5 Stress-Related Health Problems That You Can Fix

If there is one thing that pretty much all people living in modern times have in common its that we are stressed. Age, gender, status,... None of them seem to alleviate the fact that stress is a part of modern life. Now, some of us are good at handling stress and can keep themselves relatively healthy in spite of it. But for others, managing stress is not that easy, and they often experience stress-related health problems. So, to help those people out, and anyone fearing that they'll find themselves in their shoes, we are going go over the most common health problems caused by stress and how to deal with them.

The most common stress-related health problems and how to deal with them

If we were to list all of the stress-related health problems, we would need hundreds of pages. Over the years, doctors have found a plethora of things that can happen to a person if they are under a lot of stress over a long period of time. So, to keep this article at a reasonable length, we are going to focus on the most common health problems. With luck, the following tips should give you helpful info on how to keep yourself healthy during particularly stressful periods.

Headache

Having a headache due to stress is arguably the most common way of experiencing it. If it is a short term one because you are going through a stressful period like trying to ensure your safety when moving abroad, you need not worry much. But a constant migraine can be a cause for concern.

How to deal with it

If the headache is mild, the best thing to do is to try and relax. Turing towards medication can be tricky, especially if you often experience them. If the relaxation doesn't work and your headaches persist, consider talking to a specialist.

Migraines are one of the most common stress-related health problems.

Lack of sleep

Not being able to sleep properly is another thing that modern people suffer from in great numbers. You'd be hard-pressed to find a person that has regular 7-8 hours of sleep that doesn't rely on sleeping aids. Well, at least one of the reasons why people usually have trouble sleeping is stress. Now, if you've moved recently and remembered to ask for assistance for your international relocation, the disturbance of sleep shouldn't worry you much. After all, jet lag is quite a real phenomenon. But, if insomnia persists, it can be quite detrimental to your health. Your immune system will suffer, your hormones won't function properly and you will have the urge to eat unhealthy foods.

How to deal with it

Ideally, you want to use natural methods to cure insomnia. Some of the things you can try are:

●       Training in the open air.

●       Avoiding sugars and caffeine.

●       Drinking Chamomile tea before bed.

●       Eating only light dinners.

●       Doing yoga or meditation before bed.

If your problems persist, you need to avoid self-medicating.

We all need 7-8 hours of sleep in order to function properly.

Overeating

Overeating is a common, yet a quite unhealthy way to deal with stress. Eating tasty foods releases dopamine to our brains which lower our stress levels. While this is an effective way to chemically reduce stress, is not by any means advisable. First, you aren't doing anything to manage the source of stress. Instead, you are simply hacking your brain, so to say, in order to avoid it. Second, any effect you have from overeating will be short term at best. After a short while, the stress will come, and with it resentment because you ate too much.

How to deal with it

Keep track of your diet. If you feel the need to overeat, do so rarely and control the amount. Things can easily get out of hand, especially if you don't have other stress management tools. So, ideally, you should find a way to relieve yourself from stress without having to overindulge.

Substance abuse

By the same token, substance abuse is a terribly unhealthy way to deal with stress. In its mildest form, it means that people go drinking or smoking in order to calm themselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with having a drink every once in a while. But, if this becomes a daily habit, you are in trouble. The damaging effects of substance abuse are numerous, and some of them can be quite scary.

How to deal with it

Again, try to figure out the source of your stress. People opt for substance abuse as a sort of self-medication. But, in actuality, this is not a long-term solution. What you are doing is simply buying time away from feeling stressed. And the currency you are using is your health.

If you feel the need for alcohol, you are probably in trouble.

Depression

Every mental health manual will tell you that stress can lead to depression. And, while this is true, there are a couple of things we need to set straight. First, we need to make the difference between clinical depressions and regular blues. Just like the words "Internet" and "Web", people confuse depression and sadness and lump them together. Well, let's make them distinct. If you end up feeling a bit sad due to stress, don't worry. This is a sign that there is something bothering you and that you need to fix it. On the other hand, if you are unable to think a positive thought or you are unable to get out of the bed in the morning, you might be really depressed.

How to deal with it

For feeling a bit down, you simply need to use the methods we have already outlined. On the other hand, if you are truly depressed, you need to see a licensed therapist. Some forms of depression require medication while others can be talked through. All in all, you shouldn't shy away from getting help if you are unable to shake it off.