How Chronic Stress Impacts Your Emotions
Why Chronic Stress Is More Than “Just Part of Life”
Our lives are inundated with stress. Whether it’s work, caregiving, or simply the ethos around us that prioritizes production over rest, we frequently find ourselves overwhelmed and stretched thin. This experience is so ubiquitous that we take it to be a given of life. Living is stress! But research has shown links between being chronically stressed and degraded health, both bodily (heart disease, decreased immune function, etc.) and mentally (depression and anxiety). While it’s easy to accept chronic stress as a given, its negative impact on our health means we should take it seriously.
Chronic Stress vs. Normal Stress: What’s the Difference?
So, what exactly do we mean by “chronic stress” and how is it different from a healthy stress response? It is natural and healthy to have a stress response to unusual events or when stakes are heightened. For example, during a job interview, your stress response may make you more alert and increase your processing speed so that you can focus and answer questions quickly. At the end of the interview, however, you go back to a “normal,” non-stressed state.
When we fail to get back to this non-stressed state, our stress can become maladaptive. This maladaptive stress response can start for many reasons, such as failing to adequately adjust and cope with routine stressors in our life. When we fail to adjust or cope in this way, we begin to experience life itself as an overwhelming, stress-inducing experiencing that keeps us keyed up and anxious. If this response continues for months and years, we develop what’s called “chronic stress.”
How Chronic Stress Impacts Mental and Physical Health
For many reading this blog, this may all sound elementary. You may think to yourself, “of course I’m stressed with life, have you any idea how much is expected of me?” Moreover, we see those around us living equally stressed lives and assume it must be normal to be chronically stressed. In some circles, chronic stress may be praised as evidence that you are a hard worker, or care a lot, or are a good parent. Yet the negative impacts of chronic stress on our bodies and mental health mean that we shouldn’t ignore the presence of chronic stress or treat it as a given.
Living a life without chronic stress may seem unrealistic, and calls for change may feel judgmental or insensitive. The truth, however, is that chronic stress can both cause and exacerbate severe mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, or could potentially be a sign of unresolved past traumatic experiences, such as adverse childhood events (ACEs). This impact means that if you desire to have a healthier, fuller life, you cannot ignore the presence of persistent stress as it is an essential part of a comprehensive and integrative treatment plan.
What Actually Helps Reduce Chronic Stress (and What Doesn’t)
Now that we’ve introduced the why of addressing chronic stress, let’s briefly outline the how of treating it. Reducing chronic stress in your life will likely involve both positive and negative actions. Positive actions focus on enhancing coping abilities so that we don’t experience life as stressful. These actions include mental reframing, meditation practices, and life skill building (scheduling skills, financial literacy, etc.). It can also include participating in activities that reduce stress, such as exercise, play, and socializing.
Negative actions are actions that remove elements of life that unreasonably stress us. This may mean reducing expenses/spending, reducing work hours, asking for help with caregiving, etc. Lifestyle changes often require pushing back against cultural, familial, and personal expectations for what life ought to look like. These changes are difficult because they confront us with questions about values and what kind of life we want versus what we can do in a healthy way.
When Chronic Stress Becomes Something You Shouldn’t Manage Alone
You should seek help if chronic stress is causing or exacerbating a psychiatric disorder. It may be difficult to determine which came first—the stress or the mental illness—since they often play off each other, making it necessary to address both to fully solve either. You may also seek help if you find yourself unable to effect the change you need to make in your lifestyle. Low efficacy may stem from personality or developmental challenges that could be resolved with intentional treatment. Lastly, you should definitely seek help if life has become so overwhelming or impossible that you are considering harm to yourself or others.
What to Do If Stress Is Affecting Your Mental Health
Chronic stress is often treated as something to push through, but when it starts affecting your mood, sleep, or overall functioning, it becomes a clinical concern, not just a lifestyle issue.
At Mace Behavioral Health, we look at stress within the full context of your mental health, including how it may be contributing to anxiety, depression, or other conditions.
If stress has become a constant in your life and things aren’t improving, it may be time for a more comprehensive evaluation.
You can schedule an intake appointment HERE
