Stress can be harmful: here’s how to fight back

Recently, I sat for my final examinations and I’ve been experiencing extreme stress from all the pressure, late-night studying and sleep deprivation.

I had been drinking tons of coffee and energy drinks to keep me awake and alert enough to be able to study for my exams. I wasn’t the only one in this situation and that many students all around the world at different levels of education have similar experiences ahead of their exams.

This got me thinking on how stress can be detrimental to my progress now and later on. I thus decided to do a short research, which also involved talking to few medical students on how damaging stress can be.

Harmful behaviours due to stress

Stress is one of the most common things most of us experience throughout our lives. Many different aspects of life can be the sources of stress including financial problems, marriage and relationship issues and work-related problems. Apart from the psychological aspect, stress can also give rise to many other physical problems and may even worsen health conditions that you may already be having.

I have had many friends fall into depression and risky habits after experiencing long periods of stress without relief. During our conversation, one of my colleagues narrated a story about how one of her friends suffered from severe migraines and regular headaches due to constant work-related stress. The friend would always choose the easy way out by taking short term medications like Panadol to relieve the headaches but in fact, what she really needed was a break and stress-relief therapy in order to de-stress her.

She went on to mention how her friend was eventually diagnosed with depression due to all the stress and needed medications and therapy to manage the migraines and depression.

Another fellow pointed out how people suffering from stress become victims of risky behaviour like binge-eating and thus an increased risk of obesity.

These individuals are constantly seeking ways to relieve the stress and in turn, can engage in wrong practices, which can worsen their conditions and cause irreversible harm. Excess stress causes a rise in the levels of a certain body hormone called cortisol, which increases the amount of fat that’s deposited in the abdomen.

Stress can expose us to chronic diseases

Other risky methods of stress release practiced by these individuals may be smoking and alcoholism. One common experience shared during the conversation was how these individuals would confidently mention that smoking and drinking helped them release their stress while in reality, it worsened their condition by making them more vulnerable to conditions like heart disease, asthma, diabetes and lung cancer among others.

Long-term stress in itself would also significantly increase an individual’s risk of developing conditions like heart disease, asthma and diabetes. Stress causes the heart to beat faster and also causes the release of cholesterol and triglycerides into the blood stream. Cholesterol, as we are all aware may lead to blockage of the heart vessels and eventually may cause a heart attack.

Research suggests that stress appears to directly raise the glucose levels in diabetics, thus worsening their condition. Many different studies have also shown that stress can worsen asthma. Surprisingly, certain studies suggest that stress in parents can increase the risk of their children developing asthma. The condition won’t only affect you, but also your child.

Researchers found that mothers caring for chronically ill children accelerated their aging process by 9-17 years according to a recent study.

Fight back the stress

Seeing the above mentioned effects of stress, one can realise just how much damage stress can do to a person and how much damage it has already done to long-term sufferers in the past. The condition affects almost every aspect of life including your social life, financial condition, work performance and even family life. It is highly advisable to keep your stress levels in check in order to avoid these disorders. It is advisable to indulge in stress management techniques and focus on long-term stress management.

The most appropriate stress-management technique one can use and agreed on was exercise.

Exercising, whether you decide to walk and jog, hit the gym or play sports can reduce stress rapidly by releasing certain hormones called endorphins, making you feel better. This was followed by yoga and meditation since it combines physical and psychological aspects by involving physical activity as well as mental relaxation through meditating.

Music is also one of the top anti-stress techniques since playing calm music has shown to have a positive effect on the body and mind, can lower blood pressure and release off stress-linked hormones.

So the next time you feel stressed for whatever reason, make it a point to take a break from your busy life and play some sports or hit the gym, attend yoga classes and listen to some soothing classical music.