AII STRESS is NOT the same. SIX TYPES OF STRESS WRECKING YOUR HEALTH

AII STRESS is NOT the same. SIX TYPES OF STRESS WRECKING YOUR HEALTH.

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS

Mind Under Siege

IS THIS YOU?

Racing thoughts or mental chatter

Mood swings, irritability, or feeling “snappy”

Trouble focusing or making decisions

Anxiety or feeling on edge

Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

WHY IT MATTERS

When your brain perceives a threat, your body pumps out cortisol and adrenaline even if the “threat” is just an email from your boss. Over time, this constant chemical drip rewires your stress response, flattens your cohttps://www.klatch.co.ukrtisol curve, messes with neurotransmitters, and throws off hormones like thyroid, estrogen, and progesterone. It also weakens immunity, making you more prone to getting sick.

EXAMPLES

Thoughts, beliefs, unresolved trauma, social media comparison, toxic relationships, financial strain, grief, ongoing worry, perfectionism, and psychological pressures that keep nervous system on high alert.

ROOT CAUSES

Negative thought loops, unresolved trauma, poor boundaries, high-pressure environments, lack of emotional support.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

DUTCH test for cortisol curve and sex hormones

HRV tracking for stress resilience

Journaling patterns for mental loadhttps://www.usmagazine.com

Therapy for emotional processing
Sleep quality review.

PHYSICAL STRESS

“Body In Overdrive”

IS THIS YOU?

Persistent aches, pains, or soreness.

Reduced strength or endurance

Slow workout recovery

Increased injury risk

Fatigue even with rest

WHY IT MATTERS

Injuries, overtraining, or chronic pain don’t just hurt they trigger a constant inflammatohttps://fr.m.wikipedia.orgry signal that your body has to manage 24/7. That means fewer resources go toward digestion, hormone balance, and detox. Plus, chronic pain keeps your nervous system stuck in “alert” mode, making recovery and sleep harder.

EXAMPLES

Overdoing workouts, sedentary lifestyle, chronic pain, childbirth, surgery, accidents, knee injuries, tension headaches, poor posture, carrying heavy bags daily, not enough recovery days, poor sleep, etc.

ROOT CAUSES

Insufficient recovery time, repetitive strain, unbalanced training, lack of flexibility work, ignored injuries, poor ergonomics, genetic skeletal differences, muscle imbalances, lack of core stability.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

DUTCH Complete

Resting HRV

Hs-CRP for inflammation

Physical therapy evaluation

Rest-day scheduling

Functional movement or mobility testing

ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS

“Total Chemical Chaos”

IS THIS YOU?

Headaches or brain fog

Skin breakouts or rashes

Unexplained fatigue or low stamina

Allergies or respiratory irritation

Digestive discomfort after certain foods or exposures

WHY IT MATTERS

Toxins, pollutants, poor air and water quality, and chemical exposures overload detox pathways, deplete nutrients like magnesium and zinc, disrupt hormone signaling, and inflame your gut lining. Chronic low-grade exposure keeps your body in a subtle but constant defense mode.

EXAMPLES

Pesticide exposure, heavy metals in water, mold toxicity, processed foods, synthetic fragrances, excess alcohol, medication side effects, etc.

ROOT CAUSES

Industrial pollution, contaminated drinking water, packaged food additives, frequent medication use, unfiltered household products, alcohol use, etc.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

Total Tox Burden testing

Micronutrient panels

HTMA (hair test)

Personal care and cleaning product audit

GI MAP or OAT

Home air and water testing

CIRCADIAN STRESS

“Body Clock Crusher”

IS THIS YOU?

Trouble falling asleep

Waking in the middle of the night

Grogginess or brain fog in the morning

Afternoon crashes or wired-at-night

Sugar or caffeine cravings for energy

Low motivation or mood dips at specific

times of day

WHY IT MATTERS

Disrupting your body’s natural day-night rhythm throws off melatonin, cortisol, and other hormones. Poor circadian alignment impacts deep sleep, blood sugar, detox, and even immune function.

