The Impact Of Stress On Your Mental Health

Infosys co-founder, Narayana Murthy, recently exhorted youth to take a pledge that they will work for 70 hours a week to improve India's work productivity, which is one of the lowest across the globe.

This statement led to a lot of debates and discussions on social media and other public forums. Regardless of the merit or lack thereof of Murthy's statement, there is an interesting figure to consider. The latest International Labour Organisation (ILO) data reveals that on average, people in India work for about 48 hours per week, which again happens to be one of the longest average working weeks across the world.

However, the real issue lies somewhere else. In the madness to oppose or back the statement of the Infosys co-founder, the consequences of longer working hours on the employees' mental health went largely unnoticed.

Not many have felt the need to address this matter. So, before delving deep into the subject of mental health, let's look at stress and mental health statistics.

According to the most recent studies, stress is one of the most common causes of mental health problems in the majority of the world's population.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 970 million people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2019, which implies that 1 in every 8 people was suffering from this problem.

Even according to the WHO, 1 in 4 people worldwide will eventually experience mental or neurological disorders.

Stress turns out to be the natural outcome of challenging situations in human lives. But if stress becomes a regular companion, then it can trigger a plethora of mental health issues.

Depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental illnesses envelop people experiencing extended spells of stress.

The mental problems can lead to bodily woes, as stress tends to manifest physically as well. During stress, it is only natural for hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to get activated to prepare the body to tackle the situation.

While this mechanism is vital for survival in acute situations, regular activation impacts physical health adversely. Certain common physical effects of stress happen to be:

Extended periods of stress can lead to high blood pressure and make the individual vulnerable to heart disease.

Chronic stress impacts the immune system badly, making individuals more susceptible to illnesses.

Stress can disturb routine digestive processes, inviting the bad prospects of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion.

The stress also opens up possibilities for mental illnesses in individuals. Chronic stress can catalyze conditions such as :

• Anxiety Disorders: Constant fear, worry, and nervousness disrupt daily life.
• Depression: sinking feelings, despair, and a lack of interest in activities.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Regular exposure to traumatic events can lead to persistent distress and avoidance behaviors.
• Fatigue: feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.

It is pertinent to understand the symptoms of mental stress to take adequate remedies. Some common signs happen to be:

• Constant Worry: Unending and uncontrollable thoughts about day-to-day concerns.
• Changes in Sleep Patterns: Excessive sleep or sleeplessness can occur due to mental stress.
• Mood Swings: Constant shifts in mood, irritability, or feeling sad more often than not.
• Muscle Tension: Leading to bodyache.

It is of utmost significance to deal with mental health in the current climate, where stress is ubiquitous. The statistics present a grim situation, underscoring the need for appropriate measures to tackle the root causes of stress and minimize or eliminate its effects.

By acknowledging the dangerous outcomes of stress and the development of stress-related mental illnesses, individuals can opt for remedies to take care of their mental well-being.

Be it through mindfulness practices, professional assistance, or lifestyle changes, it's pertinent to deal with stress before it unleashes various mental health challenges.