Stress Doesn't Just Stay in Your Head

We all deal with stress.

Work, money, family, health, relationships, responsibilities — sometimes just trying to get everything done in a day can become stressful.

Most of the time when we talk about stress, we think about how it makes us feel mentally. We feel overwhelmed, frustrated, worried or just mentally tired.

But stress doesn't just affect your mind.

Your body feels it too.

When you're under stress, your body reacts to it. Your heart rate can increase. Your muscles tighten. Your breathing can change. Your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline because it thinks it needs to prepare you to handle whatever is happening.

That's actually a normal response.

The problem is when the stress never seems to shut off.

When Stress Becomes Part of Everyday Life

I think this happens to more people than we realize.

You wake up thinking about everything you need to get done.

You spend the day dealing with work, family and everything else life puts in front of you.

You finally get home and your body is tired, but your mind is still going.

Then you go to bed thinking about tomorrow.

Sound familiar?

When we live that way long enough, stress can start showing up in other areas of our health.

You may not sleep as well.

You may feel tired even when you think you got enough sleep.

Your neck and shoulders may stay tight.

You may have headaches.

Your appetite may change.

You may find yourself reaching for foods you normally wouldn't eat.

You may have trouble concentrating or find yourself getting irritated over things that normally wouldn't bother you.

And then something else starts happening.

Taking care of yourself becomes harder.

You know you probably need to exercise, but you're tired.

You know you should eat better, but grabbing something quick is easier.

You know you need to go to bed, but you sit there scrolling through your phone because your brain hasn't slowed down yet.

Before long, stress starts affecting your health, and struggling with your health creates even more stress.

It's a cycle that can be pretty easy to get caught in.

You're Not Going to Eliminate Stress

I hear people talk about eliminating stress from their lives.

I don't think that's very realistic.

Life is stressful sometimes.

There are bills to pay. There are jobs to do. Families need us. Things break. People disappoint us. Plans don't always work out.

That's life.

So I don't think the answer is trying to build a life where nothing ever stresses you.

I think the answer is learning how to handle stress without allowing it to control everything else.

And that doesn't always require some complicated stress management plan.

Go take a walk.

Get outside for a little while.

Exercise.

Put your phone down.

Listen to some music.

Talk to somebody.

Pray.

Sit somewhere quiet for ten minutes.

Get some sleep.

Eat a good meal.

Sometimes you simply need to give your mind and your body a chance to slow down.

None of those things are going to make your problems magically disappear.

But they may help you deal with those problems a little better.

Listen to What Your Body Is Telling You

This is something I think we need to get better at.

We are quick to blame ourselves when something isn't going right.

I'm tired, so I must be lazy.

I didn't work out today, so I must not be motivated.

I ate too much, so I don't have enough discipline.

I can't concentrate, so something must be wrong with me.

Maybe.

But maybe you're also stressed.

Maybe you've been running wide open for so long that your mind and body are simply telling you they need a little attention.

That doesn't mean we use stress as an excuse.

It means we recognize that our health isn't made up of a bunch of separate pieces.

Your body affects your mind.

Your mind affects your body.

Your sleep affects both.

Your nutrition affects both.

Exercise affects both.

It's all connected.

That's one of the reasons I believe becoming healthier is about a lot more than losing weight or getting stronger.

Sometimes you need to push yourself.

Sometimes you need to slow yourself down.

The important part is learning to recognize which one you need.

Coach's Thought

You probably aren't going to get rid of everything causing stress in your life.

And that's okay.

Start with what you can control.

Take a walk. Get some rest. Talk to somebody. Pray. Exercise. Put the phone down for a while.

Give your mind a chance to slow down and your body a chance to recover.

Then tomorrow, get up and take another step.

Guidance today. Empowerment for tomorrow.