by Fawn Faletego
How Stress Affects the Body, Mood, and Behavior
Does the following sound at all familiar?
She had trouble falling asleep again last night, so this morning she made multiple trips to the caffeine refueling station to help her slog through another day at work.
She rushed to meet the deadlines she had been putting off all month, but even when she did find the motivation to try and finish, her attention quickly darted elsewhere. She felt scatterbrained and so unfocused.
She would ask her husband to pick up dinner on the way home (something ‘bad’) which she looked forward to eating because it was the only time she felt calm. Problems came with the territory of the job, she figured, and instead of dealing with the stress, she self-medicated using her taste buds. As 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon would say, “I’m going to talk to some food about this later.”
And she had already made up her mind that the lack of sleep and worrying about tomorrow’s presentation would be enough reason not to engage in lovemaking tonight, although to be honest, she hadn’t felt in the ‘mood’ for over a year.
The true tragedy was that she didn’t recognize she had been sliding downhill in her reaction to the daily stress she was experiencing. In fact, feeling stressed out became her new normal. Bad decisions were made in an effort to cope with the stress, but it all felt ‘normal.’ This was life, and so it goes.
How stress affects the body isn’t always obvious. Stress doesn’t only make us feel overwhelmed or worried. It can also show up through changes in sleep, appetite, muscle tension, digestion, concentration, mood, and behavior.
For some people, stress controls their lives without them realizing the extent to which it has affected them. Understanding how stress shows up in the body, mood, and behavior can be an important first step toward making a change. Problems may bubble up and be viewed as isolated character flaws, or a physical ailments that don’t seem connected to stress. Yet stress can be a powerful force that influences so many emotional, behavioral and physical experiences.
Stress itself isn’t always bad. Our body’s stress response helps us react to challenges and potential threats. When the brain perceives danger or pressure, the body can become more alert: heart rate and breathing may increase, muscles can tense, and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released.
This response can be useful in the short term. The problem is when stress becomes prolonged and the body has too little opportunity to rest and recover. Chronic stress can affect how we sleep, think, feels, behave, and function physically.
There is a reason why presidents seem to always go grey while still in office, and why Air Traffic Controllers are forced by the Federal Aviation Administration to retire by age 56: Stress is no joke.
Think of the stress response as your body’s alarm system. When you encounter something stressful, your nervous system prepares you to respond. You may notice your heart beating faster, your palms becoming sweaty, your muscles tightening, or your thoughts becoming more focused on the immediate problem.
Once the stressful situation passes, your body ideally returns to a calmer state. But when stressors keep coming- work deadlines, financial concerns, relationship difficulties, family responsibilities, or simply and overload schedule- that recovery can become harder.
Over time, you may start experiencing physical symptoms of stress without realizing that stress is contributing to them.
How Stress Affects the Body
Stress can look different from person to person. Here are some common ways it may show up physically.
1. Muscle Tension, Headaches, and Body Pain
Stress can cause you to hold tension in your muscles, particularly around the neck, shoulders, back, and jaw. You might notice:
- Headaches
- Backaches
- Tight or tense muscles
- Jaw clenching
- Teeth grinding or bruxism
- TMJ discomfort
- General aches and pains
Sometimes we’re so accustomed to being tense that we don’t notice it until we’re finally able to relax.
2. Sleep and Energy Changes
Sleep is often one of the first areas affected when we’re under prolonged stress. You might lie awake thinking about tomorrow’s responsibilities or wake up in the middle of the night with your mind racing.
Stress may be associated with:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking during the night
- Oversleeping
- Fatigue
- Low energy
- Feeling exhausted despite getting sleep
And unfortunately, poor sleep can make it even harder to cope with the next day’s stress, creating a cycle that is difficult to break.
3. Digestive and Appetite Changes
Have you ever noticed your stomach bothering you during an especially stressful week? Stress can affect digestion and appetite.
You may experience:
- Upset stomach
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Changes in appetite
- Overeating or undereating
- Turning to food for comfort
When food becomes one of the primary ways to regulate difficult emotions, it may be worth taking a closer look at the stress underneath the behavior. You can also learn more about exploring intuitive eating as a healthier way to understand your relationship with food.
