We often think of stress as something that affects our minds, but our bodies feel it too. Whether it’s course work, financial burdens or personal struggles, stress triggers a chain reaction in your body that can seriously impact your physical health.

“When you’re stressed, your body goes into fight or flight mode. This produces hormones like cortisol and adrenaline,” Quintin Gustin, a psychology instructor at LSU, said.

According to the Everyday Health magazine, this response is helpful in small bursts, but when stress becomes chronic it starts to wear your body down. It can damage arteries, cause dry mouth, trigger digestive problems and more.

“We need sleep. Sleep is the key to recharging our bodies and, in a sense, helps it reset itself,” Gustin said.

“One thing a lot of people don’t think about when it comes to stress is that it can damage the lining in your stomach and cause ulcers,” Gustin said.

To help students de-stress, Ladies United at LSU hosted a self-care social. During the event, they colored in empowering coloring books and made sugar scrubs that will help break down dead skin cells.

“As students we, you know, forget to just relax, recharge and do our tasks in a better state of mind. That’s why we wanted to provide this space and time,” Kenya Soto, an officer with the organization, said.

Soto encourages any women that feel like they need a safe space to go on campus, to attend any of their socials next semester.

There are many remedies to help your body avoid the effects of stress. A major one is to keep your body moving. Laying in bed all day can cause stiffness and muscle tension.

“I think learning relaxation exercises are very important. I’d recommend that for anybody. You can go on the net and learn deep muscle relaxation, and it works,” Gustin said.

In honor of April being stress awareness month, take this time to look after your physical well being. Although mental health takes a toll on our brains, we need our body to stay healthy in order to live a better lifestyle.

For more ways to better your physical health and other resources, you can https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/physical-wellness/