A little bit of stress never hurt anyone; in fact, a little stress has the power to spur us into action, making us more productive and zippy. But an abundance of stress can wreak havoc on our bodies from digestion, to immunity to the health of our hearts.
Stress can trigger bad habits, such as bad eating and neglecting exercise; α the effect of stress can also have biological effects. Sustained periods of stress can add ten years to the age of our cells. Stress triggers rushes of the hormone cortisol, which encourages fat to deposit around our abdomen, and fat around our middles is detrimental to our health. Plus cortisol, accelerates skin aging, as our skin’s defense system goes into overdrive when we are stressed, cause inflammation which weakens collagen structure resulting in sagging skin.
Let’s be clear, the odd stressful day won’t do our bodies much harm, but a few wound up weeks or month will certainly take its toll.
Here are the top 4 tips to take control of stress!
Understand the Mind
Whether or not we feel stressed comes down to how we perceive a situation, rather than what is in fact going on. Feeling terrified before a presentation or irritated by a colleague are all stress inducers; but being aware of our natural predisposition and what spurs our anxieties is the first step to getting a handle on the situation.
Identify Pressure Patterns
We all have repetitive thought patterns that either contribute to stress of help decrease it. For instance a need for approval can have us feeling anxious. Also for those of us who are “catastrophizers” meaning we believe the worst and jump to conclusion, often find ourselves wound up thinking of the worst case scenario. Identifying and deconstructing our patterns of approach goes a long way to helping us find a healthier alternative.
Become Stress Hardy
Having a backup plan for when stress creeps up, is an essential part of a distressing tool kit. Finding people, activities, and commitments that help us deal with stress gives us the stress reliever that we need. Taking stressful energy and putting it a positive place is king in stress management,
Small Changes
To prevent long term accumulation of harmful anxiety, make a point of distressing daily; be it through exercise or deep breathing. If work is the stressor, take a 10 minute breaks to breathe deeply and refocus. Avoid skipping meal, smile and laugh as much as possible- research show this has significant positive effect on stress levels.
Not sure if you are stressed? Look out for these symptoms
- Anger
- Sleep Problems
- Lack of motivation or energy
- Headaches
- Skin problems
- Poor concentration
- Digestive upset
- Low sex drive
Leading a stressful life can have so many negative effects on not only our minds but our bodies; by controlling our stress levels with a plan we will see benefits everywhere, from our skin to our bodies.
Author Bio
Bianca Osbourne is a freelance health writer and natural foods chef; she writes voracious about diets for skincare, which she believes is the best acne skincare treatment product the world provides! Technorati Tags: Tips,Mind,Pressure,Patterns,Become,Hardy,Anger,Sleep,Problems,Headaches,Skin,Digestive,exercise,effect,effects,around,stressful,bodies,help,plan,energy,positive
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