The Shocking Things Stress Does To Your Body (And How To Manage It)

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Stress manifests in many forms for almost everyone in life. You’ll rarely meet someone who isn’t dealing with stress from one thing or another - and it’s certainly a big part of your life. You wake up every day feeling tense and stressed, and then you struggle to sleep at night because of it. 

As well as being a fundamental aspect of your health to keep on top of, stress does all sorts of negative things to your body. It can alter the way you look and feel, so let's see what stress does to you and how you can manage it to prevent the issues from forming. 

The Main Impact Of Stress On Your Body

Stress has both physical and mental effects on your body. From a mental perspective, it will increase your chances of developing anxiety and depression - two of the most common mental health problems around. 

However, it’s perhaps more worrying to see what stress does to your body. Some frequent problems include: 

• Gaining weight through a lack of sleep

• Chronic stomach and digestive problems

• Hair loss 

• Increased skin inflammation & redness

• Increased risk of acne flare-ups

• Increased wrinkles

As you can see, it wreaks havoc on your appearance - which then affects your confidence. You feel more self-conscious, leading back to the mental health detriments by feeding your anxiety. It’s a terrible loop, so you need to tackle the problem head-on by learning how to manage stress. 

Top Ways To Manage Stress

Get to the root of the problem and figure out why you’re stressed. Perhaps it’s work-related - if so, speak to your boss about having time off or trying to adjust your schedule. Who knows, you may even benefit from quitting your job and finding something new to do. 

Many people are stressed due to family or relationship problems, in which case you could consider various forms of therapy to talk through your issues. Speaking about your problems and getting help from a professional can help lighten the burden and ease your stress. 

Of course, you should also try ways to directly feel more relaxed whenever you can. Try meditation as a form of relaxation, or look into medical treatment options like cannabis. You can book medical cannabis consultations online to see if you’re eligible; it’s a natural treatment option that helps you relax and feel less stressed, particularly in the evenings. 

There’s also the obvious one: exercise. Work out or try physical activities like boxing to release pent-up energy and feel physically better about yourself. It’s really helpful if you’re struggling to sleep because of stress; work out a couple of hours before bed and then sink into a warm bath when you get home. It’s the perfect tonic to sleep better and feel more refreshed in the mornings. 

When all’s said and done, stress does a lot of harm to your mental health and physical appearance. It takes a lot to get on top of your stress, but you need to try. Focus on the root cause while trying ways to relax and bring down your stress levels at home. x Neil.