One thing that’s for sure is stress can take a toll on your mind and body.
From the economic outbreak during the pandemic to the political unrest happening in the society, the reasons behind stressing could vary!
Normally, stress gears up our body and prepares it up for action.
Stress is nothing more than a feeling of being emotionally hyped up. When you go through changes, your body is likely to form a mental response as a reaction to the particular change.
Well, stress can be completely normal since it’s a body’s natural reaction. However, some people might find it to be slightly perilous for their health.
Now that you know what is stress, let’s know more of its aspects.
One of the most common types of stress experienced by individuals is chronic stress/long-term stress.
And the motto behind this blog is to let the readers know How to Relieve Long Term Stress.
Let’s get to know more about it.
What Is Chronic Stress?
Stress that lasts for an extended period of time is known as chronic stress. It can severely affect your mental as well as physical health.
It leads you to a situation where you stay in a constant state of heightened alertness.
The autonomic nervous system of your body can control your heart rate as well as other functions. When you go through chronic stress, physical and behavioral changes start developing in the body.
In other words, in chronic stress, the body is likely to experience stressors with so much intensity that the autonomic nervous system doesn’t get enough chances to produce relaxations.
As a result, your body stays in a consistent stage of psychological tension and arousal. Hence, it becomes vital to know how to relieve long term stress.
Since chronic stress is prolonged, chances are it can drain your mental energy if not treated properly.
If you have had chronic stress for years, you need to get concerned and look out for treatment as soon as possible.
There might be various types of chronic stress among individuals. However, some of the common types of chronic stress are mentioned below.
What Are The Types Of Chronic Stress?
Well, the source of chronic stress can be many. But they can often be categorized into 4 different types.
#1. Environmental Stress
The place where you live or work might also be a cause of your chronic stress.
Not being financially able to meet the expenses or being exploited by the seniors at your workplace can pave your way towards anxiety and unrest.
#2. Relationship Stress
You can also experience chronic stress in your relationships. The stress can be related to your family, friends, or partners.
For instance, if you are stressing over someone in the family being ill for a long time, the stress can become chronic.
#3. Emotional Stress
Intense anger or sadness over a circumstance can also lead you to a constant stage of stress or chronic stress.
Many people find it too difficult to get over a sad or negative situation which eventually builds their way towards chronic stress.
#4. Work Stress
Working under pressure or not being able to meet your deadline at work might also lead you to chronic stress. Taking continuous stress can negatively influence your body on various terms.
We have discussed the types of chronic stress and now is the time to head towards the causes of Chronic Stress.
Causes Of Chronic Stress
The stress triggering situations vary widely among individuals.
According to a survey, 40 percent of US people find their work to be a major source of their stress.
Being unhappy at your job or experiencing too much workload with a lot of responsibilities might be the reason for your stress.
Apart from that, traumatic events can also be held responsible for chronic stress in individuals.
The death of a loved one or a sad incident that took place in front of you can get you chronic stress.
However, your stress experience ability also depends on your attitude or the way you react towards certain circumstances.
In order to stay stress-free, you need to let everything roll over your back.
Constantly thinking about a negative situation does nothing but worsen the intensity of your stress.
Let’s get to the part where we discuss the symptoms of chronic stress.
Symptoms Of Chronic Stress
You can witness both mental as well as physical symptoms in chronic stress. When the stress becomes chronic, it can intervene and disrupt your healthy lifestyle.
In order to find out how to relieve long term stress, it’s of utmost importance to look for the symptoms of chronic stress.
Mentioned below are some of the symptoms that people are likely to get when their stress becomes chronic.
- Headaches
- Upset Stomach
- Trouble sleeping
- Disrupted concentration level
- Infections or Frequent Colds
- Worrying Consistently
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Muscle Tension
- Fatigue
So, mentioned above was the list of health complications that indicates that your stress is chronic.
Along with that, stress can also cause long-term effects on your physical health.
Let’s get to know more about it in the next section.
Long-Term Effects Of Chronic Stress On Health
Along with affecting your mental health, it can also show its gradual effects on your physical health.
Chronic stress comes up with a great deal of anxiety and pressure in your body.
If left untreated, it can disturb and worsen your physical well-being in the most unexpected ways.
Mentioned below are some of the health conditions that you are likely to face in chronic stress.
#1. Obesity
Stress can put you in an urge to crave your comfort foods which are generally rich in fats and sugar. Moreover, it becomes tough to resist eating or put an end to it.
People going through chronic stress can often end up over-eating. As a result, they become over-weighted or obese.
