Everyone has felt stressed at some point: it is a normal situation. Stress is an adaptive response that allows us to survive dangers. But when stress accumulates and episodes are repeated over and over again, it begins to take its toll. This is what we know as allostatic load.
What is allostatic load?
He stress It is very common, we all live or have lived through stressful situations, whether due to work, school, family situations or momentary situations that occur in our daily lives, etc. Although sometimes stress can go away on its own and with time, or with the help of a professional when you consider it necessary, there is a possibility that over time you will end up suffering the effects of the so-called allostatic load.
Allostatic load is the accumulation of fatigue that your body suffers after many stressful situations. Fatigue can be both physical and mental and occurs because after a stressful situation in which it seems like you have recovered, you really do not, and your body notices it and accumulates the weight of all those situations.
Allostatic load is much more common due to recent situations such as the pandemic. The fear, ignorance and stress that COVID-19 caused throughout the world has caused, among many other consequences, that many people began to show allostatic load due to the accumulated stress that had been experienced since then.
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What consequences can this have?
We must be aware that mental and physical health go hand in hand, so allostatic load can cause us to suffer both physical and psychological consequences. Some of these consequences or symptoms are:
- Discouragement. Your mood will be affected by the feeling that stress, nervousness, sadness, etc. causes you.
- FatigueYour physical health will also be affected and will make you feel constantly tired.
- Lack of sleepStress can cause you to not rest properly and this can impact your daily life.
- You don't manage emotions wellThe burden you feel in the face of the situation that is causing you stress means that you do not know how to manage or even recognize emotions well and, therefore, will prevent you from overcoming the problem.
- Negative vision. The negative view of things and life is caused by the overload of emotions that stress is causing you. Try to think about the positive side of things.
How to reduce allostatic load?
There is no direct solution to allostatic load, however there are certain mechanisms that can allow you to reduce it in a way that will be beneficial for you. Some of these solutions are:
- MeditateMeditation and the new relaxation techniques that are so popular today will be beneficial to control and reduce stress. Relax and breathe.
- Exercise. Exercising has always been good for our physical health, but also for our mental health. Physical activity will help us release energy and make us feel better mentally.
- Take care of yourself. Both physically and psychologically. Don't let negative thoughts and feelings affect your self-care, take care of your health and diet and continue doing what you like so much, what relaxes you and makes you disconnect so you feel better.
- Lean on your loved onesYour family and friends will be there for you when you need them most, they will be able to show you love and support.
- Don't neglect your social lifeMake plans with your family or friends to disconnect, don't let bad emotions win, force yourself to go out even if you don't feel like it, cheer yourself up and make plans that help you disconnect again and reconnect with the beautiful part of life.
- Don't give up your hobbies. While you can unwind with plans like going out for coffee with your friends, there are also plans that help you unwind on your own. Like reading, going for a walk or going on a trip by yourself. Your hobbies will also help you unwind and feel happier.
- Express emotions. Saying how you feel, either on paper or in your own words, is an effective way to make yourself feel better and relieve some of the intensity of the emotions that are overwhelming you.
- Go to therapyThe best option when you are stressed or are suffering the consequences of many stressful situations and you don't know how to control it is to put yourself in the hands of a professional. A psychologist has the skills to help you. It is important to know that the psychologist will not directly give you the solution to your problem, but that together you will work little by little in therapy on your emotions, trying to find out what they are, identify them and learn to manage them. This will allow you to resolve and work on that stress. In addition, all of this will also help you in future situations where you may feel stressed and not get overwhelmed by all those emotions.
In Psychia We have an excellent team of psychologists who can help you. In addition, the online therapy modality will mean that you do not have to worry about the incompatibility of time and distance when travelling to be able to see a psychologist and maintain good mental health. More than 1,600 people have already contacted us, make an appointment for one of our online therapy sessions, first briefing is free.