STRESS AND YOU: CALM THE EFF DOWN

Stress is written all over your face. Literally.

Think cystic acne, puffy eyes, fine lines and a permanent frown. How and where a problem manifests can provide insight into the root of each problem. Take depression or exhaustion for example, your skin will appear pale and puffy. With nervousness, you'll start to develop wrinkles. Battling digestion problems will cause breakouts. But for someone who experiences a 'pounding feeling' in their chest---heart palpitations---rosacea or flushing is the aftermath.

But sometimes, stress may help. Stress is a physiological response to a demand or threat in our environment. When we're feeling under the pressure, our nervous system responds by releasing certain hormones, which in turn causes our heart to beat faster, our blood pressure to rise, and our impulses to sharpen. This 'fight or flight' reaction serves as an evolutionary purpose of making us more alert to our surroundings. However, under conditions of chronic stress, this stamina turns into fatigue or exhaustion.

Women between their late-teens to early-thirties may especially be affected by stress and anxiety. In the form of cystic acne, a direct hallmark of stress. Breakouts inevitably provide clues into how your body is internalizing stress. With breakouts around the chin or the mouth, digestion should be treated. Dry breakouts on the cheeks insist circulation should be treated. As with all-over breakouts, treatment of the lungs is necessary.

In turn, stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise and when cortisol is high, proteins (i.e. collagen) are broken down at a much faster rate. Collagen helps our skin stay supple and elastic, and without it, premature aging and the development of fine liens results. As with these days, individuals in their early twenties struggle with collagen depletion due to being overworked and overtired.

The hair-raising truth of it all? Alopecia. A condition that results in loss of hair from the scalp and elsewhere on the body, directly correlated to stress. When cortisol levels soar, the hair goes through its own cycle at a faster rate, causing follicles to detach more easily from the scalp. This is when you see visible shedding (in the drain, on the carpet etc.)

Ultimately, stress messes with your metabolism. When we're under stress, our body thinks it's under attack; thereby, it tries to hold on to energy molecules as best it can. As we know, those energy molecules are stored as fat. Meaning, if you're stressed, you're going to have a harder time losing weight. In the end, high-stress individuals undergoing weight-loss transformations won't see actual results until their cortisol levels are brought way, way down.

#healthyliving #selfcare