The same happens with stress. It is the internal/personal meaning of a situation that can cause stress/distress. People who are seeing the present situation as the end of the world are operating from a place of fear which is extremely stressful. Thus, like any stressful situation, it increases the level of cortisol (much-known stress hormone) which makes us more prone to health issues. On the other hand, people who are seeing this as a positive and necessary wake-up call for humanity, are more optimistic, which works as a protective health factor.

The effects of stress influences each system in the human body. According to the American Medical Association, 90% of illness and disease is stress-related, including cancer, anxiety, depression, and dementia. People, literally die due to chronic stress and nobody talks about it, nobody cares about it. This is a true lethal pandemic and we take it for granted as if it was a normal part of life. It isn’t normal. But why don’t people care about stress and its lethal side-effects? Because it isn’t a virus, a germ. Chronic stress is a condition that involves mental activity, feelings, and emotions. Why would it be important for a male-based society, which is 90% reigned by rationalizations? Unfortunately, we are out-of-date. We still see humans like Descartes, who proposed the separation of the thinking mind from the machine-like body in 1637. For our suffering, this very old mentality permeates not just the medical field, but our whole society up to now. There is no magical pill that cures it!

The symptoms for long-term stress are chronic pain, headaches, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal distress, constipation or diarrhea, weight loss or gain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood instability, hypertension, elevated blood lipid levels, immune system disturbances (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, even cancer), changes in eating, drinking, and smoking behaviors, dizziness, irritability, depression, restlessness, heightened sensitivity to stimuli, poor impulse control, substance abuse, muscle tension, skin disorders, teeth grinding, panic attacks, social withdrawal, difficulty thinking, concentrating or remembering things, and changes in the quality of relationships. A combination of some of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have chronic stress, but it can be an eye-opener, an opportunity to evaluate your lifestyle and make some adjustments.

So, what to do, then? Take good care of your body, your mind, and your emotions. Stress affects us as whole beings, it needs to be treated holistically too. The food we eat makes a huge difference. Processed foods add a toll on the digestive system, it stresses, even more, the physical body. The solution is to eat more delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, leaves, and lean meat in a mindful way. Practice physical activity, have fun with your body by taking yourself for a nice walk (with no electronics), pay attention to the sounds you hear, the colors you see, the people, plants, or animals you meet. Listen to music, dance, sing in the shower, have fun with a coloring book, read a good book, have a hobby, make friends, and have a satisfying social life.

Meditation and journaling are helpful and wise ways to manage stress levels. Restorative yoga, in my opinion, is the best kind of yoga to reduce stress because its purpose is to make you relaxed, more aware of not only your body but also of your thoughts and feelings. Since stress reduction and management are about changing your lifestyle, hypnotherapy is of great value because it will educate your subconscious mind to work for you and with you in more positive and healthier ways. Thus, you have the freedom to choose what is better for you. Hypnotherapy is useful because it prevents self-sabotage. So you can develop a more authentic and meaningful life.