The Effects of Stress and Worry on the Body

Stress is a normal part of life. It can help us accomplish important tasks and motivate us to do our best. However, chronic stress can have negative effects on the body and the mind. The following sections will explore how stress works in your body and mind, as well as ways to manage it.

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Physical Effects

• Headaches: Stress can cause headaches, particularly tension headaches.
• Indigestion: Stress can lead to indigestion and upset stomachs by increasing the production of stomach acid, which irritates your digestive tract and causes an increase in abdominal pain.
• Muscle Tension: This is usually a result of being stressed out or anxious about something; it’s characterized by tightness in the neck, shoulders or upper back region and can cause muscle spasms that occur as a result of sustained muscle contractions for long periods of time without any rest break (such as working on a computer all day). You may notice that your muscles feel sore when you experience this type of tension too frequently because the body will tighten itself up reflexively when it senses danger signals — this might explain why we often get knots in our shoulders when we’re nervous about something important coming up at work.

Mental Effects