Stress can affect the lives of many, with 74% of UK adults reporting feeling stressed or unable to cope in the last year.

Stress can have an effect on our physical and mental health and affect our well-being, so finding ways to manage stress can be beneficial.

We’re exploring the effects stress can have on our health, ways to manage stress and what support is available.

What is stress?

One of the simplest ways to define stress, is that it is your body's natural response to a challenging or difficult situation. This can cause changes for us physically, emotionally and in our behaviour.

We will never be stress-free in life, and everyone will experience it at some point in life, whether in personal life or at work, or unexpected situations that affect us. Some stress isn't too much of a worry, but continued or chronic stress can have negative effects on our health.

Understanding stress management and how to deal with stressful situations can benefit our health and well-being. 

What are the effects of stress?

Mental health

Some of the mental health effects of stress can include worsening of anxiety symptoms, such as excessive worrying or nervousness and developing depression from chronic stress.

It can be a difficult cycle to break, if stress is causing poor mental health and worry, this can affect the rest of our lives, such as lack of sleep or motivation to exercise, or take part in usual day-to-day activities. These feelings can result in more stress.

Stress can affect sleep patterns, making it difficult to sleep at night due to racing thoughts. Stress can also cause insomnia or difficulty staying asleep. 

Physical health

Stress can also affect our physical health in ways you may not have realised.

Some more short-term physical health effects of stress can include: headaches, digestive issues or upset stomach; it can also cause some conditions to worsen such as eczema or skin problems.

Some of the more concerning effects of stress on physical health can include:

Increased heart rate and blood pressure

Stress can increase our heart rate by releasing hormones in the body that trigger our fight or flight response.

During times of stress, the heart rate can increase beyond a healthy range, which could contribute to health complications.  As your heart beats faster, your blood pressure will increase too.

Whilst occasional stress causing increased heart rate and blood pressure isn’t a huge worry, chronic stress or regular occurrences could lead to more serious health implications.

Stress alone won't cause heart disease, but the knock-on effects can cause unhealthy habits, such as: smoking, eating comfort or fatty foods and increased alcohol consumption.

Muscle tension and pain

When we are stressed, our muscles tense up, which can cause muscle tension. Over time this tension can lead to muscle pain, stiffness and soreness. 

The effects of stress on our muscles can be reduced by moving more and exercising, through gentle stretching or meditation. 

Weakened immune system

Stress can also be a contributing factor to weakening the immune system. The release of cortisol, the stress hormone, can suppress immune cell activity and lead to inflammation, making the body more susceptible to infections and disease.

How to manage stress

Although stress is a natural part of life and can happen to anyone at any time, knowing ways to manage stress can help our health and well-being. Here are some ways we can help to manage stress in our lives. 

Be active

A simple and effective way to manage stress is through physical activity or exercise. It can be a great way to offset the negative effects of stress. 

Some of the key ways that exercise relieves stress is through releasing endorphins which can counteract the stress hormone.

Exercise can also help us to get a better sleep, which can improve stress levels and help to take our mind away from ongoing stress. 

Some particularly beneficial exercises that can reduce stress and help us to feel calm include:

• Strength Training, which helps to release endorphins, reducing stress and anxiety levels
• Walking, a simple and accessible way to experience nature and green areas which can help us to feel calm
• Yoga and Tai Chi, mind-body practices that can reduce stress and increase relaxation
• Swimming, a low-impact exercise which improves cardiovascular health, reduces stress and anxiety and improves overall mood.
  

   

Practice mindfulness and relaxation

Taking time to practice mindfulness and relaxation can be good for stress.

Some of the main ways mindfulness can help to reduce stress include:

• Reducing activity in the part of our brain which plays a key role in how we respond to stress
• Helping us to reflect on things before reacting
• Giving us time to process difficult situations better
• Being more open minded in stressful situations

Mindfulness can help us improve the way we respond to stress and change our whole mindset towards stressful or difficult situations.

Similarly, taking more time to engage in relaxing activities can help to reduce our levels of stress and contribute to looking after our well-being and mental health.

There are many different ways to engage in relaxation and different activities which may interest you. This could include: deep breathing, meditating, journalling, reading, spending time outdoors or connecting with loved ones.

Prioritise sleep

Sleep is so important to our health, both physically and mentally. Getting enough, good quality sleep each night helps us function to the best of our ability in our daily lives.

Inadequate sleep has been associated with a higher risk of frequent mental distress.

Some of the key ways that sleep can help to manage stress includes:

• Decreasing cortisol levels - improving sleep and getting more rest can significantly decrease cortisol levels and restore balance to the body’s systems.
• Regulating the immune system - while you sleep, your body produces substances that fight infection and defend against illness.

Being stressed or worried can contribute to a bad night’s sleep as it can occupy your mind and make it difficult to turn off. Creating a relaxing environment 30 minutes to an hour before bed can help to settle down.

Sleep deficiency is also linked to more serious problems including: heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, obesity and depression. 

Lack of sleep can also affect our mental health too, which can be another difficult cycle to break. For example, someone who struggles with their mental health may struggle to sleep, and a lack of sleep can cause tiredness and difficulty to cope with daily situations.

For tips and to learn more about getting a good nights sleep, take a look at our blog.

Create healthy habits

Having a healthier lifestyle can help to reduce stress or make it easier to react to stressful situations.

Not smoking, reducing alcohol intake, limiting and having a healthy diet are among positive healthy habits that can improve and manage stress symptoms.

Commonly, people believe that smoking can help to reduce stress or calm them in certain situations, however, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Research has highlighted that smoking increases anxiety and tension. Whilst initially, nicotine does create an immediate sense of relaxation, this subsides and leaves smokers with withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Alcohol affects your brain functions and the delicate balance of chemicals and processes, which can have knock-on effects on stress. The more often you drink, alcohol is more likely to affect your mental health, including anxiety, depression, anger and stress.

Caffeine can negatively affect stress as it increases the body’s level of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. It also can have an affect on sleep, which we know affects stress.

Make time to do things you enjoy

One great and simple way to manage stress is to ensure that you dedicate time to doing things that you enjoy and that bring you joy.

These activities are satisfying, can build your sense of self-worth and can take your mind away from any stress you've been feeling.

Spending time on an activity that you enjoy can improve your mental health and well-being. In fact, people with hobbies may be less likely to experience stress, low mood, and depression.

This can be particularly beneficial if stress is due to workplace stress. It’s important to have a good work/life balance and make time for things you enjoy.

Support available from health insurance providers

The good news is that with a health insurance policy, you usually can benefit from support for managing stress and mental health from your insurer. This varies depending on the insurer but can include:

Aviva: Aviva have a Stress Counselling helpline where you can talk to trained counsellors privately.

AXA: Support is available around the clock for members with AXA’s 24/7 Health at Hand service. 

Bupa: Bupa offer quick round-the-clock access to mental health support via the Digital GP app. A specialist mental health team is also available through Bupa.

The Exeter: HealthWise gives you access to fully trained specialists who can assess and treat a range of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression, as well as offering emotional and behavioural support.

If you're ready to protect your future health, why not get in touch with one of our expert advisers to find out what's available to you. Fill out the form below to get a quote or give us a call on: 01285 864670.