Do you think, “I don’t have any stress”?
In reality, not many people are aware of their own stress. This is because stress does not appear suddenly with a bang one day, but rather accumulates little by little without you noticing.
Moreover, accumulated stress can trigger various diseases, such as diabetes, fatty liver, and depression. And the scary part is that it is difficult to notice even when you go to the hospital.
In this article, we will summarize the diseases caused by stress and measures you can take without spending money. The focus will be on walking, which anyone can start today.
What you will learn in this article
Diseases that are likely to occur when you accumulate stress
Why stress is scary precisely because it is “not a disease name”
Why walking is an effective stress management tool
Tips for walking to keep it up without strain
Free stress management methods other than walking
1. Diseases that are likely to occur when you accumulate stress
Accumulated stress quietly and gradually eats away at your body.
When stress continues, your autonomic nervous system becomes disrupted, leading to shallow sleep, and visceral fat accumulates due to stress eating and lack of exercise. Furthermore, cortisol continues to be released, raising blood sugar levels and blood pressure. In this way, diabetes, fatty liver, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia gradually progress, and the risk of angina, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction also increases through arteriosclerosis.
It also affects your mind. You may feel down, lose the ability to enjoy anything, and it can lead to depression, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorders.
What happens to your body due to stress?
Disruption of the autonomic nervous system: Constant tension leads to increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal distress, and insomnia
Hormonal imbalance: Continued release of cortisol leads to elevated blood sugar levels and increased visceral fat
Weakened immune system: Increased susceptibility to infections and worsening of skin and allergy symptoms
Lifestyle-related diseases to be particularly careful about
Diabetes: Blood sugar levels rise and insulin becomes less effective. Overeating due to stress and lack of exercise also compound the issue
Fatty liver: Fat accumulates in the liver due to an increase in visceral fat or “stress eating”
Dyslipidemia: Cholesterol and neutral fat levels tend to rise
Diabetes and fatty liver have almost no symptoms in the early stages. Be sure to check your health checkup results (blood glucose, liver function, and neutral fat) every year.
Other representative diseases
Mental illnesses: Depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia
Heart and vascular diseases: Hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and stroke
Gastrointestinal diseases: Gastric/duodenal ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and reflux esophagitis
Skin and immune diseases: Worsening of atopic dermatitis or hives, shingles, and alopecia areata
Other ailments: Tension-type headaches, stiff shoulders/back pain, dizziness/tinnitus, and autonomic imbalance
If you continue to feel unwell even after being told there is nothing wrong at the hospital, stress may be involved.
2. Stress is not a disease name. Even if you go to the hospital, it cannot be cured.
You might think, “If it’s that scary, I should just have it detected early at the hospital.” However, it doesn’t work that way. This is the scariest part.
Hospitals can only treat diseases that have already been diagnosed, such as “diabetes,” “hypertension,” or “depression”
Medication can lower blood glucose and blood pressure
But there is no medicine that eliminates the stress itself that lies in the background
If the cause of the stress remains, the body will continue to be subjected to stress
Even if the numbers improve slightly, the root cause remains unchanged
Furthermore, stress has the following characteristics:
“Stress” is not written as a disease name on a medical certificate
There is no “stress level” reading in blood tests or health checkups.
Sometimes you are just told, “You’re just a little tired,” and that’s the end of it.
In other words, stress does not show up in tests, is not diagnosed at hospitals, and is rarely noticed even when it is the underlying cause of an illness..
Even if a disease is named, no one considers that “stress was in the background.” The person themselves may think, “I just happened to get sick,” “It’s my age,” or “It’s my constitution,” and continue taking medication without ever realizing the true underlying cause.
Something that actually happens: Developing fatty liver despite hardly drinking alcohol
For example, this kind of thing actually happens.
I don’t drink much alcohol.
Yet, I was told I have fatty liver during a health checkup.
The doctor told me, “You’re drinking too much alcohol.”
But the real underlying cause was stress.
Fatty liver is not a disease caused only by drinking too much alcohol. It also occurs in people who hardly drink at all. Overeating due to stress, lack of exercise, increased visceral fat, and lack of sleep can also be underlying factors for fatty liver.
However, in medical examinations, while talk of alcohol and diet often comes up, talk of stress rarely does. The person themselves wonders, “Why, even though I don’t drink too much?” while remaining unaware of the true underlying cause.
Stress is not the only cause. But it is not unrelated either.
You don’t get sick from stress alone. It develops due to a combination of diet, exercise, sleep, and constitution. It is difficult to draw a line as to how much is influenced by stress.
That is precisely why you should not think, “Because it hasn’t been diagnosed, stress has nothing to do with it.” Developing habits to avoid accumulating stress before you get sick is the best form of prevention.
3. The first step in taking action is walking
So, what should you do? The easiest thing to start with is walking.
“Isn’t walking not very effective for dieting?”
