Here Is What Stress Does To Your Body

Let me start by saying this: life is already demanding. You are building a career, planning a future, sorting things out here and there, trying to be responsible, and showing up every day because you know no one else will do it for you. All this effort is good. But while you are strengthening every other part of your life, have you checked the foundation that supports everything in your body? With all this pressure, do you ever consider the weight your physical body is carrying? If the foundation is destroyed, what can the body do?

By the way, it’s November now. I know you don’t want to miss out on Oblee in December. After working hard all year, you deserve to treat yourself to something nice. You’re trying to work hard so you can enjoy the holidays. But do you know that to enjoy the treat, your body has to be in good condition?

Many people think stress is only in the mind, but the reality is bigger and different. Stress settles deep inside your muscles. It affects your posture, breathing pattern, ability to concentrate, and even the way you sit. It explains why many people feel constant neck and back pain.

Research supports this as well. A 2000 study in the Journal of Spine found that psychological stress increases neck and shoulder pain. Several other studies have also reported that people who sit for long hours are more likely to develop low back pain when work pressure is high.

The Stress-Pain Cycle/Wellbeingng

Whenever I see a word I don’t understand, I rush to check the dictionary because I’m always curious to know what it means. Your body deserves that same curiosity. When you feel something unfamiliar, it is your cue to pay attention.

A few years ago, I saw a building that everyone thought would collapse. It had been waterlogged for a long time. In fact, people had already given up on it. But someone decided to work on the foundation. They reinforced and strengthened it, and today it is still standing.

Since it wouldn’t make sense to just point out the problems without showing how to fix them, here’s how you can put strength back into your foundation.

How to Give Your Body the Strength It Needs

1. The Foundation Check

   Before a building collapses, the foundation gives small warnings. At this point, it's advisable that builders stop every activity until the ground is stable. When you notice early signs of tension or musculoskeletal pain, your body needs to get enough rest. It calms your nervous system and reduces muscle tension.

   
   

   

   Musculoskeletal pain/Wellbeingng

   2. The Structural Alignment

   A building cannot stand straight if its pillars are bent. You have to realign them before adding any weight. The human body also needs realignment. Standing up, stretching your arms upward like you are trying to touch the roof, and rolling your shoulders help your posture reset.

   
   

   

   Spinal Alignment/Wellbeingng

   
   

   3. The Hydration Cure

   Mixing cement without enough water makes the mixture weak. Water is life. It is the essential fluid that holds everything together. Drinking plenty of it supports your tissues and makes it easier for your body to handle stress.

   

   Hydration/Wellbeingng

   
   

   4. The Boundary Wall

   When you notice early signs of tension or musculoskeletal pain, your body needs this same break. It calms your nervous system and reduces muscle tension.

   
   

   Your dreams are the building you are constructing. Let me put it another way: your ambition is the architecture of your future. But your physical and mental wellbeing is the foundation upon which it all stands.

   
   

   To build a life that lasts, you must listen to the ground upon which you stand. You must fortify your foundation, so the entire structure of you can rise, strong and unshakable.

   So let me ask you again: what is one small thing you can do today to fortify your foundation?