EXAMPLES

Shift work, staying up late scrolling, sleeping with lights on, irregular meal timing, jet lag, lots of artificial light, inconsistent sleeping patterns, sleep disorders or poor sleep.

ROOT CAUSES

Excess blue light at night, inconsistent sleep schedule, lack of morning sunlight, eating late, frequent travel across time zones.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

DUTCH Plus with CAR

Salivary melatonin

Two weeks sleep tracker

Bedtime consistency chart and sleep diary

Light exposure and screen time log

OXIDATIVE STRESS

“The Rust Factory”

IS THIS YOU?

Premature aging signs (wrinkles, spots)

Persistent fatigue despite rest

Muscle weakness or slow recovery

Low stress tolerance

Chronic inflammation or joint stiffness

WHY IT MATTERS

An overload of free radicals damages cells, proteins, and DNA, accelerating aging and increasing risk for chronic disease. It also weakens mitochondria, making it harder to produce energy.

EXAMPLES

Smoking, chronic inflammation, intense unbalanced exercise, high toxin exposure, processed food diet, UV sun damage, metabolic demand, alcohol and drug use.

ROOT CAUSES

Excess blue light at night, inconsistent sleep schedule, lack of morning sunlight, eating late, frequent travel across time zones.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

Oxidative Oxidative stress panel

Antioxidant enzyme panel

hs-CRP or IL-6 inflammatory markers

Serum glutathione levels

Oxidized LDL test

8-OHdG

HIDDEN PHYSIOLOGICAL

“What we don’t know…”

IS THIS YOU?

Digestive issues

Unexplained weight gain or loss

Frequent colds or infections

Hormone imbalances

Brain fog or low mental stamina

WHY IT MATTERS

Chronic infections, gut imbalances, and mold trigger daily immune activation. This drains energy, disrupts digestion, spikes cortisol, and can lead to autoimmune flares or hormone crashes.

EXAMPLES

Candida overgrowth, SIBO, EBV reactivation, mold exposure, blood sugar instability, gut Infections, blood sugar issues, food sensitivities, etc.

ROOT CAUSES

Past antibiotic overuse, unaddressed gut infections, water damage in home, chronic viral load, poor blood sugar control, unresolved trauma, low thyroid, Type A personality, nervous system dysregulation.

WHERE TO INVESTIGATE

GI MAP or OAT

Food symptoms tracker

Fasting glucose, Alc, continuous glucose monitor

Comprehensive metabolic panel

Elimination diet trial.

Total tox burden

SIBO breath test

Comprehensive thyroid panel

Stress isn’t just “feeling

stressed.” It’s gut drama. Hormone chaos. Sleep that sucks. Toxin overload. Even infections you don’t know you have.

And here’s the kicker – most people are carrying multiple stress loads without realizing it. My job? Figure out which buckets are spilling over, run the right labs, and build a plan that actually works for your body.

Under the hood:

When stress hits (even if you feel “fine”), your HPA axis fires. Cortisol and adrenaline flood the system. In short bursts? Survival gold. But when it’s all day, every day? It wrecks your hormones, digestion, immunity, and mood like a slow leak you can’t see.

+It can look like:

Brain fog, anxiety, mood swings

Muscle aches, joint pain, tension

Bloating, blood sugar crashes, food sensitivities

Insomnia, fatigue, wired-at-night

Inflammation, headaches, skin flare-ups

My go-to labs:

DUTCH – cortisol + hormone rhythm

OAT – mitochondria + detox load

GI-MAP – gut bugs + dysbiosis

Oxidative stress markers – cellular wear & tear

From there, we go all in nutrition that actually supports your body, targeted supplements, lifestyle tweaks, and daily nervous system resets so you can handle life without running on fumes.

Comment “STRESS” and I’ll send you my Stress Detective tips with 3 ways to tackle stress in each category so you can start lowering your load today.