De-Stress In 60 Minutes Or Less!

No matter how great (or not-so-great) your life is going, stress can always find a way to work its way into the mix.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, when stress strikes, your hypothalamus shoots out stress hormones that speed up your pulse and increase blood pressure. You may breathe faster so your lungs can take in as much oxygen as possible. The added oxygen is sent to your brain to help improve your alertness. Your body also releases stored blood sugar and fats to burn for extra energy.

Some other things that may happen under stress include:

You may lose color, flush or sweat.

Your hands and feet may become cold and clammy.

Your pupils may dilate.

Your muscles may start to twitch.

You may not feel any pain in the moment.

Some people lose control of their bladder or bowels during highly stressful situations.

This is one thing when the stress is momentary and followed by relief. In these cases, your parasympathetic nervous system calms your body down once the danger has subsided.

However, if you have chronic stress, your body remains in this hypervigilant state, increasing your risk for chronic health problems. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this can include health issues such as:

Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Heart disease
Diabetes
Obesity
Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety

Chronic stress can also manifest as physical health problems, including:

Diarrhea
Constipation or other stomach issues
Headaches
Fatigue
Forgetfulness
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

You may get sick more often than usual because stress weakens your immune system. Chronic stress may also set the stage for anxiety and depression and worsen any underlying medical conditions.

Making matters worse, some people cope with chronic stress by turning to high-fat comfort foods, smoking tobacco, or consuming more alcohol or drugs, all of which add to the negative health consequences of stress.