Impact Of Stress On Our Health
Have you felt tense most of the time? Do you have trouble going to sleep? Does drinking, or watching TV help you cope with upset feelings? Have you checked your stress level lately?
What is stress and what do we know about its impact? Researchers say, “Stress begins with your appraisal of the situation.”
What are the basic sources of stress?
• Environment: Adjustment to new changes, noise, traffic.
• Social stressors: Job interviews, deadlines, financial issues.
• Physiological: Major illnesses, stages of life, accidents, poor nutrition.
• Our thoughts: Negative thoughts, misinterpretation of life events or interactions with others and constantly ruminating the past and worry about the future.
Are all stressors the same? Professor Kathryn Douthit of Rochester’s Warner Graduate School of Education, contends that acute stress is different from chronic stress. In the case of acute stress, our immune system is able to destroy the invading organisms so we are disease free and can get our health back.
In contrast, chronic stress is long term, with harmful effects on our immune system. There is a relationship between chronic stress and various disease states: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, asthma, various cancers…irritable bowel, Alzheimer’s dementia, vascular dementia, and depression.
How to deal with stress?
Planning ahead and thinking of possible sources of stress. Learning about your job interview gives a sense of control and calm and reduces stress.
Accept what you cannot change.
Change your outlook on stress in general: “I am one of thousands of people who experience heavy traffic every day.”
What else to consider?
1. Find sources of stress in your daily life.
2. Look at the impact of stress on your mind, body and spirit.
3. Take control of your health by walking, exercising, contemplating, etc.
4. Try to set boundaries, say “No” when there are unfair demands.
5. Develop a good social network.
6. Be a volunteer.
7. Set time for gratitude and reflection. Stop “Running on Empty.”
8. Keep home and work separate.
9. Manage your time so you are not rushed
10. Remember laughter is a stress fighter – no prescription needed.
We need to remember that stress is part of our life. To be healthy we need to appraise and stop some bad responses to deal with stress: drinking, smoking, isolating from others, food, anger, psychosomatic complaints and chronic anxiety.
A recent study at Harvard revealed that 27 minutes of a daily mindfulness exercises stimulated the area of the brain associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection and decreased anxiety and stress responses in another area of the brain.
