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The Domino Effect: The Physical Costs of High Mental Stress

Writer's picture: Ray Reynolds, Ph.D.Ray Reynolds, Ph.D.
4 days ago5 min read

Chronic stress poses significant dangers to our overall well-being. It can wreak havoc on our physical health, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and weakening our immune system. Our mental health also suffers, with anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating becoming more prevalent.


The long-term effects of unchecked stress can be detrimental, impacting our relationships, productivity, and overall quality of life. Here are 5 ways stress can affect your health:

1) Sleep Problems: Stress can interfere with your sleep patterns, causing insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent awakenings. There is no doubt that if your sleep is disrupted it will complicate or cause other major health issues.

  • Difficulty Falling Asleep: When stressed, your mind may be racing with worries and anxieties, making it hard to quiet your thoughts and drift off to sleep.

  • Frequent Awakenings: Even if you manage to fall asleep, stress can cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night, making it difficult to get a restful sleep.

  • Early Morning Awakenings: You might find yourself waking up much earlier than usual and struggling to get back to sleep.

  • Restless Sleep: Stress can lead to restless sleep, where you toss and turn throughout the night, preventing you from entering deep sleep stages.

  • The Cycle: It's important to note that this creates a vicious cycle. Lack of sleep can further increase stress levels, making it even harder to sleep well.

2) Cardiovascular Problems: Chronic stress can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and contribute to the development of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. Seek a medical professional at once if any of these issues are present.

  • Increased Blood Pressure: When you're stressed, your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones increase your heart rate and constrict blood vessels, leading to elevated blood pressure.

  • Increased Heart Rate: Stress can cause your heart to beat faster and more forcefully, putting extra strain on the heart muscle.

  • Increased Inflammation: Chronic stress can increase inflammation throughout the body, including in the blood vessels. This inflammation can contribute to the development of plaque buildup in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease.

  • Unhealthy Behaviors: Stress can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as:

    smoking, drinking, poor diet and little exercise.

3) Digestive Issues: Stress can disrupt digestion, leading to problems like: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), ulcers, constipation, and diarrhea. In fact, when you're stressed, your body activates the "fight-or-flight" response. This response diverts blood flow away from the digestive system and towards muscles, preparing you for action. This can slow down digestion.

  • Constipation: Reduced blood flow to the intestines can slow down the movement of food through your system.

  • Diarrhea: In some cases, stress can actually speed up digestion, leading to loose stools.

  • Hormonal Changes: Stress hormones like cortisol can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system. They can increase stomach acid production: Leading to heartburn, indigestion, and ulcers.

  • Altering Gut Motility: Affecting how food moves through your intestines.

  • Weakened Immune System: Stress can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections that can affect your digestive tract.

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Stress can worsen IBS symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.

  • Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms: Stress can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms that can further disrupt digestion, such as overeating, skipping meals, and poor dietary choices.


4) Muscle Tension and Pain: When you are stressed, you may experience muscle tension, headaches, and even chronic pain conditions. When you experience stress, your body activates the "fight-or-flight" response. This triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones prepare your body for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

  • Muscle Tension: This heightened state of arousal leads to the tensing of muscles, particularly in the shoulders, neck, and jaw.

  • Headaches: Tension headaches are often caused by the tightening of muscles in the head, neck, and shoulders.

  • Neck and Shoulder Pain: Chronic muscle tension in these areas can lead to persistent pain and stiffness.

  • Jaw Pain: Clenching or grinding your teeth due to stress can cause jaw pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

  • Reduced Blood Flow: Stress can also constrict blood vessels, reducing blood flow to muscles. This can lead to muscle soreness and fatigue.

  • Poor Posture: Stress can also lead to poor posture, which can further strain muscles and contribute to pain.


5) Weakened Immune System: Stress hormones like cortisol can suppress your immune response, making you more susceptible to infections (colds, flu) and slowing down wound healing. Stress can also make you more susceptible to inflammation.

  • Increased Cortisol Levels: When you're stressed, your body releases higher levels of the hormone cortisol. While short-term increases in cortisol can be beneficial, chronic stress leads to prolonged elevated cortisol levels.

  • Suppressed Immune Response: Cortisol can interfere with the activity of white blood cells (like lymphocytes) that are crucial for fighting off infections.

  • Increased Inflammation: While some inflammation is necessary for healing, chronic stress can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body, which can weaken the immune system and contribute to various health problems.

  • Reduced Lymphocyte Count: Stress can reduce the number of lymphocytes (white blood cells) in your body. Lymphocytes play a vital role in fighting off infections and diseases.


I continue to research the ways in which anxiety and stress can affect us physically and mentally. This research continues to help me in my own life. Therefore, I will share this material via my blogs and books. I remind you that I’m not a medical professional but consider myself as a stress survivalist!


If you find yourself in a stressful state try breathing techniques, meditation and focus on gratitude: Take time each day to appreciate the good things in your life. Do not neglect self-care. Make time for activities that you enjoy, such as surrendering time with loved ones, reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature.


You got this! I believe in you. You are loved.

Ray Reynolds, PhD



Disclaimer: If you are struggling with stress, depression or anxiety, please seek support from your primary doctor and/or a qualified mental health professional. I’ll be happy to help you find counseling or point you in that direction.




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