The Effects of Stress on Your Body

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Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response.
The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.
Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you -- and
many things that you do yourself -- put stress on your body. You can experience stress
from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.
The Stress Management Diet
How Does Stress Affect Health?
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be
positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a
person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As
a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds.
Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress -- a negative
stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset
stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research
suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.
Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to
relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body
to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and
cause more problems. Consider the following:
Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments
and complaints.
Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart
problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of
the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to
chronic, untreated stress reactions.
When the body is stressed, muscles tense up. Muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stress the
body's way of guarding against injury and pain.
With sudden onset stress, the muscles tense up all at once, and then release their tension when the stress
passes. Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of
guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of
the body and even promote stress-related disorders. For example, both tension-type headache and migraine
headache are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck and head.
Millions of individuals suffer from chronic painful conditions secondary to musculoskeletal disorders. Often,
but not always, there may be an injury that sets off the chronic painful state. What determines whether or not
an injured person goes on to suffer from chronic pain is how they respond to the injury. Individuals who are
fearful of pain and re-injury, and who seek only a physical cause and cure for the injury, generally have a
worse recovery than individuals who maintain a certain level of moderate, physician-supervised activity.
Muscle tension, and eventually, muscle atrophy due to disuse of the body, all promote chronic, stress-
related musculoskeletal conditions.
Relaxation techniques have been shown to effectively reduce muscle tension, decrease the incidence of
certain stress-related disorders, such as headache, and increase a sense of well-being.
Respiratory System
Stress can make you breathe harder. That's not a problem for most people, but for those with asthma or a
lung disease such as emphysema, getting the oxygen you need to breathe easier can be difficult.
And some studies show that an acute stress such as the death of a loved one can actually trigger
asthma attacks, in which the airway between the nose and the lungs constricts.
In addition, stress can cause the rapid breathing or hyperventilation that can bring on a panic attack in
someone prone to panic attacks.
Working with a psychologist to develop relaxation and breathing strategies can help.
Cardiovascular
The heart and blood vessels comprise the two elements of the cardiovascular system that work together in
providing nourishment and oxygen to the organs of the body. The activity of these two elements is also
coordinated in the body's response to stress. Acute stress stress that is momentary or short-term such as
meeting deadlines, being stuck in traffic or suddenly slamming on the brakes to avoid an accident causes
an increase in heart rate and stronger contractions of the heart muscle, with the stress hormones
adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol acting as messengers for these effects. In addition, the blood
vessels that direct blood to the large muscles and the heart dilate, thereby increasing the amount of blood
pumped to these parts of the body and elevating blood pressure. This is also known as the fight or flight
response. Once the acute stress episode has passed, the body returns to its normal state.
Chronic stress, or a constant stress experienced over a prolonged period of time, can contribute to long-term
problems for heartand blood vessels. The consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, and the elevated
levels of stress hormones and of blood pressure, can take a toll on the body. This long-term ongoing stress
can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke.
Repeated acute stress and persistent chronic stress may also contribute to inflammation in the circulatory
system, particularly in the coronary arteries, and this is one pathway that is thought to tie stress to heart
attack. It also appears that how a person responds to stress can affect cholesterol levels.
The risk for heart disease associated with stress appears to differ for women, depending on whether the
woman is pre- or post-menopausal. Levels of estrogen in pre-menopausal women appears to help blood
vessels respond better during stress, thereby helping their bodies to better handle stress and protecting
them against heart disease. Postmenopausal women lose this level of protection due to loss of estrogen,
therefore putting them at greater risk for the effects of stress on heart disease.
Endocrine
When the body is stressed, the hypothalamus signals the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary gland
and the process is started to produce epinephrine and cortisol, sometimes called the "stress hormones."
Adrenal Glands (near kidneys)
Stress signals from the hypothalamus cause the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol and the adrenal medulla
to produce epinephrine. This starts the process that gives your body the energy to run from danger.
Liver
When cortisol and epinephrine are released, the liver produces more glucose, a blood sugar that would give
you the energy for "fight or flight" in an emergency. For most of you, if you don't use all of that extra energy,
