There are different types of stress. Each of them has different characteristics and consequences for the body. Today we are going to focus on chronic stress, a kind of virus that does not give the nervous system a break and ends up affecting the person integrally.
So, once detected, it is important to start looking for solutions. The first thing to do, before anything else, is to seek the help of a professional who will carry out a rigorous evaluation of what is happening to us and propose a work plan.
How do we know if we suffer from chronic stress?
Although stress is a natural reaction that the body has to defend itself against external and internal aggressions or demands, it can produce an imbalance at a physical and psychological level if it is experienced chronically.
The most important manifestations of chronic stress are muscle pain, high blood pressure, migraines, irritability, insomnia, and fatigue. The person feels a general discomfort that affects physical and psychological well-being 24 hours a day. Even when sleeping, the entire body feels tense, making it difficult to rest.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) held a seminar in Washington, DC to assess the impact of work-related stress on workers’ health and productivity. The impact of work-related stress on daily life was assessed.
“Today, the world of work — with its industrial advances, globalization, technological development and virtual communications — imposes challenges and conditions that often exceed the limits of our skills and capabilities. The result is stress, which can lead to physical, mental and social dysfunctions; it can even damage our health, reduce our productivity and affect our family and social circles.”
-Dr. Francisco Becerra, Deputy Director of PAHO-
Consequences of chronic stress
Chronic stress can affect people of any age and cause an imbalance in the overall well-being of the body. It is a type of cumulative stress, which is characterized by wearing down health in a slow but continuous manner. We are talking about an inertia that is difficult to change.
The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that the stress of poverty, dysfunctional families, unhappy relationships, or having a job you hate, causes a deterioration in an individual’s health.
He also states that chronic stress occurs when a person cannot find a way out of a depressing situation, abandoning the search or resolution of the problem. Thus, chronic stress is characterized by a pressure that is maintained over time, and precisely because of this continuity it ends up exceeding the person’s coping resources .
“ The worst thing about chronic stress is that people get used to it, they forget it’s there. People are immediately aware of acute stress because it’s new; they ignore chronic stress because it’s old, familiar, and sometimes almost comfortable .”
-American Psychological Association (APA)-
The American Psychological Association warns that we can accumulate a great deal of wear and tear without realizing it. Precisely because this wear and tear is gradual, it does not produce major changes in short periods, making it more difficult to identify.
Because the consequences of chronic stress cause a significant deterioration in a person’s quality of life, the best response to the first symptoms is professional consultation.
What can we do against chronic stress?
One of the factors that enhance or attenuate the pressure that leads to chronic stress is diet: what we eat and how we eat it. A complete diet, with enough energy for the tasks we perform and that does not weigh us down with weight gain, will make the appearance of chronic stress more difficult. In other words, we will be able to withstand more pressure for longer without it wearing us down in a pathological way, attenuating its impact on our quality of life.
Physical activity, together with good hydration, allows us to stay fit and prevents diseases from finding a more arid environment in which to grow. Thus, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that lack of physical activity is the fourth factor in mortality, being the direct cause of 6% of deaths worldwide.
Finally, when faced with stress, precisely so that it does not become chronic, we would do well to review our coping strategies. We should get used to facing problems and postponing their solution indefinitely, waiting for a chance to give us that solution for which we would not have to pay any price… while we pay a very large one, that of worry .
As we can see, there are many fronts from which to confront stress. In one, another, or all of them, it is best to have the help of a professional who can help us achieve the best results in the shortest time possible.