Stress is your body’s natural response to ‘any mental, emotional, or physical disturbance.’ Not only adverse events but even positive changes can lead to stress. Humans can counter short-term stress with enough time to relax and recover between stressful periods. While everyone reacts to stress differently, gender plays a significant role in these responses.

Due to physiological and hormonal differences, men respond to stress uniquely. Understanding how stress manifests in men and learning effective stress management can help address the issue before it becomes critical.

Importance of stress management

Short-term stress triggers the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to immediate danger or urgency. Remember the day before an important exam, like those butterflies in your stomach, tense muscles and jaw, and a racing heartbeat? These are typical signs of short-term stress in action.

Chronic stress can arise from difficult situations at work or home, living with a chronic illness, caring for someone who is ill, or experiencing distressing events such as losing a loved one, an accident, or theft. If stress becomes chronic, it impacts your body negatively, both physically and psychologically.

How does stress affect health and wellness?

Nowadays, physical and mental health go hand in hand. You are not fine if you are mentally weak. As stress can quite easily control your mental health, chronic stress can trigger psychiatric disorders. Let us discuss how it affects your body:

Change in brain function and structure

Stress can change the brain’s function and structure. Myelin sheath, which covers the brain’s white matter, is overproduced under distressed situations and, in the long term, can change its overall structure.

Neuron cell destruction

In addition to changing brain structure, the hormones released can destroy new neuron cells. The hippocampus, a gland that produces new brain cells, is associated with memory, emotion, and knowledge. Stress suppresses hippocampus activities, affecting all.

Risk of neurogenerative diseases

Long duration of high levels of stress can higher the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s. Failing to develop response strategies for stress management or ignoring your stressors can affect all aspects of your life and leave you drained.

Symptoms and strategies for stress management

Common symptoms of stress in people include fatigue, irritability, reduced concentration levels, erratic sleep patterns, low sex drive, experiencing pain, excessive smoking and drinking, increased anxiety, appetite changes, and isolation. Similarly, experiencing trauma and anxiety leads to symptoms like intense flashbacks, nightmares related to the traumatic event, hypervigilance, avoidance of places and situations reminding you of the trauma, etc.

Some coping strategies include seeking guidance from a qualified mental health professional, exercising regularly, following a healthy diet, and investing time in yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises.

Conclusion

The effects of stress may seem harmless in a short time, but in the long run, they affect your body and mind. Understand the situation, your health conditions, and your surroundings to decide on the stress management measures you can take to prevent complicated and life-altering illnesses.