Related: Stretching Exercises For Weight Loss
#2. Over-Consumption Of Drugs And Alcohol
Drugs and alcohol are commonly consumed to find momentary relief or to cope up with stress. However, they can provide you long term health effects that might worsen the situation.
Moreover, over-consumption of drugs and alcohol can even take away your ability to socialize in public gatherings.
#3. Cancer
Well, we can’t affirm that there is a direct link between cancer and chronic stress. However, we can say that if you are already suffering from cancer, taking stress can increase your severity.
Well, health experts are still in a search for whether or not stress causes cancer, it is evident that it spreads the cancerous cells and promotes growth.
#4. Eating Disorders
You might be aware of the different types of eating disorders among individuals. Well, taking a lot of stress can cause eating disorders.
Stress can cause you to act impulsively and thus it can subsequently increase your cravings for certain foods that might not be good for you in the long run.
#5. Depression And Anxiety
Studies have revealed that chronic stress is the initial stage of being depressed and facing severe anxiety.
Some stressful events in life such as divorce or unemployment can cause prolonged stress which eventually leads to depression.
#6. Immunity Disorder
Being stressed over an extended period of time can worsen your immunity power. It can degrade your auto-immune system which leads to health conditions such as arthritis.
So, this was all about the long-term effects of chronic stress. Now that you are aware of the major aspects of chronic stress, you need to know how to treat chronic stress and anxiety!
How To Relieve Stress Quickly? [Lifestyle Measures]
Many people who stress a lot stay in a constant quest of knowing How to Relieve Long Term Stress!
Fortunately, there are possible ways that you can opt to treat your stress and relieve it. Adopting some minor lifestyle changes can really help you in the long run.
For instance, if you are working too late and stressing over the workload, try communicating with your boss to come up with a solution.
No matter how harsh the situation is, you need to remember that your health is your greatest asset, be it physical or mental.
So, always try to make yourself your priority.
Under chronic stress, one is more likely to opt for poor lifestyle choices like eating unhealthy foods and getting less sleep. However, in order to make it better, you need to work on your lifestyle choices.
Let’s get through some of the effective ways that can help you get rid of your chronic stress in the bare minimum time.
Strategies To Cope And Reduce With Chronic Stress – 5 Tips
Well, the mantra to get rid of stress is instantly is taking a deep breath and realizing how trivial the situation is.
Moreover, mentioned below are some of the top-notch strategies that help you reduce the chronic stress recovery time.
#1. Avoid Being Self-Isolated
People who suffer from social anxiety prefer to be alone and isolated. However, they don’t realize that they are making the situation worse.
Surround yourself with people who genuinely care for your well-being and try spending more time with them.
Doing this will help you in staying engaged so that you don’t get enough time to stress over.
#2. Make Sleep Your Priority
Most of the psychological issues spring from an inadequate amount of sleep. A night of proper sleep is an integral part of being optimally healthy.
So, try sleeping for 7 to 8 hours to make your body ready to tolerate stress.
Interestingly, weight gain does make you snore which as a result disrupts your good night’s sleep. So, for a night of better sleep, it is also recommended to keep a check on your weight.
#3. Practice Yoga And Meditation
Relaxation techniques can be really helpful if you want to cope with stress. It activates the phase of restfulness and peace of mind.
Stress-relieving activities such as yoga, meditation, and Tai-Chi take you out of your comfort zone and bring a load of positive emotions in you.
#4. Limit Alcohol Consumption And Smoking
Alcohol and nicotine might give you temporary relief but they can show severe negative consequences on your health. Quit or lessen these habits to get rid of stress in a short time.
A well-nourished body is more likely to cope up with stress, so try indulging more organic fruits and vegetables in your diet.
#5. Practice Your Hobby More Often
There must be some creative activities that you like doing! Do more of the hobbies that bring you pleasure and joy.
Researches have shown that spending more time doing your hobbies or enjoyable leisure activities can reduce your stress at the fastest rate.
If your chronic stress reaches its apex and leads you towards impulsive behaviors, you need to opt for chronic stress treatment medication or consult a therapist.
So, until now you must have known How to Relieve Long Term Stress. Follow these beneficial tips to get the results in a short time.
Before You Stress Out!
Stressing over a situation can compel your nervous system, flood your bloodstream with cortisol and adrenaline.
In turn, these hormones spike up the heart rate and increase the blood sugar level which ultimately brings your body into a fight or flight situation.
In order to completely get rid of this condition, you need to learn some effective stress-coping techniques that would actually help.
Follow the tips mentioned in this blog to experience results!
I hope now you know all about how to relieve long term stress. If you connect to this blog or find it helpful, don’t forget to like it and share your views in the comment section below.