It is well known that chronic stress can be detrimental to your health, causing diseases such as cancer and heart disease. This is because stress increases a hormone called cortisol, which affects immunity, learning and memory, blood pressure, and subsequently makes us more prone to diseases. With this being said, most people think that these diseases are only caused by huge life stressors, such as losing a job or a loved one, but it turns out that it is actually the everyday stressors that put us at risk the most.
Some people handle everyday stress very well, they do not let it affect them and they remain calm and collected. Others, however, will have melt downs if they are running mildly late to something they wanted to do. Studies have shown that letting stress just roll by you is much better for you than sweating every small thing. Feeling some stress every now and then is natural, but stressing out over everything is hazardous.
For those of us who do not cope with stress well, there are still solutions to help lower our risk for diseases. First and foremost: exercise. All it takes is 30 minutes a day of mild aerobic activity. Additionally, meditation, including slow and controlled breathing, can help slow the stress response. Finally, consuming less alcohol will help affect our levels of cortisol, as alcohol can disturb sleep and make us more on edge the next day.
So, if you feel like you are a person who is constantly stressing out, have no fear and take the steps listed above to help relax yourself. After all, while stress is unavoidable, the diseases that come with it are.
Neighmond, Patti. "Best To Not Sweat The Small Stuff, Because It Could Kill You." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
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