Sometimes when I am too stressed, I can’t think clearly and function properly. It feels like something is broken.
I guess, if you are here, you are asking the same question, does stress affect your mind? How does stress affect the mind?
I also want to know the answer so we can do this together. Shall we?
Does Stress Affect Your Mind?
The answer is yes. Chronic stress affects many brain functions by increasing stress hormone cortisol and putting you at risks for mental issues. So no wonder when I feel very stressed out, my brain, my mind acts a little strange, weird. Maybe you never think about that when you are stressed. I don’t. I truly understand that issue when I am calm, and stress is gone, because only then I can think clearly.
Stress is a killer that slowly destroys your health, relationships, confidence, well-being. Chronic stress can make you sick and negatively impact your brain. But not all stress is bad. Acute stress helps you to move or think faster, if necessary, and sometimes stress can even save your life.
How Does Stress Affect The Mind?
Chronic stress cause brain fog, memory loss, anxiety, needless worry and negative thoughts that lead to more issues in your life. I have been there, and sometimes I still return to that foggy place where chronic stress takes over my mind and body.
Chronic stress changes your brain’s function and structure, and even if you don’t notice it’s happening at first, you will see the side effects for sure sooner or later.
1. Stress Kills Brain Cells By Creating Free Radicals
They punch holes in your brain cell walls, that cause cells to die.
If you try to relax by smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or eating junk food, you help to create more free radicals with these habits. In this way, you help to destroy your mind.
2. Memory Problems
Stress makes you forget things and you even may become more emotional than you are usually. I am sure that memory problems are the first ones you notice.
3. Stress Impacts Your Thoughts By making You More Fearful and Causing Anxiety
Did you know that stress builds an area that is brain’s fear center? I didn’t.
This makes you more fearful than you are usually, and it leads to more stress, more negative thoughts, more fear. It’s not easy to break this vicious cycle.
4. Stress Can Cause Depression
Chronic stress reduces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and that can leave you depressed, anxious, unmotivated and lethargic. It can lead to more problems, for example, alcoholism and unhealthy habit that make things even worse for you.
5. Greater Risk For Mental Illnesses
There are physical differences in the brain of people with stress disorders.
Chronic stress can cause you to develop a variety of mental illnesses including panic disorders, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD.
6. Chronic Stress Can Even Make You Stupid
Stress makes you bad at making decisions and impacts every cognitive function.
7. Shrinks Your Brain?
Stress hormone cortisol can shrink and stop the generation of new neurons. This way it negatively affects decision-making and working memory and impacts the part of your brain that store memories.
8. The Most Importantly – Stress Destroys Your Happiness
What can be worse than losing yourself to fear, anxiety, depression and forgetting who you are? Happiness is a choice, but stress can take away that choice. I believe happiness is a thing you choose to experience, to be. If your mind is full of worry, stress, negative thoughts about past, present or the future, you can’t be happy no matter how hard you try. Firstly, you need to let go of those negative thoughts and emotions that hold you captive in a never-ending cycle of unhappiness and stress. Chronic stress takes away joy from your life.
You don’t want to live life like that. Do you? This brings me to another thing I want to talk to you about.
What Can You Do? How To Help Your Brain?
If you reduce and minimize stress in your life, you will protect your brain and mind from its terrible effects. It isn’t difficult to do.
1. Eat a diet high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidant foods like vegetables and fruits.
2. Daily physical exercise
3. Daily meditation practice. You can learn how to master your thoughts
4. Get plenty of sleep.
5. Try different relaxation techniques such as biofeedback or self-hypnosis.
Conclusion
So how does stress affect your mind? Chronic stress causes negative thoughts, memory problems, shrinks your brain, make you stupid, makes you more fearful, leads to mental illnesses and destroys happiness and joy.
If you reduce stress in your life, you will avoid any damage to your brain, and your beautiful mind could change the world, my friend. Now you see how important is to think about stress management. Right?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. How stress affects your mind? Let me know below!
Do you want to be young? Learn how to relieve stress and master your thoughts, CLICK HERE for more information.
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Learn more tips how you can help your chronically stressed brain, CLICK HERE and see.
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Thank you for reading! Until next time!
Linda Mo
Founder of How To Reduce Stress Naturally