6 scientifically proven impacts of stress on your body and brain
I’ve realized that I’ve been extremely anxious since I was a little girl…. Without even knowing it.
The more I study the numerous effects of stress and anxiety, the more I come to this conclusion :
Stress is NOT normal.
Especially when repetitive, prolonged and chronic.
(As well as chronic migraine, back pain, exhaustion, anguish…. You name it).
It’s not supposed to be normal, but if I look around me, whether I like it or not, stress has become totally normal.
Because I’ve had the chance to be the writer of many therapists and doctors for 7 years, I have learnt a lot about the impact of stress on the body and the brain.
The point of this article is to share with you 6 important scientific facts about the consequences of too much stress in your life,
(as well as my story about my “mastery to deny my chronic anxiety” since childhood).
I dearly invite you to share with me how stress affects your life, how you’d like to better cope with it, and if you too have to hide your insecurities to fit society.
My first question when I started to understand stress was :
Is there a reality other than a life under stress in the 21st century ?
Maybe like you, I was born in a country, a culture, a generation and a family where navigating through stress was not an option. It was a survival reflex to find my “place” in society.
In addition to that, like many people, I’ve also had to deal with traumatic experiences and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress) from the age of 5, without the possibility of healing them.
What I’ve learnt many years later, as an adult, is that unhealed traumas are considered “cumulated stresses” that make us even more vulnerable to chronic and social anxiety.
Before I knew about that (and finally became more compassionate with myself), I spent 2 decades unconsciously repressing my fears and insecurities about life.
I had to “over adapt” to my environnement at home, at school and in society, in order to “look fine”, to “fit in” with the demanding outer expectations.
I’ve learnt (the hard way) how to “over protect” my body and my brain to not be hurt again.
I’ve learnt how to hide my sensitive nature and strong emotions, and to show the world another person, more “stress compatible”, more appropriate to western social standards.
It worked. I succeeded pretending I was a “strong woman” to the eyes of society for 20 years.
And the best part of the story is that everyone believed it, including me, and my closest family.
But it has to come to an end.
After many mental, emotional and physical health conditions and (fortunately minor) accidents, I’ve realized that I am surrounded by multiple unprocessed fears which I have to face.
Over the years, I’ve become desperate to find out what the hell chronic stress really does to us, in order to live better.
That’s why I have created and taught Writing Meditation (have a look at my daily practice here), and it’s what I want to share with you today :
6 scientifically proven impacts of stress on your body and brain.
According to the American Psychological Association, our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when it becomes long-term or chronic, it causes serious effects on (at least) 6 areas of your body ; the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems.
Feel free to start practicing Writing Meditation with my Free Workbook here
- Stress provoques chronic pain and tensions
When your body is stressed, muscles tense up in order to protect you against injury and pain.
When muscles are tense for long periods of time, this may promote chronic pain (especially in the back), and also headache and migraine which are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck and head.
2. Stress prevent you from breathing properly
The respiratory system supplies oxygen to cells and removes carbon dioxide waste from the body.
Stress and strong emotions can present with respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath and rapid breathing, as the airway between the nose and the lungs constricts.
Some studies show that acute stress actually triggers asthma attacks. In addition, the rapid breathing — or hyperventilation — caused by stress can bring on a panic attack.
3. Stress increase the risk of heart attack
The heart and blood vessels work together in providing nourishment and oxygen to the organs of the body.
In case of chronic stress, the consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, the elevated levels of stress hormones and of blood pressure, increase the risk for hypertension, stroke and inflammation in the circulatory system, particularly in the coronary arteries (which is a pathway to heart attack).
4. Stress can lead to immune diseases
When someone perceives a situation to be challenging, threatening, or uncontrollable, the brain increases its production of stress hormones, like cortisol.
Cortisol is important for regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation, but in case of chronic stress, it can be involved in the development of numerous physical and mental health conditions, including chronic fatigue, metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, obesity), depression, and immune disorders.
5. Stress depletes your nervous system
When the body is stressed, the nervous system contributes to what is known as the “fight or flight” response. The body shifts its energy resources toward fighting off a life threat, or fleeing from an enemy.
The nervous system signals the adrenal glands to release hormones called adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones together, cause the heart to beat faster, respiration rate to increase, blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate, digestive process to change and glucose levels in the bloodstream to increase to deal with the emergency.
Chronic stress, experiencing stressors over a prolonged period of time, can result in a long-term drain on the body. As the nervous system continues to trigger physical reactions, it causes a wear-and-tear on the body.
6. Stress influences your sexual desire and reproductive system….
For men, ongoing stress over an extended period of time can affect testosterone production resulting in a decline in sex drive or libido, and can even cause erectile dysfunction or impotence.
Chronic stress can also negatively impact sperm production and maturation, causing difficulties in couples who are trying to conceive. Researchers have found that men who experienced two or more stressful life events in the past year had a lower percentage of sperm motility (ability to swim) and a lower percentage of sperm of normal morphology (size and shape), compared with men who did not experience any stressful life events.
When stress affects the immune system, the body can become vulnerable to infection to the testes, prostate gland, and urethra.
For women, high levels of stress may be associated with absent or irregular menstrual cycles, more painful periods, and changes in the length of cycles.
In addition, as women juggle personal, family, professional and/or financial demands, stress may reduce sexual desire.
Stress also has a significant impact on a woman’s reproductive plans. It can negatively impact a woman’s ability to conceive, the health of her pregnancy, and her postpartum adjustment.
Excess stress increases the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety during this time. Maternal stress can negatively impact fetal and ongoing childhood development and disrupt bonding with the baby.
> I invite you to book your free consultation with me if you are ready to see how emotional coaching can help you find your best solutions, which are already there, inside you.
Amandine Mas — Emotions and Writing Coach on https://www.instagram.com/amandine_emotional_freedom
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