexplained aches and pains and muscle tension. It can even affect your eye health, digestive system, and heart negatively. In fact, it is believed that the prevalence of depression among cardiac patients ranges from 20 to 30 percent – a high percentage.
Self-Care Against Stress
Learning that your mental illness or stress can have adverse effects on your body can be a lot to take in, even if it doesn’t come as a complete surprise.
It’s important to remember that you’re not at fault and that there’s plenty of coping mechanisms that can effectively alleviate the pressure on your mind and body. Stress is inevitable, but being able to move it from a constant state to a passing emotion can help you to lead a healthier life.
Consider trying some stress management activities like:
Take a conscious break
Sometimes, it’s not enough to just book time off work or take a rest. Often, when our mind is already pushed to its limits, we need to actively try to relax. Do what we enjoy, feel no obligations, and simply be.
Review what triggers your stress
Whether you assume your mental health is suffering due to your brain chemistry or external matters, it’s worth identifying what could be causing the shift. From working in an unfulfilling job to not going to bed on time, never assume something is too insignificant or regular to be causing your daily pain. Once you identify the triggers, you can create a plan to mitigate or manage those occurrences.
Eat well-balanced meals
If you ingest the recommended amount of nutrients and minerals, you stand a better chance of keeping your system in equilibrium, including mentally. Incorporating intuitive or mindful eating can help you manage your stress and relationship with food.
Limit alcohol and caffeine intake
The noxious toxins and stimulants in both alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can throw off mental stability. Alcohol is a depressant, while caffeine tends to activate neural networks – both are damaging to the body and mind.
Practice breathing exercises (or relaxation techniques)
Breathing is the most natural thing; remembering to consciously do it can be next to impossible. But if you can manage to reassess and regain control of your breathing throughout the day, you can significantly lower your stress levels. Try the 4-7-8 method. Breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8 – simple. You can also add yoga or meditation to your regular routine to help you relax.
Foster healthy relationships
Getting together with friends to exercise, share a meal, or vent can help alleviate stress. Contacting friends regularly can help you find a new hobby, unleash your sense of humor, or seek advice when to manage a difficult situation. Friendships can be a fun and active way to manage stress.
However, despite how much good self-care can do for our mental health and wellbeing, it’s important to know when to seek professional help. If you think your symptoms could be caused by your mental wellbeing, then it’s best to get assessed by a medical professional.
If you think it’s the right time for you to start working towards a more stress-free and mindful life, try some of the coping mechanisms outlined above. Let me know if you have other self-care routines to help destress! xoxo Mo