It is true that the calories burned by walking are not high. Even if a person weighing 60kg walks for 30 minutes, the calories burned are only about 100–130 kcal. That is not even enough to equal one rice ball.
However, the value of walking is not just in the calories. Its true strength actually lies in relieving stress and balancing your mind and body.
1. Increase the ‘happiness hormone’ serotonin
Walking at a steady rhythm triggers the secretion of a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a substance that stabilizes your mood and supports a positive mindset.
The key is ‘rhythmic exercise.’ Walking is ideal for increasing serotonin because you maintain the same rhythm with every step.
2. Lower the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol
When you feel stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. If this continues for a long time, it has various negative effects on your mind and body.
Moderate exercise is believed to have the effect of lowering this cortisol.
3. Regulate the autonomic nervous system
When tension continues due to work or relationships, the body is constantly in ‘combat mode’ (a state where the sympathetic nervous system is dominant).
Walking at a relaxed pace helps release tension and makes it easier to switch to ‘relaxation mode’ (parasympathetic nervous system).
4. Refresh your mood with scenery and sunlight
Just going outside, looking at the sky, or feeling the change of seasons can reset your mind.
Many people have likely experienced the feeling of worries they had at their desk suddenly clearing up while they were walking.
5. Get a good night’s sleep
Getting sunlight and moving your body during the day regulates your internal clock and improves the quality of your sleep at night. Since lack of sleep is a major cause of increased stress, this leads to a virtuous cycle.
4. Tips for walking without overdoing it
The goal is ’20-30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week’
A brisk walk that makes you slightly breathless is ideal. Use a pace where you can hold a conversation but cannot sing as a guide.
Ways to keep it up
Don’t aim for perfection: Even 10 minutes is much better than doing nothing
Set a time: Incorporate it into your life, such as during your commute, lunch break, or after dinner
Enjoy music or podcasts: Combine it with something you like
Take a break from your smartphone: Distance yourself from information while walking
Rest on days with bad weather: Don’t push yourself; it’s fine to resume the next day
Effective ways to walk for stress relief
Walk while bathing in the morning sunlight
Choose places with nature, such as parks or along rivers
Focus on the scenery, the sound of your footsteps, and the feel of the wind
5. Free stress relief measures other than walking
I have summarized methods that require no money or tools. You don’t need to do all of them. Please try one that seems easy to start with.
Conditioning your body
Sleep well: Lack of sleep is a major cause of becoming vulnerable to stress. First, try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent
Bathe in the morning light: When you wake up, open the curtains and spend a few minutes on the balcony or by the window
Practice deep breathing: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Just repeating this a few times will ease tension
Do some stretching: Slowly stretch your neck, shoulders, and back to release stiffness
Lightening your mind
Write it down: Writing your worries on paper or in a memo app helps organize your thoughts
Talk to someone: Just talking to family or friends can make you feel lighter. You don’t need them to provide answers
Listen to your favorite music or laugh at videos: A shortcut to changing your mood
Create “time to do nothing”: Put down your smartphone and spend time just zoning out
Changing your environment
Step away from smartphones and social media: Distance yourself from information for at least one hour before bed
Tidy up your surroundings a little: Just clearing off your desk can make you feel refreshed
Connect with nature: Parks, riverbanks, green paths in your neighborhood, etc.
There are also free consultation services available
When you cannot handle things on your own, you can use public consultation services.
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Kokoro no Mimi” (Consultation and information site for workers)
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Mamorou yo Kokoro” (List of telephone and social media consultation services)
Mental health consultations at your local municipality or public health center
Since phone numbers and reception hours for these services may change, please check the official websites for the latest information.
6. When to see a medical institution
Even if you continue taking measures, there are times when the distress does not go away. If the following conditions persist, do not try to handle it alone and consult a medical institution.
Feeling down for more than two weeks
Continuing days of sleeplessness
Loss of appetite or uncontrollable overeating
Unable to enjoy anything
Persistent physical symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, or stomach pain
Psychosomatic medicine and psychiatry clinics are not places you only go to when you have truly reached your limit. Consulting early makes recovery easier.
Summary
Stress accumulates without you noticing, and if it continues strongly and for a long time, it can trigger various health issues and diseases
Stress is not a disease name and does not show up in tests. That is why it is hard to notice, and if left untreated, it leads to diabetes, fatty liver, depression, and systemic disorders affecting the heart, gastrointestinal tract, skin, etc.
While walking burns few calories, it is effective for stress relief and regulating the autonomic nervous system. The goal is 20-30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week
There are also measures you can take without spending money, such as sleep, deep breathing, and writing things down
If painful symptoms persist, consult a professional early on
Some people may have started walking for weight loss and found they couldn’t keep it up. However, if you change your goal from “to lose weight” to “to calm your mind,” walking becomes much more relaxed and easier to continue.
Why not start today by walking around your neighborhood for just 10 minutes?
*This article is for general information purposes only and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. If you are concerned about your health, please consult a doctor.
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