Aging and lifestyle - Stress!  Stress!  Stress!

Stress is just your reaction to the challenges that life brings you. Without stress, we are like ripened potatoes waiting to rot. However, if stress gets out of hand, it could make us look like 60 in our 40’s. To live a happy lifestyle and fight aging, we must learn how to deal with stress effectively.

Stress is neither good nor bad. It’s how you respond to it that matters. You may associate losing a loved one as a stressful experience, becoming depressed and sad and letting it age you in the process. Others may respond to it as simply a lesson in Life teaching them to treasure Life and the people around them, more than before.

Likewise, some people think learning new things is stressful, but they could just treat it as a positive way to expand their understanding of the world around them.

If stress is viewed in a positive way, it can make you feel motivated, challenged, and capable. However, the opposite is also true. Stress can cause feelings of total overwhelm, anger, depression and rejection. And if prolonged enough, stress may lead to damaging your health.

What are some of the health problems stress causes?

• Stress can cause trouble sleeping.
• Stress can age you fast and create wrinkles.
• Stress can result in headaches.
• Stress can cause or exacerbate constipation.
• Stress can cause diarrhea.
• Stress can affect your energy, making you feel sluggish.
• Stress can also cause weight gain/loss, and other serious health problems such as ulcer and cancer.

Stress occurs every day and cannot be eliminated altogether. However, stress can be properly managed.

The next time stress strikes you:

• be aware of it;
• acknowledge the stress;
• try to figure out  "what stresses you?";
• and pay attention to your body’s response. Does the stress make you feel fidgety or nervous?

Once you are aware of the stress, learn ways to solve it or seek help. If the stress gets too serious, it’s ok to let it go. It’s ok to come in second best at something. Don’t hold yourself to too high of a standard all the time.

Never allow stress to make you sick. Listen to your body. Try some of the following stress relieving methods.

Relax: Do whatever it takes relax whether it is listening to music or squeezing a ball.

Give yourself some room: set aside 10 or 15 minutes to do something just for yourself, no matter how busy you are.

Eat right: Stress weakens your body; therefore, you need good nutritious food to make your body strong to deal with stress. Eat protein and complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruit.

Exercise: Exercising releases endorphins, a chemical to fight stress.

Sleep: Good sleep helps clear your mind, better enabling you to solve stressful problems.

Communicate: Whether it’s a friend or stranger, letting others know about your stress can give you peace of mind that perhaps you are not alone and someone else cares.

Give in: There are more important things in life than arguing and winning someone over to your point of view.

Get a hobby: Doing something enjoyable helps relax you and relieve stress.

Say No: If stress gets out of hand, don’t be afraid to say no to requests.

Deal with stress in a healthy manner: don’t overeat, use drugs or smoke in response to the stress or you will be worse off than before.

Deep breathe to relieve stress: just don’t hyperventilate. Count to five while inhaling through your nose. Feel your stomach rise. Hold it for a second or two. Slowly count to five as you exhale through your mouth. To control how fast you exhale, purse your lips like you’re going to whistle. Your stomach will slowly fall. Repeat five to 10 times.

Stress Related Findings

National Institute of Mental Health
Phone: (301) 443-4513
Internet Address: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
Phone: (800) 553-4539
Internet Address: http://www.mhselfhelp.org

National Mental Health Information Center
Phone: (800) 789-2647
Internet Address: http://www.mentalhealth.org

American Institute of Stress
Phone: (914) 963-1200
Internet Address: http://www.stress.org