What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s natural response to any challenge or demand. It’s not always bad; in fact, a little stress can even motivate you to perform better in challenging situations.
The kind of stress that benefits you is called eustress. Eustress keeps you alert, focused, and helps you push your limits in healthy ways, such as while preparing for an exam or completing an important task.
However, when stress becomes chronic, overwhelming, and interferes with your well-being, it’s no longer helpful. This kind of stress is known as distress. It can negatively affect your mood, physical health, and even relationships.
Effects of Stress on the Human Body
Stress isn’t limited to your mind. It also announces its presence through physical symptoms. Whether you’re dealing with work pressure, a personal loss, or health concerns, your body interprets such stressful situations (stressors) as threats and reacts accordingly.
These are some of the ways stress affects your body:
Physical effects
- Headaches and migraine
- Chronic tightness in muscles (particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back)
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Constant fatigue and low energy levels
- Insomnia and disturbed sleep
- Upset stomach and digestive issues
- Shallow breathing or breathlessness
Mental and emotional effects
- Irritability and mood swings
- Ever-present feeling of anxiety or panic
- Prolonged feeling of sadness or depressive thoughts
- Constant worrying
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
Causes of Stress in an Urban Lifestyle
Living in an urban, active, and rapidly growing city like Jaipur comes with its own set of lifestyle challenges. Whether you’re a professional, a student, or an entrepreneur, an active urban lifestyle is likely to come with its share of stress.
The following are the most common causes of stress in an urban lifestyle.
Long working hours
Office-goers in urban cities often face long working hours (even 50-60-hour workweeks at times), overtime, and pressure to meet deadlines. The rise of highly competitive and demanding working environments has contributed to an increase in complaints of stress and burnout among individuals.
Academic pressure
Urban cities like Jaipur house a large student population. These students, whether they’re school-goers, college students, or preparing for any competitive exams, often experience chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout due to rapidly increasing academic demands.
Digital overload
The screen time of individuals these days doesn’t seem to go below 5 hours on any given day. Spending too much time glued to the screen, constant buzzing of notifications, and doomscrolling for hours overstimulate the brain and contribute to mental fatigue. It compromises the individual’s ability to be productive in other important tasks and further increases stress.
Financial pressure
Urban lifestyle can become a financial nightmare for some. A constant juggle between bills, EMIs, uncertain employment, sky-high rents, and lack of stability can take a heavy toll on one’s psyche and cause stress.
Unhealthy lifestyle
Only a few people can maintain a healthy lifestyle in the hustle and bustle of cities. The rest? They deal with skipped meals, sitting on a chair all day, and late-night habits. Poor posture resulting from prolonged screen hours, a lack of physical activity, and bad ergonomics directly impacts the physical and mental well-being of an individual, contributing to higher stress levels.
Why Choose Jaipur Rehab?
At Jaipur Rehab, our team of experts, led by Dr. Himanshu Mathur, doesn’t just provide temporary relief; we address the root cause.
We understand that most individuals living an urban lifestyle are battling hidden forms of distress on a daily basis. Through our structure and science-backed therapy, personalized care, and modern physiotherapy, we help clients transition from constant overwhelm to inner calm.
