Have you ever heard the phrase “stress is the source of disease”? If we can’t manage stress properly, it will have a visible impact on our physical and mental health. Physically, there can be changes in the skin, hair, or nails. Stress can affect sleep, which is an important process to maintain immunity. When that happens, we are more susceptible to many health problems! Therefore, today we will learn what are the effects of stress on our health and how we can overcome it.
Let’s learn to control our thoughts to be healthier for our health investment!
Why does stress affect our health?
Did you know that 60% to 80% of diseases have something to do with stress! One of the reasons is because high levels of stress can lower our immunity. If our immunity is reduced, we will be more susceptible to various diseases. This includes skin problems!
The simple explanation is that when our body experiences high pressure, the hormone cortisol will be produced. This hormone is also known as the stress hormone. If the cortisol hormone appears too often, inflammation will appear. Indeed, our body can fight germs and diseases, but if it happens continuously, it will create problems with our immune system! The effects that we can feel include emerging infections, exacerbating chronic diseases, fibromyalgia, and many more. Not to mention, white blood cells (which are in charge of fighting infections) can decrease when our bodies are under chronic stress. How dangerous is that?
Last but not least, chronic stress will have a negative impact on the hormonal balance itself. Problems can include menstrual problems, sex hormone imbalance/decline, erectile dysfunction, fibroids, and PCOS.
It’s clear that stress has a huge impact on our health!
The Impact of Stress on Skin
Not only internal health, stress also has a visible impact on our body. One of them is through the skin. As the largest organ in the body, the skin often reflects what’s going on inside the body.
Indirectly, if we are under intense pressure all the time, the risk of inflammation increases and wound healing slows down. A lot of negativity can be seen on our skin. Get to know some of the symptoms, Sereni-Trees:
- Dry and flaky skin
When the body is stressed, the production of the hormone cortisol increases, compromising the skin’s ability to retain moisture. As a result, the skin can become dry and unhealthy-looking.
- Breakout and increased oil production
Stress can also trigger acne. Increased cortisol levels can cause the sebaceous glands in the skin to produce more oil. Pores get clogged and pimples pop up. The condition of acne that appears a lot at the same time can be referred to as a “breakout”.
- Risk of premature aging
Cortisol can break down collagen, a protein that keeps skin supple and elastic. As a result, skin can develop wrinkles and fine lines sooner than it should.
- Disturbances in skin pigmentation
Increased inflammation in the body will affect the production of melanin, (the pigment that gives skin its color), causing dark patches on the skin.
- Triggers skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema
If you have a history of skin diseases, then the impact of stress includes triggering the recurrence of these skin conditions. Examples include psoriasis and eczema. The symptoms can also become more severe and difficult to control!
If you experience these symptoms, especially for a long time, you must do an examination so that it can be resolved immediately!
The Impact of Stress on Other Areas of the Body
Apart from the skin, visible physical symptoms can also appear in other areas of the body such as hair and nails. Generally, hair will get thinner and take longer to grow. This is because stress can push the hair follicles into a resting phase so that they fall out more. The scalp can also be affected such as dryness and itchiness.
Meanwhile, the nail area will also look like nails that are prone to breakage and slow growth due to disruption of blood flow to the nails. This leads to a lack of nutrients in the nails. Not infrequently, there is also a change in the color and texture of the nails (yellowing and bumpy due to fungus). Stress can lower our immunity, making us susceptible to fungal infections.
And then there are the psychological effects! Excessive intense stress often makes us unconsciously bite our nails. This activity is not only destructive, but also puts the surrounding area at risk of injury and infection! Wow, it turns out the effect is that scary, Sereni-Trees?
Essential Oils Can Be One Solution to Stress
Having stressful thoughts has become a common thing, anyone must have felt at a certain phase in his life. Whether it’s about work, finances, or other issues. It’s inevitable! What can we do about it? We can learn to overcome and control these negative thoughts. Various activities and things can be a solution, for example:
- Meditation
This activity is simple but generally effective in overcoming negative thoughts and excessive anxiety.
- Breathing exercise
It’s easy, just start and end the day with five deep breaths from the abdomen. This can stimulate a calm response in the body with deep relaxation exercises including diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
- Engaging in activities and hobbies
Distract your mind and feelings of stress by doing something you enjoy! You can do hobbies or activities that stimulate endorphins like yoga or dancing.
- Using essential oils
The aroma of essential oils is famous for its powerful function of calming the mind. Recommendations for body care products with original essential oil aromas can choose Serenitree Body Wash calming variants! It’s very easy to use, just use it as a body wash and rinse. This natural aroma will calm problematic skin and relax our minds. 2 in 1 really, no loss dong of course! Not to mention, this product is environmentally friendly and suitable for all skin types.
So, those are some of the ways we can manage stress. But we must be careful, if intensive stress occurs on a prolonged basis and interferes with our well-being, we should immediately consult! Remember, a healthy mind is the key to a healthy body!