Stress and Muscle Tension

Stress and Muscle Tension

Too much stress and muscle tension could be the result. Stress comes in many shapes and forms these days. Your biggest stressor may be your job. For someone else it may be having a new baby. Other people may find that their biggest stressor is what to wear that particular day. Everyone has very different stressors, but everyone will also have some stressors that are more powerful than others.

When you stress too much, you can experience a wide variety of symptoms related to stress. Headaches, feeling overwhelmed, problems sleeping, fatigue, and more. Headaches are usually the result of muscle tension. Stress and muscle tension is quite common. When your body reacts to a stressor it is put into a fight or flight response; muscles tighten in order to execute either option, but most of the time we will neither fight nor run away. A psychological stressor will allow for neither as it is. Tension in the shoulder muscles, neck, jaw, and face can lead to headaches or muscle pain in general. It can be difficult to unwind a tightened muscle, and dealing with pain on top of stress can just make you more stressed. Most stress symptoms not only appear because of stress, but can also lead to stress, this increasing the whole issue to be dealt with.

You may not be able to afford a really great massage in order to relax (though having one would be great), and even so, you cannot look to a masseuse every time you become stressed and your muscles tighten. You will have to learn stress management methods in order to unwind yourself. If you have a friend or person close to you willing to give you a nice rub, you can socialize with that person, which can help reduce stress also. As long as you find a way to ease your stress, you can help give your muscles a break as well.