5 UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS TRIGGERED BY STRESS

5 UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS TRIGGERED BY STRESS

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We all know that stress can cause various problems for one’s health. There needs to be good stress management so that stress does not develop into a serious health problem. What if we don’t have good stress management? What are the things we would do that can harm our own health? Let’s find out some unhealthy behaviors triggered by stress from the review below so that we can avoid them and have better control of our stress.

5 Unhealthy Behaviors Triggered By Stress

Unhealthy behaviors triggered by stress

Stress is a natural response in dealing with various things in daily life. One sign that someone cannot manage stress properly is a change in behavior that is different from daily habits and even tends to be harmful to health. The following are some examples of behavior changes that are often caused by excessive stress and can have a negative impact on health.

1. Having too much or too little food

Eating disorder triggered by stressIn some people, stress can make a person lose his appetite, or vice versa, making the desire to eat multiply. Obviously this eating disorder will be bad for the sufferer, in this case, this behavior is actually a psychological response to someone who is experiencing stress.

Although caused by the same factors, the two patterns of eating disorders have several differences. The condition of consuming excess food is caused by the body’s response due to increased levels of cortisol and insulin which are accompanied by an increase in the hormone ghrelin so that someone who is stressed tends to feel hungry longer. While eating disorders that are too little are caused by loss of appetite due to a state of emotional distress and conditions similar to anorexia.

Overeating disorders are experienced by both men and women in adulthood, whereas eating disorders are too little when under stress tend to be experienced by women at the age of children to adolescents.

The impacts caused by eating disorders due to stress include nutritional imbalances and obesity. But a greater impact is often experienced by someone who consumes too little food including a decrease in sex hormones, osteoporosis, digestive tract disorders, skin and hair health problems, and changes in sleep patterns. The loss of appetite can occur repeatedly, especially if stress conditions tend to be chronic.

Efforts to overcome these two things are to reduce exposure to stress sources and their effects on changes in one’s emotions. Physical activity can affect one’s mood and improve one’s appetite both over-eating or eating too little. In addition, discussing problems that are being experienced with those closest to you will help alleviate the stress that is being experienced.

 

Also read: What is the best way to get rid of ongoing stress?

 

2. Withdrawal from the social environment

ongoing stress can trigger depression and withdrawal from social environmentThis is a sign that someone is not successful in minimizing the impact of stress he or she experiences.

Withdrawal from the closest person is a form of behavior during a depression that can be caused by stress. Stressful conditions can lead to a person’s negative views of the environment and himself, thereby reducing self-worth in themselves and eliminating the pleasure in interacting with the surrounding environment. This condition will worsen the body’s response to stress, causing stress hormone production to tend to be excessive.

Before resolving issues related to communication with others, there are a number of things you can do to deal with stress and depression:

  • Relaxation – this can be done by regulating breathing and building a positive outlook on the problems experienced so that it can help you rebuild your confidence to communicate.
  • Recognize fear – by recognizing what you are afraid of, it will be easier for you to deal with it and prevent excessive fear from coming back.
  • Try to open up with people you know – this is useful in making you more relaxed and reminding you that you are not alone. It can also help you to communicate your feelings better with those around you.
Also read: Overcome Depression by Sleeping

 

3. Explosive anger

Stress can trigger explosive angerSometimes when our stress levels are through the roof, we have difficulty in controlling our temper.

Anger is actually a healthy emotion. It’s neither good nor bad. However, uncontrolled anger can cause aggressive behavior such as violence. This is very closely related to the body’s response to the stress experienced by someone.

Stress hormones will increase the excretion of the hormone adrenaline which causes the heart to beat faster. As a result, in this condition, we tend to be more difficult to relax and become more irritable. This needs to be avoided because venting anger with violence raises a variety of other problems that have the potential to be a new source of stress for ourselves.

When we have difficulty relaxing, our blood pressure tends to be higher than usual. This causes someone who is angry due to stress will be more at risk of various disorders such as heart attacks and strokes.

Avoiding or distracting yourself from sources of stress (stressors) when you are angry is the main way to keep you relaxed. In addition, avoid some things that can make you tend to get angry easily when under stress such as eating excess food and consuming excessive sugar and caffeine when you are tired or have a lot of things in mind.

 

4. No regular physical activity

People tend to withdraw themselves to do stuff when they are stressedStress can happen to anyone and cause a disruption to exercise routines, as a result, someone can gain weight easily. When someone is so stressed out, they won’t have the desire to do things and they tend to be alone and do nothing. This can encourage more fat to accumulate.

Doing exercise even with a lower intensity when you are stressed can help you relax because it helps produce endorphins and improves the mood so you can get through a better stressful period.

Conversely, if you are lazy to exercise, the endorphins will not be stimulated so that when faced with problems or large jobs, you tend to be stressed and tense.

Types of exercise that we can do every day

When was the last time you exercised? You need to do physical exercise every day to maintain a healthy body and deal with stress and prevent various chronic diseases.

Here are the types of mild exercise that can be done every day:
1. Jogging or running in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night Yoga can help reduce stress
2. Swim
3. Cycling
4. Walking
5. Gymnastics (Zumba, body language, or aerobics)
6. Yoga
7. Go up and downstairs
8. Stretching exercises
9. Push-ups, sit-ups, and jump squats
10. Jump rope
11. Badminton and tennis
12. Football or futsal
13. Basketball and volleyball
14. Fitness or gym

 

Also read: 5 MINUTE MEDITATION TO RELIEVE STRESS

 

5. Smoking and consuming more alcohol than usual

excessive smoking and alcohol use are bad for your health

Both smoking and alcohol consumption is unhealthy lifestyles, but many believe they can relieve the effects of stress on a person.

