What happens to your physical health when you’re stressed.

Your overall physical health, including your heart health, immune health, hormone health and more, are impacted in a range of ways when exposed to chronic stress.

  • Increased risk of cardio vascular issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke and heart disease.

  • A chronic stress state can suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections and harder to recover.

  • Muscle tension and pain may occur as a response to tensing up, which may lead to headaches, back pain, shoulder and neck pain.

  • Potential rapid breathing or hyperventilation, which may also exacerbate existing respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD.

  • Increased risk in Type 2 diabetes as chronic stress can contribute to insulin resistance and higher blood sugar levels.

  • Reproductive health issues can occur when stress hormones interfere with other hormone levels as a result of chronic stress ,which can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, reduced libido and infertility.

*Sources for insights cited on the impact of stress on physical health here

Break the stress cycle, try these quick tips.

  • Coastal scene with a person walking a dog on a beach, with a distant pier and lighthouse, surrounded by cliffs and buildings in the background.

    Visualize & breathe

    Try box breathing the next time you feel stress rising: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds before repeating. Try this for 1-2 minutes. While breathing, visualize a place that brings you tranquility & inner peace.

  • Person eating a sandwich outdoors, close-up view.

    Schedule lunch

    We want to pack a lot into our day, but stepping away to take even a short lunch break works wonders in relieving stress and helping to reset. Keep a daily lunch calendar appointment so you don’t work through or eat at your desk.

  • Person in wetsuit stretching by the beach at sunrise

    Stretch it out

    To release back pain and tension, build a habit of stretching throughout the day. For increased mobility & better balance, it becomes increasigly more important as we age. Try a few different stretches between meetings and calls and.either in the morning or at night.

  • A person with curly hair walking on a forest trail surrounded by trees and greenery, wearing a gray shirt, light-colored leggings, and white shoes.

    Walking

    The day is draining when you’re back to back, so schedule in 1-2 intentional walking breaks into your day to step away from work (computer, client calls, teaching etc.) and walk. If the weather permits try to get outside at least 1x during your work day - even 5-10 minutes can have a big positive impact.

Stress-busting article spotlight

11 natural ways to lower your cortisol levels

Highlights:

  • Movement is good for many reasons, including stress reduction. Regular exercise has been proven to reduce cortisol, and improve resilience to acute stress over time.

  • Exercising earlier in the day is better to improve quality sleep at night, another hallmark of lowering cortisol.

  • The parasympathetic nervous system can be activated with deep breathing - letting the nervous system know that dangers have subsided - and reducing stress and cortisol levels.

  • Laughing, good for a mood boost, works because endorphins are released and cortisol is suppressed.

 Full article here