Stress is not always a panic attack or constant worrying. Sometimes stress manifests itself as chronic back pain that won’t go away, persistent tiredness, or random emotional outbursts. Chronic stress frequently confuses the boundary between body, mind, and emotion. Chronic stress can, of course, destroy your quality of life when the stress goes unnoticed and acts without intervention.

In finding balance, you must first understand the connections between these three.

What Chronic Stress Really Does to the Body

One can view stress as a natural safety mechanism. In short bursts, stress activates us to react to threats or impending deadline pressures. However, when stress becomes chronic (i.e., lasting a week or more), we incur chronic wear and tear on our brain and body.

Physiologically, chronic stress leads to chronic “fight or flight”. You have constant higher levels of cortisol hormone, your muscles stay tense, your immune system can be suppressed, and you remain activated whenever you react to stressful events. When you are in this prolonged fight or flight state, you may then start to experience physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, sleep dysfunction, and pain with no identified injury.

The Overlap Between Stress and Physical Pain

There is a well-documented relationship between chronic stress and pain. The two tend to compound one another: when stress levels are high, they increase the sensitivity of the body to various kinds of pain; conversely, pain adds to the mental and emotional “weight” of stress.

For instance, if you are experiencing actual physical nerve pain (i.e. sciatica pain) while also going through high stress, your stress may add fuel to your triggered nerve pain. The physical nerve pain may be primarily triggered by a physical injury, however, the frequency and intensity of symptoms may be predominantly related to psychological stress. Therefore, in times of increased rest, pain, and mental health related stressors, symptom strategies– such as how to find immediate relief of sciatica pain— can not only help provide immediate benefit for symptoms of discomfort, but also offer potentially a cascading effect for relief of mental distress.

This physical-pain, mental stress loop is not only frustrating, but can also be downright exhausting. Without properly understanding how these two fronts are influencing one another, it’s easy, and very common, to feel trapped in a cycle that is difficult to break.

Emotional Health Isn’t Separate From Physical Health

Chronic stress has more than physical stress. When we talk about long-term stress, there are many profound psychological effects. Not only does that mean it can cause shifts or changes in mood and anxiety, it can lead someone to feel burned out. Over time, you may find that you can’t control your emotions like you used to or even that you feel emotionally used up from the simplest of inconveniences.

Some people may realize that their emotional responses are due to previously unidentified underlying conditions. In particular, individuals who are going through life and have no awareness of ADHD will often report an emotional sensitivity, and higher levels of stress than one would expect. Furthermore, even though both of these conditions could be difficult to track on a day to day basis, they could affect a person’s ability to be mentally adaptable. In this case, proceeding with some preliminary testing, such as a free ADHD test, can help clarify if the possible issues could have something to do with the recognized stress levels.

Just recognizing that stress has an emotional impact doesn’t trivialize the physical effects of stress; it recognizes that they can all agree in one way or another.

Small Changes That Help You Regain Control

When stress feels all-consuming, it’s easy to believe that the solution has to be monumental. However, small changes often begin to shift things.

Focus on Gentle Movement

Exercise does not have to be vigorous to be effective. Simple movement, stretching, walking or gentle yoga can unclog your muscles and settle your nervous system. Movement increases blood and oxygen flow and releases endorphins, our body’s natural mood enhancers.

Prioritize Rest

Sleep is when we put our bodies and minds back together. If you are a poor sleeper over an extended period of time, you likely are going to be more sensitive to pain and have difficulty managing stress. Having a consistent bedtime routine will help significantly.

Reevaluate Your Stress Inputs

Often, it is not about doing more, but less. Read less negative news, limit social media, reduce time spent on emotionally charged tasks or conversations. Shortening the distance between you and the input of stress allows some mental space and has the possibility of helping your mental wellbeing.

The Importance of External Support

Support systems can be a sneaky form of strength when we’re going through difficult periods. Friends, family, or even formally recognized support systems can provide emotional stabilizers, which can in turn reduce the intensity of symptoms related to stress.

In situations with more complexity—particularly situations with trauma—getting the right type of emotional support is that more important. This can include therapeutic tools such as Emotional Support Animals for some. In the case of post traumatic stress, ESA for PTSD have been shown to provide comfort, stability, and emotional regulation through periods of increased discomfort.

Not every solution will fit for every person—but awareness of the need for support, along with the awareness of what is possible (or is generally accepted) is an important part of recovery.

When It’s Time to Get Professional Help

There is no specific measure that tells you when you should get help; however, there are signs. When you start experiencing extended periods of emotional upset, unexplained physical pain, and loss of enjoyment in something you typically enjoy doing – these are indications that your physical and mental health may require additional support.

Integrate care – when one person does the treatment in regard to mental and physical health together – is especially beneficial for people who are stuck in the wake-stress-pain-emotion cycle. Whether through therapy, physical rehabilitation or medication, having a plan specific to you often helps to reduce stress and concern in ways that even solid clinical advice may not.

Final Thoughts

We frequently experience the burden of stress, discomfort, and/or emotional hardship together. They don’t always arrive loudly, but they simply build upon each other to add to our already complex realities. The path to reclaim your power is to recognize the totality of what is happening — the connections and interrelationship between your body, mind, and emotions — and respond, more often than not, with compassion that reflects this complexity.

You are not required to deal with everything at once. For every mindful breath, every small habitual change, and every movement toward accessing support you are moving toward a more grounded place again.