Physical Reactions to Stress Pt2
People drink coffee and red bull and other stimulants to keep them awake, especially if they are tired, due to stress. They do help in the short term, but what is in fact happening is they are putting direct physical stress on the internal organs that are responsible for detoxing, i.e. the liver. We get a boost of energy, but it is short term and afterwards feels worse than you did before. It creates a manufactured fight or flight. What happens, you drink more, get stimulated, get addicted and your body stops functioning naturally and you get the physical effects of stres
The physical symptoms of stress are:
Frequent illness â sickness, diarrhoea, headaches, and stomach aches â the bodies fight or flight in constant working.
Head feels hollow â blood diverted from the brain as fight or flight kicks in
Dry mouth â again the saliva glands in the mouth stop secreting as fight or flight kicks in.
Chest pains – the muscles are tight and tense.
Continuous or frequent nausea â again internal emotional reaction.
Changes in bowel habits â IBS and other causes by the bodies reactions
Weight gain or loss â lack of appetite or increase in eating due to the stress reaction
Sleeping patterns change â stress gives us insomnia coupled with fatigue, so we always get the TAT feeling ( Tired all the time)
Theses are some of the signs and symptoms, in a small quantity they are good as long as you are on the upward curve, once you reach the levelling out stage you need to back down or it becomes a serious problem. People have these reactions when they are nervous, stage fright, interviews nerves and flying for example. But all these pass when the event has p[assed, often it can focus an individual, especially in interviews and stage fright. Next time you have a classroom based lesson, if you are asked to stand up and introduce yourself, how would you feel, any of the above? Imagine though, if you will, if those above were with you all day every day!!
