Many of us become so accustomed to operating in environments of chronic stress that we become simply unaware of the effects stress has on our body. While acute stress, in some situations, can be beneficial, living under chronic, unrelenting stress is terribly harmful to health and well being.
Living under chronic stress, can lead to anxiety disorders, diabetes, weight gain and obesity, a decrease in immune system functioning, decreased cognitive performance, increased blood pressure, an increased risk of cardiac disease and others serious conditions. Chronic stress feels bad because it does harm.
Are you stressed? Do you show the physical warning signs of chronic stress?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) here are some of the danger signs of chronic stress taking its toll:
- Feelings of anxiety
- Feelings of irritability (short fuse)
- Insomnia
- Tiredness
- Head-ache, muscle aches, back pain or other, tension related ills
- Feeling jittery
- Feeling scatterbrained, forgetful
- A lack of decisiveness
- Elevated heart rate
- Chest pains
- Comfort eating
- Cotton mouth (dryness)
If these symptoms sound familiar, and aren’t explained by another medical condition, then you may want to evaluate the impact stress has on your life and your health.
Page last updated Aug 05, 2010
