How Stress affects the body?

In general, it is important to remember that stress is designed to warn us or protect us; thus, you do not want to look at stress as something negative or “bad necessarily.”  For example, stress can have some positive benefits; it can encourage us and motivate us to make positive changes.  If you are in school or at work and your supervisor gives you a deadline to complete an assignment, although there is stress associated with having a deadline is present, it can be viewed positively as it motivates us and holds us accountable.  However, prolonged stress can most certainly have a negative effect on our bodies.  Here are a few examples with a brief description to explain:

1. From an emotional standpoint, prolonged stress can:
   1. Affect our ability to concentrate; which make it more challenging to focus and be productive
   2. Think clearly and thus pose as a barrier to making sound/healthy decisions
   3. This can cause our motivation to diminish; this can lead us to feel more depressed, leading to isolating and refraining from engaging in activities.  This can also lead to procrastination, which will likely exacerbate the distress your body is already experiencing.   
2. From a physical standpoint, prolonged stress can impact:
   1. Disrupt your sleep patterns: you may find it challenging to fall asleep or stay asleep.  You may also find yourself sleeping too much.
   2. Your energy levels will likely be lower, and even notice that your movements feel slow.  Something that would normally feel like a basic task may now start to feel more challenging and energy-depleting. 
   3. Muscle tension is likely to increase so that you may feel more knots in your shoulders or other common stress tension areas. 
   4. Your appetite may be affected; sometimes prolonged stress can cause stomach pains, and this will cause your appetite to decrease.  You can also notice that your appetite will increase, which is likely your mind telling you to eat more as a maladaptive coping mechanism to your stress. 
   5. In general prolonged stress has been shown to contribute to medical issues like ulcers and reduce your life expectancy. 

It is important to remember that these effects typically occur from prolonged stress, not necessarily one stressful moment or day.  If you have prolonged stress for multiple weeks or longer, it is best to find some ways to self-soothe.