the body is able to reabsorb the blood sugar, even if you're stressed again and again. But for some people
especially people vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes that extra blood sugar can mean diabetes. Who's
vulnerable? The obese and races more inclined to diabetes, such as Native Americans.
Studies show that if you learn how to manage stress, you can control your blood sugar level, sometimes
nearly as much as with medication.
Gastrointestinal
Esophagus
When you're stressed, you may eat much more or much less than you usually do. If you eat more or
different foods, or increase your use of alcohol or tobacco, you can experience heartburn or acid reflux.
Stress or exhaustion can also increase the severity of heartburn pain.
Stomach
When you're stressed, your brain becomes more alert to sensations in your stomach. Your stomach can
react with "butterflies" or even nausea or pain. You may vomit if the stress is severe enough. And, if the
stress becomes chronic, you may develop ulcers or severe stomach pain even without ulcers.
Bowel
Stress can affect digestion, and what nutrients your intestines absorb. It can also affect how fast food moves
through your body. You may find that you have either diarrhea or constipation.
Nervous System
The nervous system has several divisions: the central division involving the brain and spinal cord and the
peripheral division consisting of the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. The autonomic nervous
system (ANS) has a direct role in physical response to stress and is divided into the sympathetic nervous
system (SNS), and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
When the body is stressed, the SNS generates what is known as the "fight or flight" response. The body
shifts all of its energy resources toward fighting off a life threat, or fleeing from an enemy. The SNS signals
the adrenal glands to release hormones called adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones cause the heart to
beat faster, respiration rate to increase, blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate, digestive process to
change and glucose levels (sugar energy) in the bloodstream to increase to deal with the emergency.
The SNS response is fairly sudden in order to prepare the body to respond to an emergency situation or
acute stress, short term stressors. Once the crisis is over, the body usually returns to the pre-emergency,
unstressed state.
Chronic stress, experiencing stressors over a prolonged period of time, can result in a long-term drain on the
body. As the SNS continues to trigger physical reactions, it causes a wear-and-tear on the body. It's not so
much what chronic stress does to the nervous system, but what continuous activation of the nervous system
does to other bodily systems that become problematic.
Male Reproductive System
The male reproductive system is influenced by the nervous system. The parasympathetic part of the
nervous system causes relaxation whereas the sympathetic part causes arousal. In the male anatomy, the
autonomic nervous system, also known as the fight or flight response, produces testosterone and activates
the sympathetic nervous system which creates arousal.
Stress causes the body to release the hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisol is
important to blood pressure regulation and the normal functioning of several body systems including
cardiovascular, circulatory and male reproduction. Excess amounts of cortisol can affect the normal
biochemical functioning of the male reproductive system.
Chronic stress, ongoing stress over an extended period of time, can affect testosterone production, sperm
production and maturation, and even cause erectile dysfunction or impotence.
Also, when stress affects the immune system, the body can become vulnerable to infection. In the male
anatomy, infections to the testes, prostate gland and urethra, can affect normal male reproductive
functioning.
Female Reproductive System
Menstruation
Stress may affect menstruation among adolescent girls and women in several ways. For example, high
levels of stress may be associated with absent or irregular menstrual cycles, more painful periods and
changes in the length of cycles.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Stress may make premenstrual symptoms worse or more difficult to cope with and pre-menses symptoms
may be stressful for many women. These symptoms include cramping, fluid retention and bloating, negative
mood (feeling irritable and "blue") and mood swings.
Menopause
As menopause approaches, hormone levels fluctuate rapidly. These changes are associated with anxiety,
mood swings and feelings of distress. Thus menopause can be a stressor in and of itself. Some of the
physical changes associated with menopause, especially hot flashes, can be difficult to cope with.
Furthermore, emotional distress may cause the physical symptoms to be worse. For example, women who
are more anxious may experience an increased number of hot flashes and/or more severe or intense hot
flashes.
Sexual Desire
Women juggle personal, family, professional, financial and a broad range of other demands across their life
span. Stress, distraction, fatigue, etc., may reduce sexual desire especially when women are
simultaneously caring for young children or other ill family members, coping with chronic medical problems,
feeling depressed, experiencing relationship difficulties or abuse, dealing with work problems, etc.
APA gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Steve Tovian, PhD, Beverly Thorn, PhD, Helen Coons, PhD,
Susan Labott, PhD, Matthew Burg, PhD, Richard Surwit, PhD, and Daniel Bruns, PsyD, in developing this
article.
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You may be working with young people who have difficulty seeing a future for
themselves. They live in the moment and seem to have no motivation to look ahead and
plan for the future. Perhaps their pasts haven't been very pleasant. Perhaps the dreams
they had before have been repeatedly shot down. Regardless of the reasons for avoiding
looking at the future, these youth need help to look forward in their lives to something
more positive.
In this section, six main approaches to generating a sense of future are described. Click
on one of the following for more information, and please review them all before doing
anything differently with youth!

