Why Stress is Slowly Killing You and How to Stop it

As mothers, stress is something we are all familiar with. However, as undesirable as it [...]

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As mothers, stress is something we are all familiar with. However, as undesirable as it is, stress is often unavoidable. While you probably know how stress is effecting your moods, you may not be aware of the fact that stress can also effect your health. According to the Mayo Clinic, here is a list of health issues that your stress may be causing.

Headaches: When there is a lot going on in your day, you often have to fight through a headache to get through your to-do list. While popping an Advil may be the quick fix, try saving yourself the pain, and look into some stress-relieving techniques.

Muscle tension or pain: After a long, hard day at work, do you notice some muscle tension? You may really be feeling it in your neck and shoulders. To stretch out and eliminate some of that tightness, check out these tension relieving yoga moves.

Anxiety: Anxiety is a feeling of extreme fear or worry that is difficult to control. When you recognize an anxiety attack approaching, try to relieve the stress before it reaches a point of no return.

Stress eating: Stress eating is something we're all guilty of. Not only can stress eating leave you feeling guilty, it can also sabotage your weight loss. In the future, try snacking in moderation or choose a healthy snack from our recipe index.

Upset stomach: Have you been having stomach cramps or feeling nauseated? Stress may be to blame. Your body reacts to stress in all kinds of ways and it may be taking it out on your belly.

Lack of motivation: When your plate is piled high with tasks, sometimes all you want to do is lay on the couch and watch one more episode of Law and Order. If you find yourself in a stress-induced rut, try making a list of your tasks and slowly check off that list, one at a time, in order of priority.

Drug or alcohol abuse: Sometimes you may want to end the day with a nice glass of wine, and there's nothing wrong with that! But when you let that turn into a habit, it can lead to abuse. Make sure you are monitoring your consumption and avoiding binge drinking.

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Fatigue: Being stressed often leaves you feeling fatigued and exhausted. Fight this feeling by eating these fatigue-fighting foods, and try to get in a little extra rest.

Changes in sex drive: After being stressed out of your mind all day, sometimes the last thing you want to think about is sex. However, pausing to spend some one-on-one time with your man can actually improve your mood.

change in sex drive

Chest pain and rapid heartbeat: Running around all day may leave some tightness in your chest. If you think you're getting too worked up from stress, take a five minute break, take a short walk or sit somewhere comfortable and take some deep calming breaths.

Restlessness: You may feeling like just pacing around the house when stress hits you, but try to control this feeling by channeling it into something productive. Put your stress into cleaning a room, doing some gardening or simply take 20 minutes and get in a good workout.

Sleeping problems: Often times an intense amount of stress can mean an evening full of starring at the ceiling, unable to close your eyes. When you find yourself feeling this way, don't just give up on the chance of getting in some good shut eye, instead try out some of these techniques to de-stress first and then give sleeping another try.

Sadness or depression: If you think your stress may be spiraling into depression, realize that there is always help. Educate yourself on the issue, and then find someone, professional or otherwise, to talk to.

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