When you can’t be together in person, catching up with family and friends over the phone, video chat, or even with a text is just as beneficial. And the benefits go both ways - the act of supporting someone else can help boost your mood and enhance well-being. Whether you’ve had a bad day or a bad year, reaching out to family and friends can help you through tough times. Staying connected with others and keeping relationships strong can help you cope with stress in the moment and become more resilient overall. 3 There’s evidence to show that other types of mindfulness activities, such as mindful acceptance, can help protect against stress as well. Mindfulness meditation has become a popular way to manage stress and improve overall well-being - and research suggests that it’s effective. The practice of mindfulness meditation involves sitting quietly, focusing on your breath, and paying attention to the present moment without drifting into concerns about the past or future. Spending just 20 to 30 minutes in a natural setting can reduce levels of cortisol - the hormone most closely associated with stress - by 20%. Even better? The positive effects of exercise can be felt immediately, but the stress-relieving benefits become even more noticeable over time. And any type of physical activity can help reduce stress. Physical activity is key to managing stress and improving mental health. A few small changes in your daily habits can make a big difference in how you feel. Take good care of your mind and body by keeping healthy foods on hand, cutting back on sugar and caffeine, and drinking plenty of water. Sounds simple, right? But when you’re stressed, these healthy basics can easily fall by the wayside. These small acts of self-care can go a long way, and they all have positive mind-body benefits in the moment and over time. Regardless of your symptoms, there are simple things you can do to help keep stress in check. Along with decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, irregular menstrual cycles, and missed periods are also common. Over time, stress can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. Stress can raise your heart rate and cause rapid, shallow breathing, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. Many people unconsciously clench their jaws or grind their teeth when they’re under stress, which can cause uncomfortable tightness or soreness. The most common stress-related aches and pains are in the neck, back, and shoulders. Stress can cause your muscles to tense up - and over time, that can lead to pain and soreness in virtually any part of the body. Stress can cause gastrointestinal symptoms of all types, including abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. Stress can disrupt this pattern and cause more follicles to enter the resting cycle at once - leading to increased, more noticeable hair loss. Hair falls out naturally when the hair follicle moves from the growth cycle to the resting cycle. Stress can slow down the production of saliva, which can cause dry mouth and make it difficult or uncomfortable to swallow. But if these symptoms sound familiar, it’s possible that stress is to blame.
When in doubt, talk to your doctor to rule out any physical health issues. Common physical signs of stressĮven if you don’t feel frazzled, your body could be sending you subtle signs that it’s time to address your stress. Whether you have physical symptoms, mental and emotional symptoms, or both, finding healthy ways to manage stress can help you find relief. “Stress is the underlying problem that needs to be addressed.” “Patients come in with real physical symptoms, but they aren’t caused by any illness,” says Loretta Howitt, MD, a psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center. While stress may be best known for taking a toll on the mind, sometimes physical symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that your brain is under too much stress. 7 surprising ways stress can affect your body by Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente |Įveryone experiences stress, but not everyone experiences it in the same way.
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