There are a number of jokes and memes relating to stress floating around. Stress is supposed to do everything from turn your hair white to give you cancer. People also believe that stress can hamper the appetite and hence make one lose weight. Let us sift through the facts and fiction about stress:
There are so many situations in life that stress us that most of us experience some degree of stress. People in high powered jobs can be stressed, so can people in mundane jobs. Home makers suffer from stress as do students.
Many of us actually are under very high stress; without even realising it; without comprehending the many negative impacts of chronic stress on health. Stress causes headaches, digestive problems, increases risk of heart disease and diabetes, increases risk of anxiety and depression.
We get stressed while driving, we get stressed because of a bad boss, financial problems, relationship issues. Work pressures, societal and family expectations, the drive to get high marks are all high stressful.
In fact stress does the opposite. Not only can stress trigger mindless snacking or binge eating (because many people find food comforting), it actually increases cortisol levels in the body. This increases fat storage in the body. Quite unfortunately stress related fat deposits settle on and around the abdomen; which is more dangerous than fat around the hips and thighs.
Stress and related emotions such as grief can literally make one's hair turn white. Stress also results in premature aging of the skin where wrinkles appear earlier than they should. There is also evidence to suggest that stress causes certain brain cells to die and that it could accelerate brain aging, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
It’s a vicious cycle: not getting enough sleep and being stressed. Insufficient sleep causes stress and stress hampers sleep. It is important to break that cycle by prioritizing and ensuring that we get enough restful sleep.
Short periods of stress can actually help us become alert and more productive. It can be motivating and can enhance performance; such as stage fright before a show or speaking in public. It’s the body’s fight or flight instinct that is activated which increases energy and ability. On the other hand chronic stress that comes from a variety of sources, consistently, is bad for us.
Firstly acknowledge that you're stressed and find ways to identify sources of stress. Learn relaxation techniques such as meditation or visualisation. Get regular exercise. Seek help from an expert to manage and lower stress. Watch out for harmful behaviour such as binge eating, drinking or substance abuse that may be used to deal with stress. Stay connected and work on your closest and most important relationships.
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