Stress causes an immense amount of damage to our bodies. And with today’s fast-paced lifestyles, almost all adults experience chronic or excess stress. As a result of excess stress, we experience anxiety, decreased health, and even physical ailments. Because of this, it’s important to know where our bodies store stress and how to alleviate it.

Is Your Body Storing Stress? Here’s How to Relieve It

 

Most people store stress in six common places: the jaw, neck, back, chest, shoulders, and stomach. While it can vary from person to person, it’s crucial that you figure out where your body stores stress so you can ensure not to let it build up too much.

Let’s start with the jaw. If you clench or grind your teeth, you most likely store stress in your jaw area. While occasional clenching or grinding doesn’t do much harm, regular clenching or grinding can lead to damaged teeth and other problems. Teeth clenching or grinding may also be symptoms of other serious conditions like TMJ disorder, which affects about 35 million people in the United States. So to avoid the side effects of clenching or grinding, like headaches and toothaches, you should regularly massage your jaw and do some light stretching. It’s also a good idea to talk to your dentist about the possibility of needing a mouth guard to prevent grinding in your sleep.

If you experience tightness in your chest, this may be where you’re holding a lot of your stress. This can lead to increased anxiety and shortness of breath. Deep breathing can do wonders for releasing stress. While it may seem simple, regular deep breathing exercises can help reduce overall stress and provide a sense of calm. Along with deep breathing, you may want to try some meditation. Meditation exercises can help manage stress on a daily basis.

Shoulder and back pain is not uncommon, especially among those who put physical stress on those areas every day for work. Chronic stress can lead to tight, painful muscles that seem like they’re never going to loosen. One popular way to relieve pain in the back and shoulder area is exercise. In fact, about four in 10 people use exercise methods to relieve their lower back pain. Physical therapy or exercising at home can help loosen the muscles and build strength where needed. Exercise, in general, is good for mental health, too. The endorphins that are released during exercise can help give you a mood-booster, which can relieve overall stress when done on a regular basis.

Exercise is also great for reducing neck and shoulder tension. However, more yoga and stretching-related exercises would be better here. Regular stretching and breathing on a daily basis can release tension stored in the neck and shoulder areas.

And lastly, people who store stress in their stomach should consider trying peppermint tea. The components of peppermint tea can help relax gastrointestinal tissue while the peppermint aromas provide an overall sense of calm. To get the most out of the tea, it should be consumed in the morning and before bed.

Chronic stress can cause physical pain and significantly reduce your quality of life. Because of this, it’s important to address stress when you notice it and keep up with your stress-relieving tactics on a regular basis for a healthier, happier life.

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