Six Signs Your Body is Under Chronic Stress – Women's Health

The struggle is real- here’s what happens as you approach the point of burnout…

Your brain

The hypothalamus sends a signal to your adrenal glands to produce stress hormones. These neural pathways can trigger long-term changes in your brain’s structure and function.

Your gut

Your body is secreting stress chemicals but there’s no immediate threat, so it stores fat around your internal organs to protect them from future risk. Translation: weight gain.

Your muscles

A process called proteolysis weakens your muscles – it breaks down proteins so simple tasks become harder. This happens when your cortisol levels stay high over a long period of time.

Your bones

Your body is freaking out so it loses its potassium – the stuff that stops other acids from sucking your calcium. In return, your bones struggle to absorb the vital mineral.

Your thyroid

An imbalance in cortisol levels means your thyroid could be underactive or overactive. The former means weight gain and constipation; the latter, weight loss and an irregular heartbeat.

Your skin

You’ve just woken up and there it is- a pimple. It could be all that cortisol, which increases your skin’s oil production. Depigmented white spots on your skin can also be a result of chronic stress. 

This article was originally published in the December issue of Women’s Health.

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