10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Stress

Just ignore it and it will go away, right? Wrong! Especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Sometimes we might not even notice, but stress creeps into our lives in a variety of ways. Work obligations, the needs of our family and even something as simple as remembering to put out the garbage on the right night can all add stress to our lives.

When stress is ignored and left unaddressed, bad things happen. But when you properly deal with your stress, either through lifestyle changes or via methods like CBD oil drops, you’ll begin to notice a lot of positive changes in your life and, more specifically, physically in your body. That’s because stress is a hormonal response with sometimes serious effects when left unaddressed. In this article, we’ll explain a little about what stress is and then let you in on ten reasons why you shouldn’t ignore it.

What Is Stress?

When under physical, mental and emotional pressure, our bodies will release stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. This is our body’s physical response to situations it perceives as harmful, whether real or imagined. Studies have shown that people who live and work in more stressful environments have an increased risk of many different disorders and health problems. The results range from altered homeostasis to life-threatening effects and affect everything from our gastrointestinal to central nervous systems. It’s pretty easy to see, then, that addressing and relieving stress in our lives is important. Here are some of the ways that addressing stress will increase your quality of life.

Benefits of Addressing Stress

1. Relieve Headaches: If you’re well-hydrated but still suffering from dull, aching head pain or sensations of tightness and pressure across your forehead, you may have what’s called a tension headache. According to researchers, these are often brought about by stress. And while a painkiller may provide temporary relief, addressing and dealing with your stress will be a lasting solution.
2. Reduce Heartburn and Acid Reflux: Heartburn and acid reflux are significantly associated with psychological stress, according to a study conducted in South Korea, known for its intense work hours and culture. Reducing the stress will help you reduce your reflux.
3. Decrease Risk of Heart Attack: Stress doesn’t itself cause heart attacks, but it certainly increases the risk. Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany found links between anxiety and the way a person’s blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attacks. Less stress and anxiety means fewer chances of heart attacks.
4. Avoid Fertility Problems or Decreased Se x Drive: Multiple issues, from menstrual irregularities to ed, have been associated with high levels of stress. Whether you’re trying to have children or just have a good time, the less stress you have in your life, the more likely you’ll be to achieve that end goal.
5. Fight Insomnia: In separate studies, stress from both family life and the workplace has been found to be a significant contributor to sleeplessness. And, as you can guess, for those who are impacted by both, insomnia is almost guaranteed. Sleep is vital and reducing your stress so you can get more of it needs to be a priority. Otherwise, a vicious cycle starts where lack of sleep leads to more stress and so on.
6. Bolster the Immune System: In 2004, researchers performed a study that surveyed 30 years of psychological stress and related immune system impact investigations, analyzing 300 journal articles written by professionals around the world. They found connections between both temporary and long-term stress and the negative results on the body’s immune system. The bottom line? If you’re stressed, it’s hard to be healthy.
7. Avoid High Blood Sugar: Especially important for those living with or at risk of diabetes, stress has been found to be associated with increased fasting glucose levels. That means when stress is high, blood sugar can be high and harder to control. This can be disastrous if you’re dealing with other conditions. But get your stress under control, and you’ll be better equipped to handle them.
8. Reduce High Blood Pressure: Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure has been linked with psychosocial stress resulting from a multitude of sources, from workplace pressure to racial discrimination. While we can’t necessarily control the source of our stress, learning how to process it as best we can is important, as high blood pressure can lead to other issues like heart attacks, stroke and increased complications with other conditions like aneurysms.
9. Fight Muscle Tension: There are about 600 muscles in the human body, and the inability to properly relax even just a few of them is known muscle tension. It can be a constant source of pain for folks experiencing a lot of stress. One study linked psychological stress with tension in masticatory muscles, the ones we use to chew. Another showed the link between back pain and stress in an effort to seek out better back pain understanding and treatment. Overall, researchers agree that less stress could lead to less muscle pain.
10. Address Depression, Irritability and Anxiety: Stress is a major influence on mood, behavior and health, and its presence may cause or exacerbate conditions like depression, irritability and anxiety. Addressing and dealing with the stress in your life will go a long way toward benefiting your mental health as a whole in a multitude of ways.

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Ideas for Stress Relief

So now that you’re taking your stress seriously, what exactly do you do? To begin, keep it simple! Look for ways to incorporate enjoyable activities into your daily life. Exercise is always at the top of the list and could be anything from a yoga class with friends to a brisk afternoon or evening walk while listening to your favorite motivational podcast or new audiobook.

There are also different simple natural remedies gaining in popularity these days. Using an essential oil diffuser while taking a bath to spread some calming lavender scents or adding a CBD bath bomb are both popular methods folks are using these days. And don’t be afraid to change it up a little. What worked one day may not another, so be patient and flexible with yourself. But if it all gets to be a bit too much, reach out to a qualified professional for help. Stress and the related issues are not something you have to deal with alone, and help is there if you need it.

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