One in two employees find themselves working longer hours since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and a third of them do so for more than two hours each day, according to a recent study by The Straits Times.
Such prolonged work hours, usually at the expense of rest and sleep, can lead to fatigue and stress, and as a result, negatively impact our health. In the long term, it can also weaken the immune system and make us more vulnerable to diseases.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Lee Teck Chaw from Chang Le TCM Wellness Clinic explains the long-term effects of chronic stress on the body and shares some tips on how to better take care of ourselves.
How do fatigue and stress affect the body?
Stress affects all the five major organs – the heart, the liver, the spleen, the lungs, and the kidney – of the body. It is a major cause of many illnesses such as insomnia, migraines, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, gastroesophageal reflux, constipation, and even cancer.
Stress causes qi stagnation, disrupting our blood and energy flow. If the issue that is causing stress remains unresolved, it will drain our energy and cause fatigue. Fatigue will cause us to have a lack of energy and make us lethargic.
A fatigued person wakes up feeling not fully rested and by midday, he feels tiredness creeping in. Prolonged fatigue can also hinder our performance and affect our decision-making abilities.
In time, stress will weaken the immune system and make us more vulnerable to infections.
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