1. Seeing Opportunity - many youth have given up
because they just can't see anything out there for them
2. Having a Preferred Future or Vision - youth often
don't have the tools they need to effectively think about
the future
3. Seeing Successes - sometimes youth don't see a future because they haven't seen
anyone else in their shoes experience success

This section will assist you, the practitioner, to:
learn ways to use labour market information in interaction with clients
learn the questions to ask when scanning for trends
look at how labour market trends affect your local area
help clients develop skills for assessing labour market needs
increase clients self-management skills by teaching them to look for opportunities
Related/applicable information on strategies for Helping Youth Plan for a Preferred
Future includes:
Topics:






Career counseling

Choosing a career is not a serious affair until 12th grade. However, once you are done with 12th, it is
necessary to choose a definite career and decide a career goal. Choosing the right career option keeping
the market in mind is necessary. In addition to this, selecting the right education institution is equally
important. Unfortunately, not many students are able to discover their potentials and interests at the stage
and this is when pressure starts building.

In this scenario, seeking the help of an experienced and qualified career counselor becomes necessary
who can assist in discovering your potential and aptitude and accordingly suggest the right course.
Career counselor usually employ through testing of three factors aptitude, interest and personality.
These aspects help these counselors in deciding the right career path for a student. With an increase in
the number of opportunities in the market, the importance of career counseling has also increased
manifold. People have begun to realize the fact that not all can become engineers or doctors and started
exploring other fields depending on their talent and interest in alternate domains.

Benefits of career counseling
Approaching a career counselor is essential when you are not sure about choosing a suitable career
option. Selecting a career option determines your course of life. While a good decision at the right point of
time can make your life pleasant, a wrong one can ruin it. Remember that these decisions are
irreversible. In case of dilemma, it is also better to take professional help. Career counseling is probably
the best option in this case. Benefits of career counseling is as follows-

Helps in determining a students true potential: There are students who are clear as to what
they want to become. On the other hand, there are others who are either confused or have no
idea about their career preferences. Regular aptitude tests and counseling sessions conduct
by career counselors can help students in finding out the right career options and the fields
that interest them. On the basis on these counseling results, students make the right choice
regarding what course they want to enroll into in order to accomplish their career goals.
Clear doubts: Despite having a clear idea of what they want to achieve in life, some students
do not know the career path they need to follow to have the requisite academic qualification to
join a particular course. Career counseling can help students clear these doubts by giving
them a clear cut view of what they can expect from various educational courses. Some
students might also have preconceived beliefs about certain fields. Career counseling also
helps students overcome these by knowing the true facts.
Support and motivation: A career counselor also provides essential support and boosts the
morale of a student by understanding the kind of requirements. Building the motivational level
of a student is necessary for long term success. This aids in improving overall performance of
a student. In addition to this, career counseling also teaches how to expand your network
which in turn enhances emotional support.

