Stress is an inevitable part of life since every person experiences some unexpected, overwhelming, and exhausting events. Although the definition of stress varies depending on either the physiological or psychological angle, it is accepted that stress creates a certain tension in a person and alternates one’s state of body and mind. Moreover, the longevity of exposure to stress contributes to the adverse effects of such experiences. It is proven that stress has such negative effects on one’s body and mind as increased inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, lower memory capacity, and mental avoidance of the present moment.
Stress has a significant negative impact on gastrointestinal function in the human body due to raised levels of inflammation. The physiological reaction to stress is known as fight-or-flight, which includes increased heart rate, perspiration, muscular tension, and quickened breathing (Spielman et al. 492). However, in the modern world, people rarely need to escape direct threats and usually experience stress in circumstances that do not allow physical expression. As a result, the human body needs to absorb and dissolve the released energy, which is the responsibility of internal organs (Spielman et al. 493). Accordingly, inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract increases, and, in case of more prolonged exposure to stress, one may experience adverse health effects such as irritable bowel syndrome or the development of Crohn’s disease (Yaribeygi et al. 1064). Overall, the experience of stress leads to an active physiological response, causing inflammation in gastrointestinal organs and increasing the risk of tract diseases.
Hence, stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease because of the substantial activation of the nervous system. In particular, stressful experience activates the sympathetic nervous system, which in addition to a higher heart rate, contracts the arteries and causes the narrowing of the veins (Yaribeygi et al. 1063). To a certain extent, the human body can handle such changes and restore normal functioning. However, in case of repeated or prolonged stress, one can experience an increase in the “risk of thrombosis and ischemia” (Yaribeygi et al. 1063). Moreover, exposure to stress is associated with the development of hypertension (high blood pressure) which creates a significant risk for a heart attack (Spielman et al. 503). In such a way, the impact of stress on the cardiovascular system represents a severe threat to one’s health and life.
Furthermore, stress has a negative impact on an individual’s cognitive functions, especially memory. One of the essential functions of memory refers to conversion from short-term to long-term, which, for instance, occurs in the learning process (Yaribeygi et al. 1059). The area of the brain responsible for this function is the hippocampus, which also provides a major response to stress (Yaribeygi et al. 1059). Therefore, the negative impact of stress on memory can be witnessed from two points. On the one hand, when an individual is exposed to stress, it becomes challenging to memorize some information willingly. On the other hand, the prolonged experience of stress can cause functional and structural changes in the hippocampus. Such alterations include a decrease in neurogenesis (creation of new neural cells) and a decrease in the number of neurons (Yaribeygi et al. 1059). Consequently, one may experience noticeable memory issues and struggle with the memorization of new information. Overall, stress can lead to adverse changes in memory function, which decreases one’s cognitive performance and hinders the development of new skills and creation of new memories.
Additionally, stress causes mental avoidance of the present moment in individuals, which leads to decreased quality of life. Psychological research suggests that one’s mental and emotional well-being substantially depends on their consciousness and capability to experience the present moment (Crosswell et al. 1). Such involvement is often referred to as mindfulness, which means focused attention on the present (Crosswell et al. 1). On the opposite side of the consciousness spectrum there is mind wandering, which is associated with non-attentive thinking and, to a great extent, the ignorance of the present (Crosswell et al. 1). Since stress engages the body and brain in response to a particular situation, it decreases the number of mental resources available to an individual. As a result, research findings uncover “the main effect of daily stress on engagement and rejection of the moment” (Crosswell et al. 3.4). Significantly, in case of less exposure to stress, participants of the study demonstrated more engagement in the moment and less frequent mind wandering. Therefore, stress affects one’s well-being by reducing the mental resource for mindful experience and switching the mind to a less consuming “wandering” state.
In conclusion, stress has a negative influence on the body and mind, affecting one’s gastrointestinal tract due to inflammation, increasing cardiovascular load, lowering memory capacity, and hindering mental presence at the moment. Although most people can handle moderate stress experiences, repeated and prolonged stress is associated with health issues and reduced well-being. The negative impacts on the body and mind are additionally induced by modern lifestyles, which hinder proper stress management and expose individuals to more significant amounts of psychological challenges.
Works Cited
Crosswell, Alexandra D., et al. “Mind Wandering and Stress: When You Don’t like the Present Moment.” Emotion, vol. 20, no. 3, 2020, pp. 403–412.
Spielman, Rose M., et al. Psychology. 2nd ed., Rice University, 2020.
Yaribeygi, Habib et al. “The Impact of Stress on Body Function: A Review.” EXCLI Journal, vol. 16, 2017, pp. 1057-1072.