The Different Kinds of Stress
STRESS. Everyone has either heard of this daunting word or they have experienced it first hand before. It is this very word that haunts people day-to-day. It’s something that individuals carry with them nearly everywhere they go, whether they realize it or not. Stress can rule over ones life and ultimately lead them to further health problems. Prolonged constant stress can run ones health right into the ground if not taken care of. Stress can be caused by anything and its triggers can become more specific based on the individual experiencing it. However, while most people experience some degree of stress, what many do not realize is that there are three different types of stress, all triggered by different acts. These different types are identified as physical, emotional, and chemical stress.
Physical stress:
To begin with, there is physical stress, which is best defined as mechanical stress. When we say physical/mechanical stress we are referring to the literal stressors that take a toll on our bodies physiology. For example, poor posture creates wear and tear that your spine takes daily, due to spinal distortions that are being forced upon by gravity. This force takes a decent amount of energy to fight. That being said, this constant force causes a lot of strain on the spine and nervous system. Alongside the most common factor, gravity, there are some other physical factors that can take a toll on our bodies such as: a car accident, sport accident, pinched nerve, repetitive actions, and/or any other day to day injury. The effects of these incidents can worsen if not taken care of within a certain period of time. That is why it is extremely important to listen to your body and take care of it.
Emotional stress:
Emotional stress is found to be the most common of the three. Emotional stress is the stress that results from family issues, relationships, work, and or even just a busy schedule. Emotional stress is triggered by outside relationships; meaning it is not impacted by what you eat or what you do on a daily basis activity wise. This type of stress is due to the wear and tear that your mind goes through daily. This is the kind of stress that comes when you have to complete something by a particular deadline and it just happens to be the night before or when you have to present an idea to your boss in front of all your colleagues. While emotional stress is the most common, it is also the most difficult to reverse. This is because emotional stress originates in the brain and while we may need help overcoming the stress, our mind says we can handle it on our own. Which ultimately leads to the stress amplifying on its own. That being said, do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help overcoming these difficult stressors, you are not alone.
Chemical stress:
Thirdly, we have chemical stress or better known as nutritional stress. The name itself is rather self- explanatory. Chemical/nutritional stress refers to the things that we ingest throughout our days. This not only includes what we eat and drink, but what we breathe in. Whether it is household cleaners, smoke, skincare products, and/or toxic fumes, they all result in some sort of stress. Another major chemical stressor is the act of smoking, including vapes and cigars; the act of inhaling the smoke into your lungs is a huge stress factor. In addition to smoking, consuming alcohol is another major stress factor. By drinking alcohol, your body is kicked into overdrive trying to dispose of the toxic ingredients within the alcohol.
There are many ways to decrease levels of stress; some being chiropractic care, a healthy diet, exercise, sufficient amount of sleep, and even practicing meditation or yoga. While some of these methods are self- explanatory as to how they benefit stress levels, others are not so obvious, that being chiropractic. Now if you are wondering where chiropractic comes into play with stress, just know it is a staple method into regaining control over your day to day emotions. Stress can cause someone to have poor digestive habits, lack sleep, and overall just allow their health slip through their fingers. While on the other hand, chiropractic methods can help improve digestion, sleep habits, immune functions, and just health as a whole. Some case studies show that 70% of individuals that seek out chiropractic care in order to reduce stress, see a visible decrease in the levels of daily stress they experience. Without taking advantage of chiropractic care you may be causing more stress on your body without even knowing it. If an individual has misalignments in their spine and they go unnoticed or untreated this act will cause physical stress on the nerves of the spine, ultimately causing further stress on the body. Therefore, if you are suffering from stress, whether it would be physical, emotional, or chemical; you can find relief within chiropractic care.