To conclude, the crux of career counseling is to provide the necessary guidance that would help the
student in making the right choice regarding their career.




Effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve
differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving,
affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to
communicate to othersand what others try to communicate to usgets misunderstood, which can
cause conflict and frustration in personal and professional relationships. By learning these effective
communication skills, you can better connect with your spouse, kids, friends, and coworkers.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
What is effective communication?
Listening
Nonverbal communication
Managing stress
Emotional awareness

What is effective communication?
In the information age, we have to send, receive, and process huge numbers of messages every day.
But effective communication is about more than just exchanging information; it's also about
understanding the emotion behind the information. Effective communication can improve relationships
at home, work, and in social situations by deepening your connections to others and improving
teamwork, decision-making, and problem solving. It enables you to communicate even negative or
difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust. Effective communication combines a
set of skills including nonverbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage stress in the
moment, and the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of the person
youre communicating with.
While effective communication is a learned skill, it is more effective when its spontaneous rather than
formulaic. A speech that is read, for example, rarely has the same impact as a speech thats delivered
(or appears to be delivered) spontaneously. Of course, it takes time and effort to develop these skills
and become an effective communicator. The more effort and practice you put in, the more instinctive
and spontaneous your communication skills will become.
Effective communication skills #1: Listening
Listening is one of the most important aspects of effective communication. Successful listening means
not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding how
the speaker feels about what theyre communicating.
Effective listening can:
Make the speaker feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper
connection between you.
Create an environment where everyone feels safe to express ideas, opinions, and
feelings, or plan and problem solve in creative ways.
Save time by helping clarify information, avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.
Relieve negative emotions. When emotions are running high, if the speaker feels that he or
she has been truly heard, it can help to calm them down, relieve negative feelings, and allow
for real understanding or problem solving to begin.
Tips for effective listening
If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening effectively will often
come naturally. If it doesnt, you can remember the following tips. The more you practice them, the
more satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.
Focus fully on the speaker, his or her body language, and other nonverbal cues. If youre
daydreaming, checking text messages, or doodling, youre almost certain to miss nonverbal cues
in the conversation. If you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words
over in your headitll reinforce their message and help you stay focused.
Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns, by saying something
like, If you think thats bad, let me tell you what happened to me. Listening is not the same as
waiting for your turn to talk. You cant concentrate on what someones saying if youre forming
what youre going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that
your minds elsewhere.
Avoid seeming judgmental. In order to communicate effectively with someone, you dont have
to like them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside
your judgment and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand a person. The most
difficult communication, when successfully executed, can lead to the most unlikely and profound
connection with someone.
Show your interest in whats being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure
your posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments
like yes or uh huh.
Effective communication skills #2: Nonverbal communication
When we communicate things that we care about, we do so mainly using nonverbal signals. Wordless
communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye
contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing. The way you
look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how youre feeling than words
alone ever can.
Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with
others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships
at home and work.
You can enhance effective communication by using open body languagearms uncrossed,
standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact
with the person youre talking to.
You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal messagepatting a
friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists
to underline your message.
Tips for improving how you read nonverbal communication
Practice observing people in public places, such as a shopping mall, bus, train, caf,
restaurant, or even on a television talk show with the sound muted. Observing how others use
body language can teach you how to better receive and use nonverbal signals when conversing
with others. Notice how people act and react to each other. Try to guess what their relationship
is, what theyre talking about, and how each feels about what is being said.
Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use
different nonverbal communication gestures, so its important to take age, culture, religion,
gender, and emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American
teen, a grieving widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal
signals differently.
Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Dont read too much into a single
gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to
tone of voice to body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact slip, for
example, or briefly cross their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get
a better read on a person.
Tips for improving how to deliver nonverbal communication
Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words. Nonverbal communication should
reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language
says something else, your listener will likely feel youre being dishonest. For example, you cant
say yes while shaking your head no.
Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for
example, should be different when youre addressing a child than when youre addressing a
group of adults. Similarly, take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the
person youre interacting with.
Use body language to convey positive feelings even when you're not actually experiencing
them. If youre nervous about a situationa job interview, important presentation, or first
date, for exampleyou can use positive body language to signal confidence, even though
youre not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes averted,
and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining eye
contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to
put the other person at ease.
Effective communication skills #3: Managing stress
In small doses, stress can help you perform under pressure. However, when stress becomes constant
and overwhelming, it can hamper effective communication by disrupting your capacity to think clearly
and creatively, and act appropriately. When youre stressed, youre more likely to misread other
people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of
behavior.
How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends,
or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress
and return to a calm state, youll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases youll also help to
calm the other person as well. Its only when youre in a calm, relaxed state that you'll be able to
know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other persons signals indicate it
would be better to remain silent.
Quick stress relief for effective communication
When stress strikes, you cant always temper it by taking time out to meditate or go for a run,
especially if youre in the middle of a meeting with your boss or an argument with your spouse, for
example. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, though, you can safely face any strong
emotions youre experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately. When you know how
to maintain a relaxed, energized state of awarenesseven when something upsetting happensyou
can remain emotionally available and engaged.
To deal with stress during communication:
Recognize when youre becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if youre stressed
as you communicate. Are your muscles or your stomach tight and/or sore? Are your hands
clenched? Is your breath shallow? Are you "forgetting" to breathe?
Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it.
Bring your senses to the rescue and quickly manage stress by taking a few deep breaths,
clenching and relaxing muscles, or recalling a soothing, sensory-rich image, for example. The
best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste,
and smell. But each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things
that are soothing to you.
Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve
stress when communicating. When you or those around you start taking things too seriously,
find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or amusing story.
Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, youll be able to find a
happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that
the other person cares much more about something than you do, compromise may be easier
for you and a good investment in the future of the relationship.
Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away from the situation so everyone can calm
down. Take a quick break and move away from the situation. Go for a stroll outside if possible,
or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a quiet place to regain your
balance can quickly reduce stress.
Effective communication skills #4: Emotional awareness
Learn to recognize & accept your emotions

