If you’re worried about the effect of stress on your health, there’s some good and bad news. The good news is that global stress levels are currently at their lowest since 2019. The bad news is that the percentage of stressed people is still exceedingly high—37%. Feeling stressed and anxious not only impacts your quality of life. It is also linked to a host of physical and mental diseases. Find out how stress can shorten a person’s life and discover proven ways to nip it in the bud.
The Effects of Stress on the Body
Stress affects every system in the body, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, nervous, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive systems. Our bodies are well-equipped to navigate small amounts of stress but when this problem becomes chronic, our health can suffer in many ways. Chronic stress is linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes, for instance. It can also cause tension and migraine headaches, as well as chronic tension in the shoulders, neck, and head. Stress can make you feel short of breath and cause short, rapid breathing. It can exacerbate problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Its effects can be devastating—for instance, when it manifests itself in inflammation in the coronary arteries. Diseased arteries are one of the major causes of heart attacks, which is why doctors recommend reducing cholesterol intake and choosing healthy whole foods.
The Effects of Stress on the Mind
High stress levels can be triggers for anxiety and depression. However, they can also wreak havoc on the mind-gut connection. To put it simply, one of the keys to good mental health is a healthy gut (having a wide array of healthy gut bacteria). The gut has hundreds of millions of neurons that constantly communicate with the brain. This explains why you can feel “butterflies in the stomach” when you are in the presence of a person, or a pain in your gut when you hear bad news. Stress affects this communication and causes bloating and other problems. The gut is also home to millions of gut bacteria that influence mood. Studies have shown, for instance, that people with depression tend to have depleted levels of two gut bacteria—coprococcus and dialister. For an idea of how important these bacteria are, note that coprococcus has a biological pathway associated with dopamine (a feel-good neurotransmitter).
Stress Leads to Unhealthy Behaviors
Stress impacts the way we think, feel, and behave. When we are stressed, for instance, we are more likely to eat unhealthy foods and forget to exercise self-care. Neglect can easily creep in when people are heavily focused on work or saving personal relationships that are draining them of energy. They are less likely to have required medical check-ups or take symptoms of heart disease (say chest pain or fatigue) seriously. It is easy to see how this can impact their life in a dramatic way. Take the case of heart disease and blocked or faulty arteries—one of the leading causes of heart attacks. When, during a checkup, cardiologists find that arteries are narrow or functioning poorly, they can recommend procedures such as an angioplasty and stent placement or transcatheter procedure. A stent is used to widen arteries, while transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) replaces a faulty aortic valve. These and many other procedures can extend life and help prevent heart attacks.
Managing Stress Proactively
We may not be able to eliminate stress from our lives altogether, but we can manage it smartly and reduce its effects. One of the most important ways to quell stress is to get a good night’s sleep (all adults should get at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep). A healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet, which comprises lean meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, whole grains, and Omega-3 fats) can help keep you lean and trim but full of energy. It is also vital to get enough exercise. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (or a combination of the two). In addition to aerobics, mindful activities such as Tai Chi, mindfulness meditation, and yoga have all been proven in various studies to lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Finally, physicians recommend time in nature. Just 10-20 minutes daily in a green spot can go a long way toward improving your mood and reducing stress and anxiety.
The world is reeling under the weight of stress, with political and economic issues often being the biggest sources of worry. Above, it has been shown how stress can seriously impact physical and mental health. It is therefore vital to tackle stress every day through a healthy lifestyle and time spent in nature.