Is stress making you sick?

The pace of life these days seems to move faster and faster leaving most Americans exhausted and stressed most days.  Most consistently face stressful situations and stressors such as:

• Family & Relationship problems
• Child rearing
• Workplace stress
• Dramatic life changes (ex. divorce, moving, illness, loss of job)
• Loss of a loved one
• Financial distress
• many, many others

Most people realize that stress can have negative effects on health and may even recognize its effects on our own well-being.  But, how aware are we really about the array of serious illnesses related to stress and how truly severe they can actually become?  Anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, frequent illness and insomnia can become a consistent struggle when stress becomes overwhelming. Conditions as acute as stroke, heart attack, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and impotence can all be symptoms brought on by an out of control stress level!

Those who suffer from a consistent and overwhelming level of stress are also more likely to become dependent on drugs or alcohol, use tobacco products, engage in dangerous behavior and even attempt suicide.

These things considered, it is incredibly important to make every effort to manage your stress level!  Some of the easiest and most effective ways to keep stress in check include:

• Maintaining a healthy diet
• Getting regular exercise, even if just a 15 minute walk a day
• Take your supplements daily
• When necessary seek medical or professional help for physical, emotional or mental conditions that you find unmanageable
• Make it a priority to take short breaks throughout the day to decompress a bit
• Find an activity or hobby you enjoy and commit to participating in it regularly as an outlet

Many of these steps may seem somewhat obvious and simplistic, but many Americans do not consistently take these steps to maintain good health and manage stress.  At the end of the day it is an issue of prioritizing and committing to consistent, positive habits.  It can be a positive practice to stop occasionally and realize that the insanity of our day-to-day schedules may be more overwhelmed and stressful than we realize.

Give yourself permission to make your mental, emotional and physical health a priority by incorporating some healthy habits in your schedule that may help keep stress from making you sick and tired!

E. Steele