The Effects of Stress on Health and Relationships
Everyone knows that self-care takes a back seat whenever we become anxious and tense. Countless college students can attest to this, as they sit in the library surrounded by pizza boxes and gallons of soda, desperately trying to pull an all-nighter before that term paper is due. But how many people stop thinking about the long-term consequences of the stressful situations?
When you realize you are stressed the first thing is to stop and think about your diet. Since many of us are often too busy to cook and eat a well-balanced meal, we often resort to fast foods or high-calorie snacks. However, these snacks could be contributing to your overall sense of malaise-as the quick burst of carbohydrates wears off, a sugar crash results. The over consumption of unhealthy foods promotes obesity but can also lead to high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Over and over again, this vicious cycle perpetuates itself.
Stress also affects relationships due to lack of time spent with one’s partner, possible sexual dysfunction, and marital discord. Marriages where one or both partner is in a high-stress job, like doctors or lawyers, are significantly more likely to end in divorce.
Even though short periods of stress may result in a lot of good sleep, prolonged periods of stress and total exhaustion from worry can result in sleeping disorders. Unable to fall asleep at night, or wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. People may find that suddenly they lie in bed worrying. A lack of restful sleep during the night makes an individual more prone to error the next day, and makes it harder for one to deal with challenges that require mental alertness.
Continuous anxiety certainly has a negative effect on your mental health. Mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders and depression sometimes are caused by stress in the workplace or within the home and can be harmful to the person who is ill and those who love them. If you find that you have lost interest in things you once loved have guilt about how you’re feeling or have suicidal thoughts, it is essential that you get help from family and, ideally, by trained professionals.
Learning how to deal with stress when it crops up is the first step to take in order to prevent more serious complications. There are many ways to alleviate the pressure from a stressful job including, 30 minutes of exercise daily,family mealtimes , and the occasional day off from work to relax. The solution is to begin with something that suits you. Your health is a precious commodity, and you should not take it for granted.
Especially if you find you are struggling under the weight of your load, let someone know! Family members, close friends, guidance counselors, physicians, chaplains – all are really great sources to utilize for this type of effort. If you feel you have no one to turn to, there are hotlines dedicated solely to assisting people in similar situations that are available 24 hours a day.
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