We’ve all heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” What does this mean to you and how do you respond when the going gets tough? What is the long term effect of your stress response on your overall health? Your ability to handle the stress in your life can affect every system of your body including your immune response.
Handling stress poorly is known to cause headaches, muscle pain, chest pain, fatigue, change in libido, upset stomach, anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, sadness, over or under eating, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol misuse, tobacco use, social withdrawal and lack of exercise.
Effectively managing stress is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself. Get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy, well balanced diet, avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine. Don’t use illegal substances.
Consider professional counseling to help identify the source of your stress and learn new coping skills.
Get emergency help for chest pain. Don’t waver on this issue. Chest pain, shortness of breath, jaw or back pain, pain radiating into an arm, sweating, dizziness and nausea accompanying the chest pain can all be signs of a heart attack.
Stress can impair your immunity and make you more likely to catch communicable diseases.
Identify the source of your anxiety and let that be motivation to make positive changes in your life. Refuse to live with ongoing negative stress as your status quo. Do the hard thing and change your life for the better to alleviate obvious negativity.
Embrace the things that nurture you. Create wellness and peace in your life. It’s not always easy but it is always worth the work.
With your doctor permission, work out as hard as you can. It will change your brain.
Get outside and walk underneath trees. Trees produce chemicals that boost GABA in your brain and it creates calm.
Dump negative people and embrace the ones who truly love you and want the best for you. Nothing is as uplifting as unconditional love.
You are worth the work. Put your physical and mental health in first place and watch the negative effects of mismanaged stress begin to dissipate. You will emerge a changed person with a whole new outlook on life, knowing that you have methods and tools to take care of yourself so that you can care for others and live your best life possible.
How we treat our own stress determines our own outcome. Be proactive, not reactive.
Yes, David, a very wise man taught that to me.
When we think of stress, we think of how it can possibly bring on a heart attack. I don’t know if people realize, it can bring on underlying conditions people may not even know they have, such as multiple sclerosis. This happened to me 25 years ago, when I was going through a very difficult divorce.
Wow, Marie, that’s a result of the breakdown of the immune system, I believe. Stress can kill us in so many ways. Thank you for reading and commenting. Bravo to you for fighting for your health. MS is a harsh task master. You are a Warrior. ♥️
Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing your story Marie. As a part of our methodology, we really try to emphasize reducing stress in our lives. Stress left unchecked can and will destroy us in so many ways.