If you hear someone saying that worrying is one of the main reason for many illnesses, then you have to believe them. Not only does worrying affect the mental state, but it can also trigger physical illnesses.We know that it is impossible not to worry at all, as a matter of fact, a little worry can be even helpful as it helps you prepare for the upcoming situation. But, when it comes to excessive worrying, it will make you feel stressed, tired, extremely prone to depression, and even physically ill.
Worrying causes your heart rate to increase, promotes sweating, and causes breathing troubles. You can also appear pale, since the blood withdraws from the skin and moves towards the muscles in order to prepare them for the ‘fight or flight’ situation.When our body is prepared to respond to a threat, you can feel weak legs, trembling, headaches, and back pain. The tension that causes these symptoms can also affect the digestive system, causing diarrhea or constipation.
Moreover, chronic worry may make you prone to infections as well. This is because stress and anxiety are known to lower the immune system, making you prone to colds or even more serious illnesses. Plus, they also make you even more fatigued and lethargic.Luckily, you got a very powerful organ to fight this – your brain! By making few behavioral changes, you can fight this problem and get back to your everyday life and high-functioning self.
Here are three simple steps toward achieving this:
1.Write down your worries
Transforming your thoughts, in this case worries, into concrete words can help you find a solution. Write any kind of worry that’s bothering you, even if it seems insignificant, like what shoes to wear to the formal dinner, write it down. This will prepare you to conceptualize the problems and look for a way to resolve the problem. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago showed that anxious test takers who wrote their feelings before doing the test actually performed much better compared to those who didn’t. Researchers believe that the key to writing about your worries is to emphasize the worst possible outcome for the cause of your anxiety.
2.Practice mindfulness meditation
Numerous studies have confirmed that mediation can improve mental stability and cognitive function. Try meditating whenever you can, you will notice the positive impact.
3.Channel your stress into exercise
Exercising is great both for your physical and mental health. Exercising on a regular basis helps regain the control of your life.It is now wonder why doctors recommend depressed patients to practice aerobic exercise. It helps these patients to lower the levels of body`s stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, while boosting the production of endorphins.