Physical Effects of Stress

Some of the physical effects of stress are more obvious than others, but there are very few of us that haven't suffered from at least one or two of them!

The signs of stress cover a whole range of physical and emotional ailments and conditions, and they can vary considerably from person to person.

Everyone has their own 'triggers' or 'hot buttons', their own tolerance levels, and their own reactions to stress. What turns one person into a hyper-ventilating wreck, may barely phase someone else.

In this way, the same causes of stress can lead to very individual reactions.

The same, but different!

Our bodies are designed to react to stress in an age-old way, it's called the 'fight or flight mechanism'. Basically we're hardwired to deal with urgent, emergency situations by either fighting or running away.

Now, while this worked like a charm when we had to fight off wild animals, or run from them if weren't strong enough to fight them, it doesn't work so well when our stress comes from the breakup of a relationship, losing our job, or experiencing financial hardship.

The physical effects of stress on our body are universal. Our system is flooded with adrenaline, cortisol and other stress-related hormones and the effects of this include...

• Elevated heart rate


• Elevated blood pressure


• Muscles tense up


• Breathing becomes fast and shallow

These changes put a huge amount of pressure on our bodies, and affect every part of them, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, nervous, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems.

In prehistoric times we would have killed the wild boar, or escaped from the sabre-tooth tiger. This would have eliminated our stress and our bodies would react by terminating the 'fight or flight' reaction. Unfortunately it's not so simple today!

The stress of unemployment, relationship problems or financial worries are often chronic, lasting weeks, months or even years. Our bodies stay in a constant state of 'fight or flight' and this causes significant problems and damage.

Cancer, heart disease, depression, digestive issues, weight problems, headaches and insomnia are just a few of the many physical effects of the toll this takes on our bodies.

If you're under stress on a daily basis, you may feel tense and anxious or suffer from panic attacks, while your cousin who is feeling a similar amount of stress may suffer a stroke. Different physical effects of stress, but originating from the same problem.

Stress-related Insomnia

It could be one or two nights restless nights due to anxiety over a speech we have to give, or because of angry feelings left over from an argument with a loved one. Or it could be a more chronic lack of sleep, where we spend every night tossing and turning, worrying about how we're going to 'make ends meet' or whether a family member is going to overcome a serious illness.

Even things as simple as watching horror movies can kick our bodies into 'stress mode' and stop us from getting a good nights' sleep.

There are other sleep disorders such as sleepwalking, bruxism (tooth-grinding) and nightmares, that can also be considered physical effects of stress. In children, anxiety and stress can result in childhood insomnia> or other sleep-related problems such as sleep terrors, bed wetting and more.

Treating stress-related Insomnia

In order to eliminate these physical effects of stress, you need to treat the cause of your insomnia ie your stress. Now, you probably can't eliminate all the stress 'triggers' in your life, but taking steps to reduce them wherever possible, and learning how to handle the feelings of anxiety you're experiencing can really make a difference.

If your stress is chronic and job-related, maybe you can consider finding a new job, going back to school, talking to your boss or co-worker if they're the problem and so on. The short-term anxiety caused by dealing with the problem, is preferable (in your bodys' opinion anyway) to the chronic effects of long-term stress.

The same goes for anxiety and tension caused by relationship problems, debt and so on. Even simple things like drinking too much alcohol (to relax) or caffeine (to keep up with your 'To Do' list) are going to result in sleeplessness. See my Insomnia Tips page for more on this.

Once you've eliminated whatever stressors you can, you still need to limit the physical effects of stress that the remaining problems bring. Some of the best ways to do this include learning relaxation techniques, hypnosis, meditation, aromatherapy, and using natural/herbal remedies (Melatonin is often effective).

Even simple lifestyle changes such as watching your diet (see my Sleep Inducing Foods page for more info), setting up a regular bedtime routine and improving your sleep environment can make a big difference.

Turning to sleep aids, whether over the counter or prescription, should only be used as a last resort, and after consultation with your doctor.

Many of the OTC sleep aids you'll find in your local pharmacy have unwanted side effects such as excessive drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea etc., and they can be addictive quite quickly. Prescription sleep aids generally tend to be less addictive, especially the newer products, but have their own problems including the danger of overdose and excessive sleepiness.

So..........

There's no need to suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation in silence. Get help those signs of stress will melt away...... and you'll feel so much better!

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