I know I am going through a lot of stress when I become agitated and I get easily irritated. My mind is also mush when I know that I am going through a lot of stress.
But what is stress in the first place? And is stress all bad?
Stress is actually our bodies and mind way of reacting to the stimulus presented to us. And being stressed is not all bad, even though it feels bad. Stress is a normal reaction that we all go through to cope with what is thrown to us. It is almost impossible not to live without stress right?
However, too much of stress everyday is definitely harmful to our health. We all know the typical signs of being stressed out. How about those small signs that we take for granted?
1. Your Skin. How does your skin look? Is it duller than usual. More oily now than when you were a teenager? Is it drier? Are you having skin-breakouts here and there? Our skin is the most visible and largest part of our anatomy. And when you are under stress, your body will produce hormones that is supposedly will help you cope with the pressure that you are going through. The downside is this overproduction of hormones stimulates the production of sebum, and will lead to breakouts and acne.
2. Hair Loss. Ever wondered why there are clumps of hair in the shower drain right after you take a bath? And see more hair than usual stuck in your comb and hairbrush after you brush your hair? Constant worrying will weaken your hair and can even stop your hair from growing. Stress hormones interfere with your hair’s strength and growth.
3. Craving for sweets and junk. Too much stress hormones in our body, will prompt you to crave for anything sweet and salty. This is our bodies way of getting that needed extra energy boost when your body is going through tense situation.
4. Sneezing and Colds. When you find yourself always sneezing, almost always with a cold and have more sick days than work days in a week. Your body is at an all-time low. The stress you are going through is more than your body can handle. And your immune system weakens with too much stress.
Now that I told you about these little seemingly minute signs of stress. What do you do about it?
I think the key thing is BALANCE. Prioritize on what you need to do. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, and not just make up on weekends. Drink supplements of fish oil and omega-3 if you’re not getting enough from your diet. And exercise in as little as 30 minutes a day, just a simple walk around the block or two will do wonders for you.
And remember to chill out when you need to!
