Stress damages the body

Stress – Just hearing that word can evoke negative feelings and emotions!

Stress itself isn’t necessarily unhealthy, after all, without our ancestors reacting to threats through their “fight or flight” instinct, we wouldn’t even be here.

Chronic stress is the real enemy.

When it comes to learning that requires the use of memory, chronic stress is a killer. It has devastating effects on both learning and memory, with children being particularly affected.

Stress triggers negative reactions in the immune system and contributes to inflammation. Inflammation is linked to a variety of health problems and diseases, from diabetes to cancer, asthma and heart disease.

Previous studies show that the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) shrinks by 8 percent as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Chronic stress not only affects the way we feel and act, it also affects the way we look. Many physiological processes are negatively affected and some are turned off by the stress response. Breathing and heart rate increase, glucose is released (for immediate energy), and adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones) flood the body.

The lack of blood flow to the skin, the functions of the immune system, digestion, growth and reproduction are suspended.

This lack of blood flow to the skin affects how old we appear.

But even worse than the loss of blood flow is how chronic stress affects the aging brain.

Toxins, poor diet, lack of exercise or social connections, and repetitive routines all contribute to brain cell loss as we age, but chronic stress exacerbates the problem. In fact, it kills brain cells.

Weight gain can result from chronic stress because digestion is reduced during a stress response, leading to a variety of digestive disorders. The result can be constipation, cramps, and diarrhea.

It’s abundantly clear that if we want to age gracefully and enjoy stellar health, chronic stress must be managed.

Here’s some stress relief help:

1. Increase social engagement. Just sharing your daily problems with others is a great way to narrow down your problems and put them into perspective. Once you realize that you’re not the only person dealing with crazy situations and people, you’ll feel much better about your lot in life.

2. Do more physical activity. Once again, exercise comes to the rescue. Adding moderately intense physical activity to your life is a great way to lower the level of circulating cortisol in your body and decrease stress.

3. Watch shows that make you laugh. It is very difficult to laugh and be stressed at the same time.

4. Sleeping more. Lack of sleep is a great way to amplify life’s little stresses and make them seem intolerable. If you are sleep deprived, find ways to hit the pillow earlier. A great night’s sleep can make a world of difference in your outlook on life.

5. Eat better. It may sound strange to hear nutrition mentioned when it comes to reducing stress. But one of the consequences of high stress is that your body prioritizes the production of cortisol over the synthesis of other important hormones that your body needs to regulate itself properly.

It’s time to take control of your life and control your stress.