Multifaceted Nature of Stress: Beyond Emotional and Mental Strain

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Stress isn’t just about emotional and mental stress. 

It can also be physiological.

Stress is the body's natural reaction to perceiving a threat to our survival. When it comes to psychological or mental/emotional stress, we have a significant degree of control over how we respond based on our perception of the situation. While we can also exert control over certain physiological stressors, it's important to note that certain stressors, like infections, may occur beyond our influence or control.

Let's explore some of the prevailing physiological stressors that I commonly observe among my clients and within society as a whole:

  1. Toxins/Infections: Our exposure to various toxins is incredibly vast, ranging from chemical substances to microbial agents like bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. The toxins found in our beauty, hygiene, and cleaning products are choices we can readily manage and control. As for bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral infections, we can take measures to support our immune system and mitigate their occurrence. In cases where chronic and underlying infections are placing a burden on the body, functional medicine excels in identifying and addressing the root causes with precision.

  2. Nutritional Imbalances: Our bodies operate as intricate systems that rely on an adequate supply of nutrients for optimal functioning. It is crucial to provide our bodies with the right balance and combination of nutrients and co-dependent factors. Unfortunately, consuming a Standard American Diet (SAD) often results in a high calorie intake, excessive unhealthy fats, and insufficient nutrient content. This pattern frequently leaves individuals overfed but undernourished, placing immense stress on the body. Consequently, specific functions and systems are unable to operate at their optimal capacity.

  3. Food Sensitivities: Food sensitivities are actually a symptom of something bigger, but they can cause stress on the body and result in a variety of symptoms including anxiety, fatigue, pain, depression and more. They can also create wear and tear on the gut lining which can lead to nutrient insufficiencies. It’s important to know and address these sensitivities to stop “fueling the fire”. 

  4. Poor sleep: This results in increased cortisol levels - the result - amped up nervous system AND increased blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, with decreased sex hormones and digestive fire.

  5. Dehydration: Water is a fundamental component of our bodies, constituting approximately 70% of our overall composition. Every cell in our body relies on water to effectively absorb nutrients and generate energy. Insufficient water intake can lead to a state of dehydration, which can negatively impact various bodily functions. When we specifically consider the digestive tract, which plays a central role in our overall health, inadequate water intake can result in stress within the digestive system. This stress manifests as difficulties in smoothly moving waste through the tract, leading to constipation. Hydration, however, encompasses more than just maintaining fluid balance; it also involves the proper balance of electrolytes. Electrolytes play a critical role in nerve function, and any imbalance in these essential compounds can give rise to a wide range of symptoms, spanning from neurological issues to muscular disturbances.

  6. Trauma: When trauma remains unaddressed, it keeps us trapped in a perpetual state of activation in the sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with the fight, flight, or freeze response. Even if we believe we have moved on from the trauma consciously, our subconscious mind and our body retain the memories and the impact of the traumatic experience.


These various stressors can all lead to dysregulation within the immune system and nervous system - which work synergistically. When there’s ongoing dysfunction and dysregulation in these two systems, chronic symptoms appear. Symptoms such as: 

  • Bloating

  • Constipation/Diarrhea

  • Headaches

  • Joint/Muscle pain

  • Anxiety

  • Chronic fatigue

  • Moodiness

  • Eczema/Acne/Rashes

  • And more!

When the body remains in a persistent state of stress, achieving a sense of equilibrium becomes significantly challenging. While the presence of symptoms may not be our fault, it is our responsibility to embark on the journey of healing. Healing, however, is not an instant fix; it is a lifelong process that centers around self-care, abundant compassion, love, and maintaining faith in what is attainable.