Stress seems to be universal in Singapore, whether you are young, old, male or female, we all seem to constantly be stressed about something or other. A new survey conducted recently showed that a whopping 86% of Singaporeans feel stressed, with 15% expressing that they had trouble coping. This is especially concerning when you think about how its symptoms can affect your health. From headaches and insomnia to high blood pressure and depression, it is important that stress is addressed early and not ignored.

Further, there is also a common misconception that stress is caused by traumatic situations and overwhelming pressure. In actuality, however, it is often the piling up of small stressors in our lives that slowly start to wear us down. As such, it is important that we identify the habits and practices we have that slowly contribute to our stress, develop coping mechanisms and make lifestyle changes to minimise the negative impact of stress in the modern world.

Cortisol? What’s that? 

Cortisol is the stress hormone that gets produced whenever we get stressed. It plays a key role in our body’s stress response system, otherwise also known as the “ fight or flight” response. A balanced amount of cortisol helps to regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and immune function, and helps maintain the body’s overall health and well-being. However, excessive or prolonged cortisol production can lead to negative health consequences, including weight gain, immune system suppression, and cardiovascular disease. As such, it becomes exceedingly important that we identify bad habits that cause stress to our bodies.

Common Bad Habits that cause Stress to the Body

1. Not getting enough sleep

Sleep deprivation is among the most common causes of stress. Lack of sleep can cause your body to react as if it is in distress, releasing large amounts of cortisol. 

Too much cortisol can result in weight gain and cardiovascular problems over time. This usually happens when bad sleeping habits hinder your body from regulating its levels of hormones overnight. Specifically, not getting at least 5 hours of sleep each night has been linked to cortisol-related problems, such as hypertension. In addition, your body is less effective in regulating your inflammatory responses and hormonal systems with a lack of sleep.

2. Eating unhealthy foods

Your body and brain require nutritious meals to function efficiently. Unfortunately, the kinds of food you may crave when you are stressed, such as junk food and fast food, are not usually the healthiest. Eating foods, such as processed meats and those high in sugar, which provide little nutritional value, has been linked to more psychiatric symptoms and can increase your cortisol levels.

According to experts, blood sugar has an intimate connection with cortisol. Every time you eat high-sugar foods that spike insulin, it serves as a stressor to your body, leading to a feedback loop that only serves to increase the cortisol in your system. Over time, a poor diet can also lead to diabetes, obesity, and other illnesses.

3. Relying on caffeine

In today’s fast-paced world, caffeine has become the crutch for those who are endlessly overworked, exhausted, and stressed. However, although caffeine can boost your energy and keep you awake for hours, it can also contribute to many health problems, specifically your stress levels. 

Based on studies done in America, caffeine can activate the stress axis, elevate glucocorticoid and catecholamine, and increase blood pressure. For this reason, consuming caffeine during times of stress may exacerbate the magnitude and duration of stress endocrine responses and blood pressure. Additionally, caffeine intake can make it harder for you to fall asleep at night, another factor contributing to stress.

4.Not exercising enough

There is a significant connection between exercise and stress relief. Basically, exercise minimises stress hormones and pumps up the production of endorphins, which help facilitate relaxation. Exercise can relieve your body, while mitigating the effects of stress and assisting your body and its systems in working together through such effects. On the contrary, a lack of exercise can increase stress symptoms, such as fatigue and moodiness.

How To Reduce Stress on Your Body

1. Break those bad habits

The best way to reduce stress in your body is to break your bad, stress-inducing habits and start living an active and healthy lifestyle. This means no more late nights, cutting down on junk food, weening yourself off caffeine and a new exercise regime. These simple changes to your day-to-day routine can significantly minimise your stress and greatly impact your physical and psychological health.

2. Get a body massage

Another excellent way to alleviate stress in your body is treating yourself to a spa day and getting a body massage. Massage therapy is a proven method for combating stress and minimising its adverse effects on your body and mind. Massages can reduce your stress levels by lowering your blood pressure, helping with muscular tension, triggering a relaxation response, and improving sleep quality.

For an effective stress relief method with minimal to no downtime, consider getting a soothing body massage, such as Lynn Aesthetics’ Serenity Full Body Massage and Tranquility Lymphatic Drainage Body Massage, at least once every 3 or 4 weeks. The Serenity Full Body Massage relieves stress by targeting the various trigger points throughout the body, lowering your heart rate, and restoring your well-being, while the Tranquility Lymphatic Drainage Body Massage features light, rhythmic strokes to relax your nervous system and provide a feeling of calm and relaxation. Whichever you choose, these body massages will leave you rejuvenated and improve your physical and psychological well-being. 

Treating yourself to a facial, especially wrinkle facial treatment in Singapore, can also minimise the appearance of fine lines on the face normally caused by stress. Lynn Aesthetic’s Amethyst Facial (Anti-Ageing) Facial uses Polypeptide Oligopeptide and Hyaluronic Acid to stimulate collagen production in the face.

Conclusion

Stress is an unavoidable consequence of today’s increasingly fast-paced lifestyle. Learning how to cope effectively with stress is necessary, as its symptoms can have long-lasting effects on your body. However, coping with stress does not always require medication and therapy. Sometimes, you can minimise stress in your body by simply breaking your bad habits and making small changes to your day-to-day routine. Of course, for some people, breaking these bad habits is easier said than done, in which case Lynn Aesthetic can provide the help you need for alleviating stress with our health and wellness treatments.

As one of the leading body and facial spa salons in Singapore, Lynn Aesthetic is always seeking to upgrade our skills and knowledge in the field of beauty and wellness. This is why all our treatments are carried out with state-of-the-art equipment. So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to us to book an appointment today.