Life is full of unavoidable stressors. Some stress is good ofcourse, however, to much stress can become negative and detrimental to our body system. These negative stressors take their toll on our physical bodies and minds, and if not handled effectively they will ultimately decrease the quality of our lives.

Chronic stress can eventually wear down the body's natural defenses making us more susceptable to illness, disease, premature aging, and earning us an early grave.

The body is extremely intelligent. When we live beyond the current physical limitations of our body, it lets us know. If we understood the language the body speaks, listened to it, and followed through with specific action we would not experience many of the difficulties we currently have to deal with on a daily basis.

Since the body is a physical entity, it communicates with us physically. When chronic stress overwhelms the body it communicates via a wide range of 'warning signs' and physical symptoms.

Some of these 'warning signs' may include;

• Feeling Disconnected (zoned or checked out)
• Easily Distracted
• Irritability
• Difficulty Concentrating or Focusing
• Frequent Headaches/ Migraines
• Muscle Tension (face, neck, shoulders, and/or back)
• Chronic Aches and Pains
• Increased Heart Rate
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Teeth Grinding, Clenched and/ or Sore Jaw
• Indigestion, Upset Stomach, Ulcers
• Fatigue
• Exhaustion
• Loss of Energy

In our fast-paced, high-stressed society, often times we ignore our bodies warning signals. We gulp down cups of coffee, energy drinks, and sodas loaded with stimulants, we pop pain relievers and antacids like candy and assume that by ignoring these warning signals they will eventually go away or disappear. Unfortunately, these physical warning symptoms are the body's attempt to communicate with us to change the way we are doing things. If we continue to push our body past it's physical limitations it will eventually breakdown at a time when we need it most.

"Stress is one of the absolute worst things for your system when you are trying to heal something."

It is so much better to be proactive, listening to the body, seeking out preventative practices, frequently receiving stress relieving treatments, and decreasing the amount of negative stressors in our lives before they take over our system.

Here are some more specific ways stress affects us:

• physical stress
• mental and emotional stress
• stress in the workplace