Physical work
Stress is related to declining physical function over time and obesity, which contributes to cardiovascular disease. Stress interferes with the engagement of activity for many people, which has important theoretical, practical, and clinical significance for professionals in the health and exercise fields (1).
You may experience chronic work stress with signs of emotional exhaustion, tiredness, loss of satisfaction, musculoskeletal pain. Work related stress triggers our hormonal, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular systems. If these bodily responses are triggered too frequently, or for too long, they fail to return to normal and may interfere our body’s immune and inflammation responses. These changes may eventually cause other physical conditions such as coronary heart disease (2).
Stressors
- Excess or lack of exercise
- Excess of work/study
- Not enough sleep
- Unbalanced diet, alcohol
- Infections, health problems
- Excess of stimuli
- …and many more
Stress Response
Recovery
Challenges of day-to-day life initiate stress reaction; however, when we overcome these
challenges, our physical and psychological state returns to pre-stress situation. This physiological process is called as recovery. The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system lowers body’s activation level (for example, decrease in heart rate or heart rate variability) (3).
It is about finding a time or space and not getting involved in work-related or stressful activities. It brings cortisol levels to baseline. It helps you to feel energetic and enthusiastic at work. Recovery can be internal at workplace or external that is outside the work (2).
References
1) Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A., & Sinha, R. (2014). The effects of stress on physical activity and exercise. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 44(1), 81–121.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-0090-5
2) How to recover from burnout and chronic work stress – according to a psychologist. March 11, 2020. Available at:
https://theconversation.com/how-to-recover-from-burnout-and-chronic-work-stress-according-to-a-psychologist-133259
3) At the Heart of Stress and Recovery. Available at:
https://www.firstbeat.com/en/blog/at-the-heart-of-stress-and-recovery/
