Life is full of stresses, surprises, challenges, and frustrations. There are days when even the most optimistic and resilient people may feel pushed to their limit. This stress is not only bad for your disposition, it can also have a detrimental effect on your health. It’s important to be able to determine if your emotions are having a negative effect on your health.
You Get Sick Right Before Vacation
You work hard and plan for time away from it all. Sure enough, on the first day of vacation you feel it coming on? You’re getting a cold. This is a surefire sign that you’ve been pushing just a bit too hard. Your immune system held the germs off as long as they could. Now you’re sick. It happens to millions of people ever year.
It’s actually quite common with students. They push through, study hard, and make it through finals week. They head home for break or they take a trip and they are sick the entire time. If you experience this it means your stress is a bit out of balance. Find simple things you can do on a daily basis to find a sense of calm and take good care of yourself.
You’re Tired all The Time
Daily stress impacts your systems on just about every level. Your body has to work harder to manage basic life sustaining activities. It uses more energy to simply survive. Thus, you’re tired. Stress also affects your sleep. If you’re feeling exhausted more days than you feel energetic, take a look at your emotions. Do you consistently feel stressed, frustrated, or overwhelmed? If so, it may be time to create a few positive habits to bring your emotions back into balance.
You’re Gaining Weight
Chronic stress causes obesity and weight gain. Hormones released in response to stress tell your body to store fat. Additionally, you may be receiving signals from your body to eat more because it needs energy to function. So you eat more and unfortunately that fuel you consume is stored as fat – it provides little energy for your body. That’s the cycle that chronic stress creates. If you’re gaining weight and you’re not sure why, look to your lifestyle. Ask yourself how you can reduce stress and create habits to better manage it.
Other signs that your emotions are affecting your health include, feeling depressed, acne breakouts and other skin conditions, as well as a low sex drive. Simple habits like meditation, exercise, and journaling can help reduce stress and improve your health.