Articles

"🌡️ When Stress Makes You Sick" by Maya Norvile & Dovilė Bagdonaitė

Yesterday my friend told me she had a fever — but the real story was much deeper than just being unwell.

She had gone through a very painful emotional conflict. Her body started shivering. She tried to hold herself together. But something wasn’t right.

Then, she went to work. She cried, she was shaking, she vomited. Later, during lunch, she had to run out of the canteen and vomit again. She couldn't finish her shift and went home feeling broken and still unwell the next morning.

This is not just stress. This is the body shutting down.

🧠 What Happens Inside When Stress Hits Hard?

When the emotional pain is too strong, the body thinks it's in danger — even if there’s no physical threat.

• Adrenaline and cortisol rush into your system.
• Your heart races. Breathing shortens. Muscles tighten.
• Blood leaves your stomach — which can cause nausea or vomiting.
• You might start shivering or even feel like you have a fever.
• If this continues too long, your body says: I can’t — and you crash.

⚠️ Should You Go to Work When You're Falling Apart?

If your body is vomiting, shaking, crying, shutting down — that’s a clear NO. You don’t need to “be strong.” You need care.

But what if you're already at work?

🌬️ Emergency Coping Steps (When You’re Falling Apart at Work)

1. Ground Your Body

• Splash cold water on your hands or face.
• Press your feet into the ground. Feel the floor.
• Hold something solid.
• Name 5 things you can see.

2. Breathe to Reset Your System

Try this:
🪰 Inhale 4 seconds → Hold 2 → Exhale 4 seconds. Repeat for 2–3 minutes.

3. Connect With Someone Safe

Text a friend. Nervous systems calm down when we feel connected.

4. Move the Stress Out

Shake your hands. Roll your shoulders. Even tiny movement helps.

5. Use the Toilet as a Safe Space

Need to cry? Vomit? Breathe? Hide? The toilet is your private zone.

6. Aftercare Is Healing, Not Lazy

Drink warm tea. Eat soup. Wrap in a blanket. Rest. You are healing.

🔬 What Long-Term Stress Does to the Brain

• Amygdala: Fires up more, making fear stronger.
• Hippocampus: Shrinks, making memory and emotions harder to process.
• Prefrontal cortex: Goes offline, so thinking clearly feels impossible.

🌱 How to Heal (When You’re Not in Panic Mode)

• Gentle movement (yoga, stretching, tai chi)
• Mindfulness (body scans, breathing, guided meditations)
• Journaling or voice notes to release emotions
• Stay connected to safe people
• Sleep, warmth, calm – more than usual

💕 To Anyone Who Feels Broken

You’re not broken. You’re not crazy. And you’re not alone.

Your body is talking. It’s asking for care, for safety, for love.

Let’s stop calling it "just stress." Let’s call it what it is:
the body asking to be held.

✧ Written with love for my friend, and anyone else who has ever cried at work, vomited from anxiety, or felt their body crash from holding in too much. You are not alone. ✧