Stress severely damages our health. As a matter of fact, physical and mental disorders accompanied by premature aging result.
Last update: April 18, 2022
Recent scientific research indicates a correlation between shyness and stress, as there are high chances for people who are shy, fearful or anxious to suffer from chronic stress.
Stress severely damages our health. As a matter of fact, physical and mental disorders accompanied by premature aging result. This results in fewer years of life for shy individuals than for outgoing or happy people.
Body's reaction to stress
Physiological processes are driven by the brain, the central nervous system and our mood. Mind and body form an indissoluble bond.
The metabolic processes on proteins, heart rate and blood pressure depend on the nervous system. When we subject our mind to prolonged psychological stress, we will encounter countless ailments; the immune system will mainly be affected.
The body responds to stress with a defense mechanism, this response is essential to overcome situations that represent a danger or a threat.
Our senses are alerted by the nervous system, which changes heart rate, breathing and increases muscle activity and blood glucose levels. This decreases the response of the immune system.
The protagonists are the hormones produced by the adrenal glands (glucocorticoids and adrenaline), responsible for the mobilization of that energy in the body.
When this escape reaction is not activated for a few minutes, but rather it is prolonged due to factors that influence our emotional state (problems at work, in the family, health), the hormonal levels, which initially seem positive, begin to damage our body in a prolonged way due to the decrease in defenses.
Scientific research on shyness and stress
Studies published in the journal Proceedings of the National Scope of Sciences show that stress hormones can be released in high quantities due to shyness and the consequent unfounded fear of new situations (meeting strangers, fear of new people, objects, places even though they do not pose any threat). This fear is called neophobia.
The most affected population groups are children and young people, who show this behavior until they reach maturity. If we allow the frenetic pace of today's society to stress us, we will continually release hormones, the aging process will accelerate and we will fall ill more easily.
And if these new situations are faced with fear and shyness, and if that is maintained for the rest of our life, it will cause a continuous increase in hormones.
The combination of shyness and stress can take up to ten years of life from us. Therefore, it would be advisable to lead a peaceful life, but also determined, courageous and free from anguish. Let's not be too shy.
