The impact of stress on your health
We’ve all experienced stress. It’s what causes clammy hands and makes your heart beat faster before a job interview; the headache and tense neck muscles when you’re under a tight deadline at work; or the pit-in-your-stomach feeling when you forget to pay your credit card bill on time. Knowing what stress is and how it affects your body can help you control it, so it doesn’t affect your health.
What is stress?
Stress is your body’s natural response to what it perceives as a harmful situation — whether you’re actually in danger or not. These situations can include everyday tasks, like going to work or school, or major life changes, like starting a new job, moving or a recent health diagnosis.
When you feel threatened, stress causes a chemical reaction in your body that helps prevent injury. Known as the fight-or-flight response, this reaction increases your heart rate, quickens your breathing, tightens your muscles and raises your blood pressure to prepare you to act and defend yourself.
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“Stress is a normal physical and mental response to anything we might see as harmful,” said Dr. Matt Stanley, D.O., DLFAPA, senior medical director behavioral health at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “The difficulty with stress is that there are so many things that can cause stress for someone and everyone’s tolerance for stress is different.”
What causes stress varies widely from person to person — what one person may find incredibly stressful may not bother you at all, and vice versa. For example, you might feel stressed if you’re running late and stuck in traffic on your way to work, while someone in the same traffic jam is perfectly content.
Recognizing symptoms of stress
Stress can affect your emotions, behavior, ability to think and physical health. But, because everyone handles stress a little differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Those experiencing stress might experience one, two or all of these symptoms:
Symptoms of stress
Stress can affect your emotions, behavior, ability to think and physical health:
- Headaches, body aches or tense muscles
- Upset stomach, diarrhea or nausea
- Constant worrying or racing thoughts
- Chest pain
- Feeling nervous, frustrated or overwhelmed
- Dry mouth or difficulty swallowing
- Inability to focus or sleep
Normal vs. chronic stress
Experiencing acute or episodic acute stress from time to time is perfectly normal and healthy. “A little bit of stress can be a good thing, as stress can help us perform at our best,” said Dr. Stanley. “It becomes a problem when you’re stressed too often or for too long.”
Chronic stress occurs when your fight-or-flight response doesn’t stop firing, and your body’s stress levels stay elevated much longer than needed for survival. “Chronic stress usually impacts our ability to function, meaning we aren’t able to enjoy our usual activities, concentrate at work or school or fulfill our normal obligations,” said Dr. Stanley.
Long-term, ongoing stress can affect your health, putting you at risk for things like:
- Depression, anxiety and personality disorders
- Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart attack or stroke
- Obesity and other eating disorders
- Skin and hair problems, including acne, psoriasis, eczema and permanent hair loss
- Gastrointestinal problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), acid reflux and ulcerative colitis
- Sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia
How to reduce stress
It’s important to not let stress rule your life. Try these five tips for managing your stress and improving your health.
1.
Find the cause.
If you know what’s stressing you out on a regular basis, work to reduce or even eliminate that stressor from your life. If you aren’t sure what’s causing your stress, keep a journal to jot down when you become the most anxious. Once you find a pattern, you'll know what’s triggering your stress and can take steps to address it.
2.
Practice deep breathing.
Incorporating mindfulness into your daily life, such as pausing for a moment and guiding your body through slow, relaxing breaths can help reduce stress levels. Sit or lie down, close your eyes, imagine yourself in a relaxing environment and slowly take deep breaths in and out. Aim to do this for five to 10 minutes at a time. If you need help, try a mindfulness app or guided breathing program on your smartwatch or wearable fitness device. Wellmark members can find exclusive deals and discounts on the mindfulness solution, eM Life, and more through Blue365®.
3.
Get some exercise.
Whether you choose to simply go for a walk outside or do the latest HIIT workout, exercising regularly will help relax your body and mind, as well as improve your mood. The more you do it, the faster you’ll see results.
4.
Do things you enjoy.
If you’re feeling stressed, it’s important to take your mind off what’s bothering you. Setting aside time each day for relaxing hobbies — even just 30 minutes — can help relieve stress. Some suggestions include: reading a book, working on a puzzle or doing a craft project like knitting or scrapbooking. You could also try meditation or listening to your favorite music.
Chronic stress can be a serious health issue, but if you take steps to manage it you can live a healthy life no matter what problems you face. And, if you find that you're unable to manage stress on your own, talk to your primary care provider (PCP).
Having trouble finding mental health care near you or not sure how to squeeze a visit into your busy schedule? Many mental health care providers also offer virtual care options, like Doctor On Demand®, for therapy and mental health coaching. To see if your health plan covers Doctor on Demand, log in to myWellmark.
Disclaimers
Doctor On Demand physicians do not prescribe Drug Enforcement Administration-controlled substances, and may elect not to treat conditions or prescribe other medications based on what is clinically appropriate.
For plans that include benefits for mental health treatment, Doctor On Demand benefits may include treatment for certain psychological conditions, emotional issues and chemical dependency. Services performed by Doctor On Demand psychologists are covered. For more information, call Wellmark at the number on your ID card.
Doctor On Demand by Included Health is a separate company providing an online telehealth solution for Wellmark members. Doctor On Demand® is a registered mark of Doctor On Demand, Inc.
Blue365® is a discount program available to members who have medical coverage with Wellmark. This is NOT insurance.
Blue365® is a service mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
eM Life is a registered trademark of eMindful Inc.