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Writer's pictureMariaan Smit

Understanding Anxiety: Addressing Its Deeper Roots

Anxiety is often labeled a silent disruptor; an ongoing challenge that affects many aspects of life. While it can be manageable and even necessary, it can also badly affect your health. When you’re living out of sync with your desires or facing persistent misalignment in your life, anxiety can escalate beyond an emotional struggle. It can morph into a serious physical ailment, affecting your overall well-being.


Recognizing and addressing anxiety's deeper roots is crucial for maintaining both mental and physical health. Choosing a career you’re passionate about can be a significant step toward managing your anxiety effectively.


Anxiety

Excitement can sometimes feel similar to anxiety, but the positive hormones released when you achieve your goals provide relief. In contrast, staying in a career where you feel trapped offers no such release, and the anxiety may only intensify as your circumstances remain unchanged.


What’s the point of pushing yourself to the limit to afford experiences you might not even enjoy, especially when you’re overworked, burned out, and lacking enthusiasm for anything?


Although stress is a natural physical response and is needed to complete most tasks, it can be, to say the least, immobilizing.


Stress and anxiety might be the cause of many illnesses. Take the word “disease,” for instance; it literally means “dis-ease.” There is nothing that feels more like “dis-ease” than chronic stress.

The constant tension and worry can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and digestive issues, much like how a physical illness affects the body. Just as a disease can impair your health and daily function, anxiety and stress can undermine your overall vitality and quality of life.


How Your Body Reacts to Too Much Stress


If your body goes into a stress response, your liver produces extra blood sugar to provide a burst of energy. Chronic stress however makes your body struggle to manage excess glucose. This surge in hormones, rapid breathing and increased heart rate can disrupt your digestive system.


Long-term excess glucose can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and kidney damage. Interestingly, many people often crave sugar when stress levels rise. This craving can be a response to stress hormones or a way to seek comfort and quick energy during challenging times. Unfortunately, in high-stress situations, reaching for sugary treats can often be one of the worst decisions.


Sugar Rush

Have you ever heard the saying that your gut is like a second brain?


A fulfilling life is crafted through making good choices that shape a reality you enjoy.

If you’re overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, your gut health can suffer, making it harder for your mind to make clear and positive decisions.


Understanding the gut-brain connection clarifies why you might feel nauseous before a presentation or experience intestinal pain during stressful periods. These symptoms are not just psychological; they involve genuine physiological changes. 


The gut is often referred to as a "second brain" due to the profound connection between the digestive system and the brain.

The gut has its extensive network of neurons called the enteric nervous system (ENS), which contains as many neurons as the spinal cord. This system can operate independently but also communicates with the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain.


The brain can affect gut function (e.g., through stress or anxiety), and similarly, the gut can send signals to the brain, influencing mood and emotional states. The gut is home to a large portion of the body's immune system. It helps regulate immune responses and inflammation, which can impact mental health conditions and stress levels.


It's evident that stress impacts your health both mentally and physically, influencing your gut, which in turn affects your entire nervous system.


Managing stress is crucial, and it begins with evaluating how you spend your time daily.


If your job only offers money and chronic stress without fulfilment, consider exploring other options. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not merely endured while suffering from extreme

dis-ease.


There are many tips for managing stress and improving gut health, but the most important advice is to live a life that you genuinely enjoy. A life where you can effectively manage your stress will look different for everyone, as it’s a personal journey. For some, it might involve pursuing a fulfilling career, while for others, it could mean focusing on personal relationships, hobbies, or self-care practices.


Finding what brings you joy and balance is key to managing stress and enhancing your overall well-being.


Hike

Modern-day health often feels like just another task to check off, but the reality is that what you spend most of your time on. Whether it's your job, daily activities, the media you consume, or the people you interact with; has a far greater impact on your well-being than just the hour a day you might dedicate to "managing stress." 

Live a life filled with deep breaths of fresh air, regular movement, creative expression, personal fulfillment, and an appreciation for every detail.

Choose a life without “dis-ease”.

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