Stress is something we all face when dealing with tough situations. But it's not just a feeling - it affects your whole body. Short-term stress can be good, but long-term stress? That can cause problems.

When you're stressed, your adrenal gland releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These increase your heart rate and blood pressure which could lead to high blood pressure over time. Plus, cortisol might damage the inside of your blood vessels and play a role in developing heart disease.

Stress also impacts how our brain talks to our gut, causing things like irritable bowel syndrome or making acid reflux worse. It may even change the balance of bacteria in our gut, affecting digestion overall. Long-lasting stress influences what we want to eat too! You might find yourself reaching for more carbs or fatty foods leading to weight gain especially around the belly area. This type of fat has been linked with chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.

And let's talk about immunity: initially, stress helps fight off harmful stuff but if you're constantly stressed out, it could weaken this defense system making you prone to infections and slowing down healing.

Chronic stress doesn't just show up on lab tests either; physical signs include acne breakouts hair loss sexual dysfunction headaches muscle tension while emotional symptoms range from difficulty focusing to fatigue and irritability But remember: Everyone gets stressed—it’s part of life—but how we react matters most. Stressful moments should be seen as challenges that are manageable rather than overwhelming threats. This mindset improves performance health both now and later.

Healing our nervous system plays a role in impacting our mindset so we can more effectively operate with the window of tolerance.

So manage to reduce those stressful situations and better protect your well-being.