15 Consequences Of Stress
Lower immunity to diseases - the first consequence of stress
Stress uses a lot of energy that is vital to keep our body defences high against diseases. When the energy is used up for stress, the body becomes only partially equipped to deal with outside illnesses as well as diseases such as cancer. Cancer cells can easily multiplicate when there’s not enough energy to destroy them.
Weight loss/weight gain - the second consequence of stress
In the majority of cases stress causes weight gain, but some people experience weight loss. It all depends on how you react to stressful situations. Even if you don’t overeat when you become stressed, you will still gain weight because the energy that should be used to digest your food is now used to cope with stress.
Decreased ability to heal - the third consequence of stress
When the body suffers from a lot of stress or is in a chronic stress, the secondary functions of the body (such as to heal itself) is temporarily shut. This prevents quick healing and your body weak.
Depression - the fourth consequence of stress
If you suffer from a lot of stress this will wear you out and cause you to lose zest for life. You will see only the negative sides of any situation and this will make you upset or even depressed. When you get regularly stressed, you train yourself to focus on the things that make you upset or angry.
Decreased need for new experiences - the fifth consequence of stress
It is a well known fact that when the person is stressed, he/she tends to retreat to the familiar surroundings/experiences. For example, it’s very common that when a poor person wins a lot of money, he/she is likely to lose it all very quickly because the unexpected winnings caused a lot of stress. It’s now scientifically proven that stress continuously destroys the part of the brain that makes us want to experience new things (hippocampus).
Hair loss - the sixth consequence of stress
Stress slows down hair growth and continuous stress can cause hair loss. Stress also causes gray hair or the hair can become thinner and split ends may appear. This again happens because the energy for keeping hair strong and healthy is used to fight present or fictional stressor (the thing that caused you to stress out it could be a thought too).
Poorer functioning of internal organs - the seventh consequence of stress
Kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs get much less energy when you get stressed. This causes them to function in a poorer way which can then cause illnesses, indigestion, headaches and other negative consequences.
Living in survival mode - the eighth consequence of stress
Constant stress makes you focus on how to survive rather than how to thrive. When you live in a survival mode you will always have less money, less health and less of everything that should come naturally to you. This is because you abandon any creative thoughts and simply react to what’s happening in the outside world.
Increased chance of miscarriage - the ninth consequence of stress
If you are pregnant and you get stressed often, the energy that should be used for the healthy development of your child is instead used to react to the thing that stressed you out. This can cause miscarriage or illnesses/weak immune system in your child.
Infertility - the tenth consequence of stress
Both men and women can become infertile if constantly suffering from stress.
Inability to sleep - the eleventh consequence of stress
Stress causes people to always be on the alert for real or potential danger. This is likely to affect your sleep the sleep may not be deep enough or you may not get sleep at all. If you manage to fall asleep, any sound may wake you up and it will be very difficult to fall asleep after this disturbance.
Heart problems - the twelfth consequence of stress
When you get stressed, the adrenaline released for the fight or flight response makes your heart beat faster than usual. When this happens often your heart is forced to overwork and this can cause many different heart problems and illnesses.
Muscle pains - the thirteenth consequence of stress
When you get stressed, the energy that should be used to carry blood into certain parts of your muscles is used up to react to the real/potential danger. Because of this certain muscles don’t get enough blood and this causes tension and muscle pains.
Emotional imbalances/phobias/anxieties - the fourteenth consequence of stress
Stress alters the chemical balance in the blood as well as your nervous system. This can cause all kinds of emotional problems, mood swings, phobias and anxieties.
Diabetes - the fifteenth consequence of stress
I’m not a doctor but as far as I know stress causes the increase of sugar levels in blood. This somehow can cause diabetes if you often get stressed.
Further reading: 20 tips to reduce stress, emotional freedom technique, consequences of negative attitude, meditation benefits.
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My name is Simona Rich and I help people improve themselves through the articles and products of this website. Although I have found my life's purpose and now I spend my time traveling throughout India and sharing my knowledge, my life used to be completely different.