What Stress and Anxiety Do to You?

Stress and anxiety can cause immune deficiency. Simply put, your body cannot stay healthy if you are always under pressure and stress. We were made to deal with stress and anxiety our ancestors faced in the old world (when they have to go into the forest and find foods). When we are facing a high amount of stress, the adrenal gland will inject adrenaline into the bloodstream which switches the nervous system into a "hyperactive" mode. This is known as the fight or flight mode and it's a high-energy reaction. These reactions help to burn off the simulative hormones that your body produces and then your body will return back to normal. However, your body is not designed to handle the kinds of stress that occurs in our time.

Even though the biochemical responses are made for good, today, the very same biochemical responses are triggered hundreds of times throughout the day when we are frustrated, when we're having problems in our family, when we angry, when we watch bad news on the TV, fear and other negative emotions provoked by stress, which does not burn off those stress hormones.

These unused chemicals then quickly break down into various toxic by-products that poison our systems and damaging vital functions and suppress your immune system. When you have a very bad stress (chronic stress), your body will never has a chance to excrete these toxins out of your body thoroughly and restore the proper chemical balance in your body and your mind will remain stressed.

Stress demands a lot of our energy in a short term and the body has a short time to adapt to it. It preoccupies the entire human system whenever it strikes, engaging body, mind and energy in a cycle of tension and turmoil that has no way to escape. It is crucial for us to maintain a low level of stress and anxiety if you want to stay healthy. High amount of stress will leave us more susceptible to disease and illness. In this fast-changing society, how do we deal with all the extra pressures we're getting?

As you know, there are many ways for us to deal with stress. The best way is to exercise! If you can't go to gym or take a stroll, do something physical. If you're at work, find an excuse to clean up your desk and office. If you're at home, now might be a good time to mop the floors. Do you know that heat is also good for relieving anxiety and stress? If you have access to a hot tub, sauna or steam bath, utilize them. If not, simply taking a hot shower, sipping a cup of hot tea, taking a soothing aromatic bubble bath, or using a heating pad on tired muscles can also be an excellent relief.