How stress leads to physical exhaustion: Psychologist's insights

Humans are subtle emotional creatures, so our feelings and emotions are tightly connected to everything in our bodies.

Therefore, it's no surprise that we often feel completely exhausted after being stressed out for a while.

Here are a few explanations on why that happens.

How it works

When you're stressed, your body goes into a sort of "alert mode." It releases chemicals like adrenaline to help you deal with the stress. 

This is useful for short-term situations, like if you need to quickly react to something scary.

But if you're stressed for a long time, your body keeps releasing these chemicals. It's like having your foot on the gas pedal of a car all the time. 

Eventually, it can wear out your body because it's working extra hard.

Here's what happens.

Muscles

When you're stressed, your muscles get tense. They stay like that, and it can make your body ache and feel exhausted.

Sleep

Stress can make it hard to sleep well. If you don't get enough rest, your body doesn't have a chance to recharge, so you feel even more tired.

Digestion

Stress can mess with your digestion. You might have a stomach ache or trouble eating properly, which can leave you feeling weak.

Energy

All that stress can use up a lot of your body's energy. You might feel drained and not have the energy to do things.

Immune System

Stress can weaken your immune system, making you more prone to getting sick. 

When you're sick, your body has to work extra hard to fight off illness, which can add to the exhaustion.

So, in simple terms, stress keeps your body in "alert mode" for too long, which can make your muscles tense, mess up your sleep, affect your digestion, drain your energy, and weaken your immune system. 

All of these things together can make you feel physically exhausted.
 

• Related news:
• stress
• exhaustion
• depression
• 9 October 2023

---