The fast pace of modern life leaves us little time to relax and think about what is happening around us and the events that directly affect our lives. This makes us constantly subjected to moderate amounts of stress, which can quickly escalate and trigger various types of issues. That’s probably why the levels of stress of the general population are at an all-time high.
Chronic stress can disrupt our mental health and send us down a dark path of anxiety and depression that can take over our lives and endanger our present and future. But mental health is not the only thing that we need to worry about! Stress can also make you physically sick in many different ways.
1. Weight fluctuations
When cortisol (the stress hormone) is released, it alters the way your body processes blood sugar and metabolizes fat, carbs, and protein. Depending on the case, these changes can either make you gain weight or lose weight. Furthermore, stress can also lead to overeating or under eating, which are fairly common ways of dealing with it. In addition to causing a sudden weight gain or loss, these behaviors may also have other health implications. So, yes, stress might be responsible for those weird weight fluctuations you have been experiencing lately.
2. Headaches
Stress-induced headaches are a very common phenomenon. These are called tension headaches and may improve quickly or annoy you for several hours. Symptoms include aching pain, pressure behind the eyes, scalp tenderness, and muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder area. Stress can also trigger migraines in people who are already prone to have them.
3. Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that makes it harder for you to fall or stay asleep. It affects about 10 to 30 percent of all adults, and it is considered another common symptom of stress –one that has the potential to make your life miserable. It’s normal for concerns and stressful events in your life to pop up in your head at night and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. But that shouldn’t happen regularly. It goes the other way around too. Lack of sleep can also contribute to stress, so this entire situation can be very frustrating, get out of control, and have a huge impact on your overall quality of life.
