It is not possible to live a life entirely without stress, as some stress is a natural and an inevitable part of the human experience. Stress can even be beneficial, serving as a motivator or an opportunity for problem-solving and growth.
It is literally impossible to live stress free. It is also not healthy. Stressful situations are necessary to help you learn and mature as a person.
What are the symptoms of chronic stress?
Those reporting no stressors were generally older, male, unmarried, and were less likely to work, provide or receive emotional support, or experience positive daily events. They reported greater daily affective well-being and fewer chronic health conditions, but had lower levels of cognitive functioning.
Healthy ways to cope with stress
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Symptoms of stress
However, according to a Finnish study on the impact of chronic stress on life expectancy, stress can reduce a person's lifespan by about 2.8 years. This number is based on several factors, such as a person's stress levels, how the body responds to stress and other health-related behaviors.
Organ Systems Involved
The endocrine system increases the production of steroid hormones, including cortisol, to activate the body's stress response. In the nervous system, stress triggers the sympathetic nervous system, prompting the adrenal glands to release catecholamines.
The observed age pattern for daily stress was remarkably strong: stress was relatively high from age 20 through 50, followed by a precipitous decline through age 70 and beyond.
Depending on symptoms experienced from chronic stress, the doctor may prescribe an anti-anxiety, anti-depressant,
Digestive problems. Headaches. Muscle tension and pain. Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.
The lower back is often identified as a common site where the body holds tension resulting from prolonged emotional stress.
Throughout every wave of the MIDUS study, 10 percent of respondents answered “no” to every question researchers asked about whether they experienced stress in some form that day. In other words, for eight days straight, these participants did not experience one iota of everyday, normal life stress.
But too much of a good thing can be bad for our bodies and shorten our life expectancy. In fact, chronic stress, defined as a consistent sense of pressure over a long period of time, takes more years off our lives than being a couch potato (2.8 years vs. 2.4 years).
Tips to Live a Less Stressful Life
Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Knowing common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's not dealt with can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.
Our bodies produce a “good mood hormone”: serotonin. The higher the serotonin levels in the brain, the more balanced and relaxed we feel. The amino acid tryptophan, found in protein-rich foods such as cheese, poultry, lean meat, fish and pulses, forms the building blocks for the "good mood hormone".
Follow a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep. And learn techniques to manage stress.
Certain lifestyle habits can negatively affect your physical and mental health, shortening your potential lifespan.
Exhaustion Stage
Prolonged or chronic stress leads to the last stage of general adaptation syndrome—exhaustion. Enduring stressors without relief drains your physical, emotional, and mental resources to the point where your body is no longer able to cope with stress.
Chronic stress can cause conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity and diabetes, which are in turn risk factors for sleep apnoea.
Physical symptoms can include:
If you're stressed, you might feel: