Affects Of Prolonged Stress: Stress affects every individual but in different ways. Some people effectively manage their daily stress, while others find it a huge task. Unattended or unmanaged stress can put a burden on the body and make it more vulnerable to chronic illnesses, which is why it is important to manage your daily stress levels. Stress affects the body, thinking ability, thoughts, emotions and even behaviour of an individual. Prolonged and unmanaged stress can lead to anxiety, depression, fatigue, irritability and many other concerns.
While speaking about stress, Mimansa Singh Tanwar, Clinical Psychologist, and Head of Fortis School Mental Health Program, Fortis National Mental Health Program explained how stress affects the body and behaviour of a person when left unmanaged.
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How Stress Affects Body And Behaviour
Dr Tanwar said that stress impacts all of us but it becomes problematic when it is unaddressed. It can impact our mood, increase irritability, anxiety, and nervousness and even lead to negative thought cycles as a result of which one may avoid engaging in activities or social situations.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety for US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity. While a report by the Deccan Herald states that as many as 26 per cent of Indians are stressed due to their current work situation and 17 per cent due to financial instability. 14 per cent are stressed due to relationship troubles. The current work environment has become stressful with long working hours, lack of job security, low wages, and growing competition.
Chronic stress can impair the overall health of an individual (Image Credits: Canva)
According to Dr Tanwar, individuals may also have more interpersonal conflicts, loss of efficiency or productivity at work and affect overall well-being and intersectionality in different spheres of life. At the physical level, poor quality of sleep, aches and pains, fatigue and lethargy are some of the effects that one starts to experience.
Tips To Manage Stress
It is important to take effective measures to deal with and manage your stress levels. Dr Tanwar says that the key is to manage stress by recognising the triggers and validating your feelings in any given situation, it is normal to experience emotions in the given context, talk to someone and take a problem-solving approach.
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At the same time, it is essential to also take care of yourself every day when you unwind, engage in some activities of your interest, music, reading, or sports etc, ensure that you take short breaks in between various tasks, avoid doing multiple tasks at a given time and follow a sleep-awake routine. If stress continues to affect you, then do not hesitate to seek help from an expert.
