Effects of Stress

The day to day activities that we find ourselves doing so that we can keep up with all the demands we face can cause us to feel so pressured and worn out that we seldom have time for the things we really love.  And as we all know, stress can greatly affect our bodies often leading to serious diseases like cancer or heart disease. And that for some people stress can also bring an increase or decrease in weight.

If you feel like you are always overworked and barely have the time to look after yourself, you should know some of the effects of stress on the body. It may be time to just stop and take a breather. To try to list all the effects of stress on the body would be impossible, but here are some of the most common things that can happen due to the stresses and the pressures that we feel every day.

The Good Effects

Contrary to common belief stress can offer some good effects on the body.  Stress can give you an edge, especially in competitive situations, that may help you perform well above what is the norm.  In small doses, stress can make you be more focused and bring out a good balance of stimulation and relaxation that can help you concentrate and achieve what you want.

One of the good effects of stress on the body will drive us to work more diligently and bring out a competitive edge giving us more energy to  achieve the kind of results that we want for our work.  Actors and athletes have learned the art of converting stress into  positive energy and with proper harnessing, they make stress work to their advantage.

The Bad Effects

Of course, we all know that the bad effect of stress on the body can often lead to
disease and mental stress. Depression, heart disease, cancer, overweight or underweight, high blood pressure, and many other illnesses have been caused or exacerbated by excess stress on the body.  Too much stress over extended periods of time can lead to feelings of harassment, confusion, and an inability to perform any of our tasks well.

The effects of stress on the body can cause psychological stress and pressures that may lead to a weakened immune system.  We are then susceptible to the diseases and conditions already mentioned.

We must learn ways to cope with stress so that the effect stress has on our body can be minimized and balanced with the edge that can benefit us without causing harm.

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