If it feels like “constantly stressed” is your new normal, let me tell you that you’re not alone. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 87% of adults agreed that the past two years’ events played a major role in increasing their stress levels. Participants cited inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the pandemic.
While these factors likely feel overwhelming, it’s worth mentioning that not all stress we face is necessarily bad. As the National Institutes of Health pointed out, stress is the method through which your body and brain respond to demands. Basically, you start to feel stressed when the demands you’re dealing with are more than your mind and body can cope with.
Anxiety about a performance review at work or a job interview, for instance, or even something scary, like when you’re close to having a car accident, are all examples of short-term stimuli. What you probably didn’t know is that our body’s response to these kinds of stressors can sometimes be helpful, giving us a boost of energy to stay away from danger or perform well under pressure.
On the other hand, long-term stressors are known to have a different effect. According to experts, stress that lasts a long time (perhaps years) is usually the worst type of emotional and psychological strain. Also known as chronic stress, it can do some real damage to your body, contributing to disease in some cases.
Here are some of the most common health issues that can be triggered and made worse by stress!
