8 surprising effects of chronic stress

When the American Psychological Association surveyed Americans about their stress levels for its Stress in America 2023 report, one third reported feeling completely stressed no matter what they do to manage their stress. That sentiment is a telltale sign of chronic stress, which is a state of feeling pressured or overwhelmed over a long period of time.

If you can relate, your body is trying to tell you something, says Bruce Rabin, M.D., an emeritus professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who specializes in helping people increase their ability to cope with stress. This sort of high anxiety takes a toll over time, on both your physical and emotional health.

Here are eight crucial ways chronic stress can affect your body and brain, and what to do about it.

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1. It raises your blood pressure
Your body releases a surge of hormones when you’re under stress, which causes your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow, explains Dr. Rabin. This can raise blood pressure and, over time, raise the risk that you’ll have a heart attack or stroke.

2. It puts you at greater risk of heart disease
High levels of stress hormones such as cortisol can eventually raise blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure — all common risk factors for heart disease, says Dr. Rabin. It can also cause changes that promote the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Research also shows that when you’re under chronic stress, a part of your brain known as the amygdala signals your immune system to churn out more white blood cells. This causes your arteries to become inflamed and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

3. It makes it harder to control diabetes
Stress hormones may cause your blood sugar to rise and fall unpredictably. That makes it harder to manage diabetes, if you have it. Some research also suggests that women with high levels of stress have almost double the risk of developing diabetes, compared with those with less anxiety in their life. Stress hormones also make it more likely that you’ll store more fat in your midsection, which can worsen diabetes. “Stress hormones also interfere with making healthy decisions about what to eat, as they interfere with the ability to think clearly,” says Dr. Rabin.

4. It dampens your immunity
Stress hormones decrease the ability of your body to resist infectious diseases such as colds and flu, says Dr. Rabin. They can also make it harder for your body to heal wounds.  

5. It may trigger an autoimmune disease
Research has found an association between high levels of stress and the development of autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. If you do have these diseases, stress may cause them to become more active, notes Dr. Rabin. They can also cause other diseases such as asthma and irritable bowel syndrome to flare up.

6. It may cause depression
Stress causes you to feel depressed because stress hormones change the way your brain cells function in a part of the brain associated with depression, explains Dr. Rabin.

7. It dulls your mental sharpness
Stress hormones also damage the brain cells responsible for memory, says Dr. Rabin. One study that looked at young and middle-aged adults found that those with the highest levels of stress hormones such as cortisol had smaller total brain volume, as well as changes to the brain’s white matter. All of this can interfere with your ability to focus and think clearly.

8. It heightens your sense of pain
A 2019 study published in the journal PAIN found that high levels of stress hormones increase your pain response. It’s not that the pain itself gets worse — it’s that your perception of it does, points out Dr. Rabin. “When stress hormone concentrations are high, aches and pains will hurt more,” he says. “When they are low, pain hurts less.”

How to cope with stress in the moment

Here are three things that Dr. Rabin recommends for dealing with stress in the moment:

Take some deep breaths. When we are stressed, we hold our breath, which increases the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and triggers the release of more stress hormones, explains Dr. Rabin. Deep breathing can help reverse it within seconds.

Think of something funny. When you activate the part of your brain that responds to humor, it automatically decreases the release of stress hormones, says Dr. Rabin. If you are really stressed, it’s hard to find humor in things, so tuck a funny joke or situation in the back of your mind for these emergencies.

Pick a positive phrase. It can be something like “All will be well.” Practice chanting it during times when you’re calm and happy, to train your brain to associate it with being calm. That way, when you’re stressed, you can remember the mantra. IBX even offers a Weekday Wellness event where you can learn to write your own positive affirmations. View the schedule and secure your spot today.