All that stress can certainly impact your mood, but it can also have a serious impact on your health. That’s why our team at AFC Urgent Care Farragut wants to take a few minutes to talk about how stress affects the body and steps you can take to manage stress effectively.

How Does Stress Affect the Body?

Stress is a normal and expected part of life. A small amount of stress, in fact, can actually be beneficial. But too much stress—or stress that’s not appropriately managed—can wreak havoc on your body.
If you’re facing chronic or extreme stress, you may experience a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms, both physically and mentally. But you’ll also be at a higher risk of developing serious health conditions, including heart disease and stroke.

Health Effects of Stress

• Headaches
• Body aches or tense muscles
• Diminished energy
• GI symptoms, such as diarrhea or nausea
• Sleep issues, including insomnia
• Diminished immune system

How Can I Better Manage Stress?

We talked before about how we all experience some level of stress. The key is to learn how to manage it effectively so that it doesn’t add up to enough to negatively impact your health.
Your best path to properly managing stress is to live a healthy lifestyle. This isn’t a fad or a trend—it’s about practicing healthy habits day in and day out to set yourself up for better overall health and wellness.

How to Manage Stress

• Find ways to relax, such as meditation or yoga.
• Pick up a hobby you enjoy.
• Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.
• Don’t smoke.
• Limit your alcohol consumption.
• Eat a healthy diet, focusing on fruits and veggies.

We are here for you! Visit the AFC Urgent Care Farragut website today to learn about our services and how you can schedule a visit.