Stress and Health

Stress and Health

You have probably noticed that many students — maybe even you — fall sick around exam time. Stomach upsets, body aches, nausea, diarrhoea, and fever are common. Similarly, people who are unhappy in their personal lives tend to fall sick more often than those who are happy and enjoy life. These observations point to a deep connection between stress and health.

When stress is chronic — that is, when it continues day after day — it can divert a person’s attention away from caring for themselves. Prolonged stress affects physical health and impairs psychological functioning. When demands from the environment and constraints are too high, and little support is available from family and friends, people experience exhaustion and develop attitudinal problems.

Physical exhaustion shows up as chronic fatigue, weakness, and low energy. Mental exhaustion appears as irritability, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. This combined state of physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion is called burnout.

There is also convincing evidence that stress can produce changes in the immune system, increasing the chances of becoming ill. Stress has been implicated in the development of several serious health conditions:

• Cardiovascular disorders
• High blood pressure
• Psychosomatic disorders, including ulcers, asthma, allergies, and headaches …