Before answering the question, “What happens to the body during psychological stress?”, we must know that psychological stress is a natural reaction of the body and mind to some events, such as daily responsibilities or important events. Psychological stress may be beneficial if it appears for a short period, but if it Psychological stress continues for long periods of time and causes many negative effects.

Now to answer the question, “What happens to the body under psychological stress?”, we will explain in the following some of the possible side effects of psychological stress on the body:

1. The effect of psychological stress on the nervous system
One of the effects of psychological stress on the nervous system is the activation of the hypothalamus, which causes the secretion of stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol
Here are 9 ways to reduce stress in less than one minute.
1 Breathe. Take a deep breath and feel your abdominal muscles relaxing. Hold your breath for a moment. Contract your lips into a small circle, and breathe in slowly as if you were slowly blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Feel your abdominal muscles becoming tight as you release yourself. Do this again two or more times if necessary
2 Smile – even if you don't feel like smiling! Smiling releases natural chemicals that lower blood pressure and increase relaxation.
3 Let your mouth relax. Let your tongue relax and open your mouth slightly. This exercise sends a message to your brain to stop the release of stress hormones.
4 Laugh! Laughter increases blood flow and enhances your ability to resist diseases.
5 Hug yourself. Hugs release hormones that keep you healthier.
6 Shrug your shoulders. Raise your shoulders to your ears and slowly count to 5, then return them to their normal position.
7 Do exercise. Squat, jump up several times, run in place, etc. Exercise of this type releases chemicals that help in cases of depression.
8 Peel an orange – seriously! Then inhale the scent. Research has proven that the smell of lemon helps people relax.
9 Say thank you. Really think about things you're grateful for. This is well known to relieve stress.
Doing activities
Almost any form of physical activity can relieve stress. Even if you're not an athlete or don't have a perfect body, exercise can still be a good way to relieve stress.
Physical activities can stimulate the secretion of endorphins, which make you feel better, as well as natural neurochemicals that enhance the feeling of psychological well-being. Exercising also refocuses your mind on your body's movements, which can improve your mood and help relieve daily stress. So go for a walk, run, work in the garden, clean the house, ride a bike, swim, do weight training, sweep floors, or whatever else gets you active.


Following a diet that is beneficial for your health
Eating a healthy diet is an important part of taking care of yourself. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Avoid unhealthy habits
Some may follow unhealthy habits to deal with stress. These habits include drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, overeating, or using illegal drugs. All of these habits can harm your health and exacerbate stress.

Practice meditation
During the process of self-reflection, you must focus and calm the flow of mixed thoughts that may be crowding in your mind and causing you stress. Self-meditation can give you a feeling of calm, peace, and balance, which can benefit both your mental health and your general health. Self-reflection also helps improve our physical well-being.

Guided self-meditation, guided imagery, mindfulness, mental visualization, and other forms of self-reflection can be practiced anytime, anywhere. For example, self-reflection can be done while taking a walk, riding the bus to work, or while waiting at the doctor's office. You can use an application to guide you on how to perform these exercises. You can also try deep breathing anywhere.

Laugh more
Having a sense of humor won't cure everything, but it can help you feel better, even if you force yourself to fake a laugh when you're feeling down. When you laugh, it relieves your stress and causes positive physical changes. Laughter ignites your stress response and then calms it down.

So, read some jokes, tell some jokes, watch something comedic, or hang out with your funny friends. Or try laughter yoga.

Communicate with others
When you are exposed to stress and tension, you may feel that you isolate yourself from the world. Instead, connect with family and friends and build social connections. Know that one loyal friend who listens to you can make a big difference.
Social communication is a good way to relieve stress. Because it may allow you to distract yourself from what is troubling you, in addition to providing support and helping you endure life's vicissitudes. Therefore, take a break to have a cup of coffee with a friend, correspond with a relative online, or go to visit a place of worship.

Do you have a lot of time? Volunteer for a charity, and help yourself by helping others.

Be firm
You might want to do it all, but you can't without incurring consequences or at least sacrifices. Getting into the habit of saying no when necessary or being willing to delegate tasks can help you manage your to-do list and reduce stress. There is no doubt that setting healthy boundaries is important in your journey towards recovery. Of course, every person has physical and emotional energy that he cannot overcome.

Accepting everything may seem like an easy way to stay calm, avoid conflict, and ensure the job gets done well. But on the contrary, it may cause internal conflict in you because your needs and the needs of your family always come second. This can make you nervous, angry, complaining, and even vindictive. This approach does not yield a calm and stable outcome. And always remember to make yourself and your well-being your top priority.
Try yoga
Yoga is a popular stress reliever that involves performing a variety of body poses and breathing exercises. Yoga combines physical and mental methods that may help you achieve physical health and peace of mind. Yoga can help you relax and relieve stress and anxiety.
Try yoga on your own or join a class, and classes are easy to find in many areas. Try Hatha yoga in particular, which is a type of yoga that helps relieve stress effectively thanks to the slow pace of the exercise and the ease of the movements.


Get enough sleep
Stress may make it difficult for you to fall or stay asleep. When you have a lot to do and a lot to think about, you will struggle to sleep.
Sleep is the time during which the brain and body regain their activity. Most adults need approximately 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
The duration and quality of sleep can affect your mood, energy level, focus, and overall performance. If you are facing difficulties or disturbances in sleeping, be sure to follow a calm and relaxing regime when going to sleep. For example, listen to soothing music, make sure the place you sleep is quiet and dark, put phones and tablets away from you, and stick to a regular bedtime.


Keep a record
Writing down the thoughts and feelings that are on your mind may be a good way to express them and avoid repressing them. Don't think about what to write - just write. Write down everything that comes to your mind. No one else should read what you write; So don't try to get your grammar and spelling right.
Let your ideas flow onto paper or computer screen. Once you're done writing, you can throw away what you've written or save it to think about later.


Follow the music and be creative
Listening to or playing music is an effective stress reliever, as it provides mental entertainment and reduces muscle spasms and stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let your mind immerse yourself in the music.
If music isn't your thing, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy, such as landscaping, knitting, reading, drawing, or anything that requires you to focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing.


Get advice
If new stressors make coping more difficult or self-care measures don't relieve stress, you may consider psychotherapy or counseling. Psychotherapy may be helpful if you feel overwhelmed or trapped by problems. You may also consider psychotherapy if you suffer from excessive anxiety, or have difficulty performing usual daily tasks or meeting work, home or school obligations.

Specialized counselors or therapists can help you identify sources of stress and learn new tools to cope with it.