How Stress Affects Your Body After 40
The most common misconception about stress is that it only impacts the mind and that it’s all in your head. This couldn’t be further from the truth because how stress affects your body is real. If stress is leaving you feeling frazzled, it’s not only negatively affecting your thoughts, but it is also doing a number on your organs, hormones, and cells. The fact is this: chronic stress is not without consequences.
If you’re over 40, how stress affects your body can feel even more noticeable. Stress can impact your energy, digestion, metabolism, and weight, making it harder for your body to stay balanced.
Why is Stress Bad
Why is stress so bad for your body? When you are under stress, your body naturally elevates cortisol levels, which can trigger inflammation. Cortisol and inflammation wear out the body’s major biological systems at the cellular level. Chronic inflammation is one of the underlying factors in many of today’s chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and kidney and liver disease. This is where creating small daily habits can make a big difference in how you manage your stress instead of trying to eliminate it.
How Stress Affects Your Nervous System
You have heard of the “fight or flight” response. This is your body’s way of handling stress. Today, rather than the body reacting to a large animal, it reacts to things like a lack of resources, long-term ailments, or problems at the job. Stress impacts your nervous system by causing anxiety. One of the key structures in your nervous system, the amygdala, the part of the brain that activates the fight or flight response, can wind up abnormally large or undergo physical changes because of chronic stress.
How Stress Affects Your Heart and Cardiovascular System
When you are stressed, you are likely to experience high blood pressure. You may also succumb to overeating or other unhealthy habits. When taken together, these behaviors and symptoms can weaken the heart, likely because of a surge in stress hormones. If something traumatic happens, say a divorce or loss of a partner, there is a reason why they refer to it as having a “broken heart.” There is more to it than just emotion.
How Stress Affects Your Gut and Digestion
Consider that the brain and the digestive tract are constantly communicating. It should then be no surprise that there are links between high stress and abnormal cortisol levels. It may be that those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome or gastrointestinal issues are also under a lot of stress.
How stress affects your body is by impacting nearly every system; it can disrupt gut health, increase inflammation, and affect metabolism, leading to fatigue, cravings, and weight changes over time.
Do your body some good by practicing mindfulness techniques to reduce how stress affects your body.
Mindfulness Techniques to Help Manage Stress
Below are some tips for mindfulness techniques you can use to help minimize how stress affects your body.
- Try the 4-7-8 breathing exercises. Inhale for 4, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. This is very calming.
- Go outside and get some fresh air. Nature has a way of relaxing your body and mind.
- Take a break from your electronics.
- Listen to some relaxing and soothing music.
- Tune into a funny TV show and get some laughs. Laughter is great medicine.
- It’s okay to say no. Make sure others respect your time, and if you are feeling overwhelmed, allow yourself to say no to an obligation. Saying no can help manage how stress affects your body.
- Try your hand at a coloring book. Experts say coloring in a coloring book is a huge stress reducer!
- Remember, you are not alone. It’s ok to ask for help.
- Check out the Chi Machine. Its rhythmic movement helps calm the mind.
Supplements for Stress Support
- B complex vitamins help improve your mood and reduce your body’s response to stress. They also support energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism. My favorite B-Complex for Stress combines the power of b vitamins, vitamin c, and herbs to help your nervous system relax.
- Magnesium may help regulate the body’s stress response and cortisol levels.
- Omega-3 helps with inflammation and improves mood and brain health.
- Vitamin D is said to help with fatigue and feelings of depression or anxiety.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid helps the body combat oxidative stress
- Curcumin helps with serotonin in the body, assisting the body with sleep and feelings of anxiety.
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Ready to Support Your Body Through Stress?
Managing stress becomes easier when you build simple habits that support your nervous system, energy, and overall health. If you want a step-by-step way to build habits that actually works, you can start with my book, The Healthy Habits Challenge.