4. Heart and Physical Arousal
Stress can make your body feel like it’s constantly “on”. You might notice:
- A racing heartbeat
- Heart palpitations
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Dizziness
- Rapid breathing
- Nervousness
- Cold or sweaty hands and feet
It’s important not to assume that every physical symptom is caused by stress. New, severe, persistent, or concerning symptoms- especially chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting, or significant heart-related symptoms- should be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional.
5. Other Physical Changes
Stress can also be associated with feeling generally run down. Some people notice changes in their immune functioning, skin, hair, or other aspects of their physical well-being during particularly stressful periods.
The important thing is to pay attention to patterns. If a symptom keeps appearing during periods of intense stress, that may be useful information to discuss with a healthcare provider.
How Stress Affects Your Mood and Mind
Stress doesn’t stop with physical symptoms. It can significantly affect the way we think and feel.
You may notice:
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Sadness or low mood
- Irritability
- A short temper
- Pessimism
- Low self-esteem
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling like you’re losing control
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Racing thoughts
- Restlessness
- Difficulty relaxing
- Lack of motivation
- Burnout
- Social isolation or loneliness
Sometimes the first sign that you’re overwhelmed isn’t a physical symptom at all. You may notice that you’re more impatient with people, can’t concentrate on work, or feel like your mind is constantly jumping from one problem to another.
These experiences don’t necessarily mean that stress is the only cause. But they can be signals that something in your life needs attention.
How Stress Affects Your Behavior
Stress can also change the way we act.
Common behavioral symptoms of stress include:
- Procrastinating
- Avoiding responsibilities
- Becoming distracted
- Angry outbursts
- Crying spells
- Nail biting or fidgeting
- Pacing or other nervous habits
- Social withdrawal
- Relationship conflicts
- Changes in eating habits
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Relying on substances to cope
These behaviors can create a cycle. Stress may lead us toward coping strategies that provide temporary relief but create additional problems later.
For example, someone might procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed. The temporary relief from avoiding the task feels good, but the unfinished responsibility creates even more stress later.
Recognizing this cycle can help you begin finding healthier ways to respond.
When Chronic Stress Starts to Feel “Normal”
One of the most difficult things about chronic stress is that it can become familiar.
When you’re exhausted every morning, tense throughout the day, distracted at work, and unable to relax at night, you may eventually stop recognizing these experiences as signs that something is wrong. They simply become “normal”.
This was the true tragedy in the opening story. The woman wasn’t just experiencing a stressful day. She had gradually adapted to a level of stress that was affecting her sleep, eating habits, concentration, relationship, and overall well-being.
Feeling stressed all the time doesn’t mean you have to accept it as your normal.
Recognizing this cycle can help you begin finding healthier ways to respond.
What Can You Do When Stress Takes Over?
Once you recognize how stress shows up in the body, you can begin paying attention to what helps you recover.
There are many ways to manage stress, and what works will differ from person to person. You might start by:
- Getting enough sleep and creating a consistent bedtime routine
- Moving your body regularly
- Practicing mindful breathing or relaxation exercises
- Spending time with supportive people
- Creating boundaries around work and other responsibilities
- Identifying recurring sources of stress
- Taking intentional breaks during the day
- Finding healthier ways to process difficult emotions
- Making time for activities that bring you joy
You can also explore the key ingredient for mindful living or learn about living in the now for additional ways to become more aware of what’s happening in your mind and body.
Sometimes, slowing down your information intake can also help you cope with our crazy world.
When Should You Consider Therapy for Stress?
You don’t have to wait until you’re completely overwhelmed before asking for help.
Recognizing how stress affects the body is an important first step, but you don’t have to manage overwhelming stress on your own. If stress is affecting your sleep, relationships, work, physical well-being, or ability to enjoy your daily life, talking with a mental health professional may be a helpful next step.
If you’re looking for therapy in Austin, Texas, Just Mind Counseling offers a supportive space to better understand the sources of stress, identify patterns that may be keeping you overwhelmed, and develop healthier ways to cope.
Therapy may be particularly helpful when stress is accompanied by persistent anxiety, depression, burnout, relationships difficulties, or unhealthy coping behaviors. You can learn more about counseling for anxiety, depression, personal growth, or stress management at Just Mind.
If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of stress, you can make a counseling appointment and begin exploring ways to get back on track.
Stress may be part of life, but feeling overwhelmed by it doesn’t have to become your new normal. Learning to recognize the signs, understand your body’s response, and develop healthier ways to cope can be an important step toward feeling better.
