Symptoms, conditions and causes
How does chronic worry negatively impact physical health, and what are the physiological mechanisms behind its detrimental effects on the body?
Being in fight-or-flight mode, having elevated cortisol and adrenaline for a long period, isn’t healthy.
Chronic stress has been known to negatively affect the body in many ways, including:
• Shrinking your grey matter
• Shrinking your thymus gland
• Creating muscle atrophy
• Decreasing testosterone
• Running the body on sugar (even when you’re not eating sugar)
• Disrupting healthy digestion
• Reducing quality sleep
Chronic worry and stress can also lead to ulcers, inflammation, and disease. An interesting study measured 39 people’s cortisol levels before and after a 45-minute art therapy session. This study found a significant reduction of cortisol in participants. I have found that hobbies are a fantastic way to stop the fixation on stress and move your attention to something more positive.
Last updated: Oct 14, 2024 18:48 PM