Post by @sasha.anticipate

Stress isn’t just a feeling. When your stress response stays switched on for too long, it can affect everything from your gut and heart to your skin, hormones and immune system. Here are 10 health problems chronic stress can trigger or make worse 👇 ——— Hi, I’m Sasha 👋 Together with a psychiatrist who've seen the damage chronic stress can do, I'm building Anticipate, a chronic stress and burnout companion. Sync your sleep, activity and journal, and Anticipate will help you: • track your patterns • catch burnout early • build recovery into your days Search “Anticipate” on the App Store 🤍 ——— 1. Migraines and chronic headaches Stress is one of the most common migraine triggers. Constant tension in your jaw, neck and shoulders can also contribute to headaches. 2. IBS, GERD and digestive problems Stress changes how your gut moves and communicates with your brain. It can worsen bloating, cramps, diarrhoea, constipation and nausea. 3. High blood pressure Stress hormones increase your heart rate and temporarily raise blood pressure. When that activation keeps happening, it puts more strain on your cardiovascular system. 4. Palpitations and heart rhythm problems Adrenaline can make your heart pound, race or feel like it’s skipping beats. Stress can also aggravate some existing rhythm problems. 5. Eczema, psoriasis and other skin flare-ups Stress can increase inflammation and make conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and acne much harder to control. 6. Stress-related hair loss Severe or prolonged stress can push more hairs into the shedding phase, causing a condition called telogen effluvium — sometimes months after the stressful period. 7. Asthma flare-ups Stress can make asthma symptoms worse and make you more reactive to your usual triggers. 8. Chronic pain and inflammatory conditions Stress can increase muscle tension and lower your pain threshold. Conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis may feel significantly worse during prolonged stress. 9. Irregular or missing periods High stress can interfere with the hormones controlling ovulation, making periods late, lighter, irregular or sometimes stopping them altogether. 10. Chronic sleep problems Your body can be completely exhausted while your nervous system remains on high alert. Falling asleep, staying asleep and getting restorative sleep all become harder. This doesn’t mean stress is the only cause of any of these conditions. But when your body spends months or years in stress mode, the effects don’t necessarily stay “in your head”. That’s one of the reasons we’re building Anticipate to: • help you connect your symptoms, data and journal • see what keeps you stuck in stress • find realistic space to recover before your body does it for you Search “Anticipate” on the App Store. 🤍 #burnout #burnoutprevention #mentalhealthmatters #MentalHealth #takecareofyou