The content of cigarettes known as nicotine can easily reach and affect the brain to trigger the secretion of the hormone dopamine which gives a calming effect in about 8 seconds. While alcohol consumption can slow down the emotional response of the body to stress such as anxiety, pressure, and nervousness.

However, this does not alleviate the stress conditions experienced by a person and can even lead to greater health impacts such as increased blood pressure, damage to muscle tissue, and reducing oxygen intake in the blood.

If you smoke and drink alcohol, keep in mind this will not solve the problem or eliminate the stress that you experience. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and cigarettes when under stress and do not wait in hopes that smoking or drinking alcohol can help your stress to disappear. Calm down and avoid access to cigarettes or alcohol, those are the best way to overcome dependence on those substances when you are stressed.

 

Also read: 10 BEST WAYS TO RELIEVE STRESS

 

So, those are some habits that are triggered by stress. Of course, you don’t want a tired mind to get worse. Therefore, you should practice a healthy lifestyle and find help as soon as possible if you think you can’t handle your stress by yourself.

If you have questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Stay safe, happy, and healthy!

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We Stress Free does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. However, if you need someone to talk to and want to make friends, please feel free to reach me at ferra@westressfree.com. If you would like to REDUCE your STRESS and are interested to do an ONLINE THERAPY, you can do so here.

Online therapy to help with your stress, anxiety and depression

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

 

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12 thoughts on “5 UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS TRIGGERED BY STRESS

  1. Gee if you were not stressed before, now is the time to be.   With everything that is going on with COVID-19, who would’nt be stressed.   I use to deal with stress by working out – unfortunately, the knees and back are not what they use to be.    I remember when I could hit the gym and throw myself into a hard workout.   How does someone that is pushing seventy start getting back into working out?

    1. Steve,

      Working out is a great way to control our stress and maintain our health. As I mentioned in the article, depending on your situation, we can practice mild exercise. we can choose types of exercises that are suitable and safe for us. Yoga could be one thing that is helpful. 

      Thank you for your kind comment.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy!

      Ferra

  2. Hey nice educative article you have there. So many today is a victim on the adverse effects of stress, some has even resulted to depression which eventually leads to death. I never knew that stress can affects our eating habit until now, thanks for the eye opener and also for making yourself available to talk to during one’s down moment (stress).

    1. Hello,

      Glad you found this article useful. Thank you for your kind comment.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy!

      Ferra

  3. I appreciate this article so much! With everything going on in the world, it’s definitely important to be mindful of your environment and how you’re feeling! I’ve experienced most of these symptoms related to stress and I know most people do when they feel stress. This has been a great reminder to take a step back and look at ways to reduce my stress. Thanks for the reminder! 🙂

    1. Marlena,

      Thank you for your kind comment. I really appreciate that!

      I’m glad to hear that this post helps to remind you to take actions to reduce your stress.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy!

      Ferra

  4. Stress hormones will increase the excretion of the hormone adrenaline which causes the heart to beat faster. As a result, in this condition we tend to be more difficult to relax and become more irritable. I have been in this position before, its a bad occurrence. anyway, I couldn’t control myself so I hit my best friend who was just being nice. It is one sad moment in my life where I transferred aggression. 

    Thanks for sharing this with me.

    1. Hello,

      Glad you found this article useful. Thank you for your kind comment.

      If you have hobbies you enjoy to do, keep at it. They’ll help to divert and control your stress.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy!

      Ferra

  5. Thank you for this information on stress. I have a friend that has become withdrawn because he made some social mistakes and is taking it very hard. When I try to talk to him about it he turns to anger and denial. He blames others for not understanding.
    Do you have any advice for me to help my friend?

    Thanks in advance

    1. Hello Greg,

      Thank you for leaving me a comment. I also appreciate the question.

      In order to help your friend, in my opinion, first thing we should give him a little space and time. He’ll need time to calm down and deal with his own stress himself. At least he knows you care about him. When he is ready, he’ll probably look for you. As long as you tell him that you are there for him when he’s ready to open up, I think he’ll come around. As social creatures, we need that support system from people around us. Nobody likes to be and feel alone when facing problems. But if you think he is struggling, maybe you can get hold of his family. His family could probably take care of him and get him to see doctors.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy!

      Ferra

  6. Thank you so much for this excellent article, Ferra! Stress is a much more serious problem that people give it credit for, and I often find that people tend to indulge in the wrong things-excessive food, drinking, drug use, fighting, violence, self-isolation, and the like. I try to stay physically active and do things that I enjoy on a regular basis to combat stress, but I have noticed that I will sometimes do a lot of late night snacking (especially involving a lot of carbs), which usually leaves me feeling groggy and out of sorts the next day. I’m actually trying to gain weight, but I don’t want the source of my weight gain to be stress eating Ben & Jerry’s at 2:00 in the morning. Haha I will definitely share this article with my friends and family. God bless you!

    1. C.N.,

      Glad you found this article useful. Thank you for your kind comment.

      Stay safe, happy and healthy! God bless you too!

      Eating ice cream nice in a while is still cool. I love ice cream hehe… But yeah, I agree, we need to find a better outlet to express our feelings.

      Ferra

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