The 4 emotional consequences of suffering stress

When we talk about stress, we may be tempted to focus solely on its symptoms to physiological level: increased muscle tension, sweat secretion, increased heart rate, etc. However, we cannot forget that another of the most important facets of stress has to do with our emotions and feelings, what goes through our heads.

And it is that in the same way that when we are stressed that has an impact on all kinds of organs distributed throughout our body, our brain also gives rise to a certain way of thinking and feeling when the stress hormones they are released in large quantities... And if we also suffer excess stress, this psychological impact is even more pronounced.

In this article we will see precisely what are these emotional consequences of stress problems, something basic to better understand this phenomenon and know how to mitigate it.

• Related article: "Types of stress and their triggers"

What is stress?

Stress consists of a psychological and physiological state that prepares us to react quickly to the first signs that something is wrong or that if we do not hurry, we will miss opportunities important. It arises from a mechanism that has been carved out over millions of years of evolution, and that is why a large number of animals (both vertebrates as invertebrates) experience stress: such is the utility of this resource to ensure the survival of many kinds of forms of lifetime.

However, and even assuming that the possibility of entering a state of stress is usually useful, it is true that sometimes it becomes a problem that generates unjustified discomfort; this happens when We "learn" to feel stress in situations that do not deserve it, exaggerating the chances of something bad happening to us.

In addition, the problems related to excess stress are not only related to the subjective discomfort that this makes us feel: if we feel very stressed when not playing, the way in which we try to alleviate that feeling can lead us to develop other psychological problems derived from this. For example: the habit of arguing with others attributing the blame for what happens to us, drug use to “distract us”, binge eating without being really hungry, etc.

These behavioral dynamics can become so internalized in us that sometimes we are not even aware of themWe do them by going in "automatic mode" and without questioning or identifying them as harmful.

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The 4 main emotional consequences of stress

Stress can be expressed emotionally in different ways, and this depends a lot both on the characteristics of each individual and on her environment and life context. However, some of the most frequent are these that we will see here.

1. Increased irritability

A person who suffers from excess stress will have a less capacity to adopt an attitude of warmth and kindness towards others when they urge unexpected requests, misunderstandings, and in general, social situations capable of generating frustration.

A tendency to be irritable arises, given that the discomfort produced by stress itself must be added that produced by this kind of "potholes" to which it is necessary to adapt on the fly.

• Related article: "How to reduce stress at work?"

2. Tendency to fuel catastrophic thoughts

Since stress predisposes us to prepare for situations that can harm us, it is easy for people to overstressed, get into a pessimistic mindset and start turning to thoughts that anticipate catastrophes. In this way, they interpret almost any event, however ambiguous, as a warning that something bad will happen.

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3. Upset from lack of control over what you feel

Another of the emotional consequences of excess stress has to do with the way in which the person relates to their emotional side. In situations like this, the desire arises to control the more the better, including what goes on in one's mind, and the fact of not achieving it generates discomfort and concern: the person feels overwhelmed by her emotions.

• Related article: "Emotional management: 10 keys to master your emotions"

4. Desire to perform check actions over and over again

As the person with excess stress is pushed to try to control what happens to him but at the same time adopts a pessimistic mentality, it is easy for him to feel bad if he does not check over and over again certain elements that, if they fail, would get him in trouble.

Some examples: count the pages of the report being written several times, check several times that the front door is locked, look in the mirror several times in a row before going outside, etc.

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Do you want to learn to manage stress?

Although stress can arise in many day-to-day experiences and situations, human beings are endowed with the necessary capacities to learn to manage it. It is true that we will never be able to perfectly control our emotions, but there are ways to modulate them and minimize the chances of them getting us into trouble.

That is why in Gurumind We have developed both stress management courses and a useful smartphone app full of content on meditation, Mindfulness, breathing exercises, and more. These resources can help you establish a healthier and more functional relationship with your way of experiencing emotions, and to better adapt to the challenges of day to day.