Are you constantly feeling stressed? Stress is something we all encounter regularly, but when it has a negative effect on your body and mind, it means you are distressed.

What many people don’t know is that stress is a state of being that negatively affects the body. In fact, stress has a bigger impact on our bodies than most of us realize or care to acknowledge.

Working as a Virtual Assistant can be very stressful, and whilst working from home has plenty of benefits, it can be hard finding work-life balance. Not everything is about working. You need to give yourself a break sometimes.

Here are some things you need to know:

Facts About Stress and Your Body

There are some downright scary facts about the toll that stress takes on the body. When you look at these facts, it is hard to deny that we all need to learn how to manage our stress more effectively. Some of these facts include:

• 43% of all adults have health problems related to stress.

• 75-90% of all doctor visits are stress-related.

• 82% of workers are at least a little stressed in the workplace.

• Stress costs American businesses more than $300 billion each year.

Six Ways Stress Affects Your Body

There are two kinds of stress. The “good” stress is called eustress, but we only hear about the “bad” stress known as chronic stress or distress. Chronic stress gradually affects your health at first; in fact, you may not even notice the symptoms at all! And if the stress is not managed, the symptoms will get worse and its effects may even be irreversible. Six ways in which stress may manifest itself in your body are:

1. Depression.

When you are stressed out, it is very common for people to become depressed. There are only so many chemicals in the brain to help a person deal with stress, and when they are used up, they’re used up. This can lead to a person becoming profoundly depressed in what seems like a relatively short period.

2. Anxiety.

Those who are stressed are likely to deal with uncontrollable levels of anxiety. Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand, and this can cause many changes in the physiological functioning of the body.

3. Heart disease.

Stress is closely linked to heart attacks and death associated with cardiovascular disease. When stress is not managed, the body breaks down quickly, and the heart is often profoundly affected.

4. Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing epidemics in the world and both mental and physical stress can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The long-term effects associated with this include heart disease, blindness, liver problems, kidney disease, and more.

5. Hair loss.

We often tease our friends and family when they start to lose hair, but this can be a symptom of unmanaged stress. If your hair is falling out prematurely, don’t blame genetics. Look closely at how you are dealing with the stress in your life and see if there are things you can do to control it more effectively.

6. Obesity.

We often cope with stress by consuming unhealthy, fattening foods. Plus, stress prohibits the control of necessary chemicals that are needed to break down fat, which can lead to obesity.

As you can see, stress can affect your health in many ways. This is not an all-inclusive list of how stress affects your body and health. You may also suffer from hyperthyroidism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, tooth and gum disease, ulcers, and even cancer. Stress is serious stuff! This is all the more reason to start actively managing your stress today. We hope this article motivates you to take care of yourself and give yourself time to relax. Taking care of yourself it’s the best way to be good at your job. If you want more information, contact us at info@capitaworks.com or at the following link capitaworks.com/contact.