Watch 3-min. video: Developing emotional awareness
Emotions play an important role in the way we communicate at home and work. Its the way you feel,
more than the way you think, that motivates you to communicate or to make decisions. The way you
react to emotionally driven, nonverbal cues affects both how you understand other people and how
they understand you. If you are out of touch with your feelings, and dont understand how you feel or
why you feel that way, youll have a hard time communicating your feelings and needs to others. This
can result in frustration, misunderstandings, and conflict. When you dont address whats really
bothering you, you often become embroiled in petty squabbles insteadarguing with your spouse
about how the towels should be hung, for example, or with a coworker about whose turn it is to
restock the copier.
Emotional awareness provides you the tools needed for understanding both yourself and other people,
and the real messages they are communicating to you. Although knowing your own feelings may seem
simple, many people ignore or try to sedate strong emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. But your
ability to communicate depends on being connected to these feelings. If youre afraid of strong
emotions or if you insist on communicating only on a rational level, it will impair your ability to fully
understand others, creatively problem solve, resolve conflicts, or build an affectionate connection with
someone.
How emotional awareness can improve effective communication
Emotional awarenessthe consciousness of your moment-to-moment emotional experienceand the
ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately is the basis for effective communication.
Emotional awareness helps you:
Understand and empathize with what is really troubling other people
Understand yourself, including whats really troubling you and what you really want
Stay motivated to understand and empathize with the person youre interacting with, even if
you dont like them or their message
Communicate clearly and effectively, even when delivering negative messages
Build strong, trusting, and rewarding relationships, think creatively, solve problems, and
resolve conflicts
Effective communication requires both thinking and feeling
When emotional awareness is strongly developed, youll know what youre feeling without having to
think about itand youll be able to use these emotional cues to understand what someone is really
communicating to you and act accordingly. The goal of effective communication is to