Medical professionals are finding evidence that stress speeds up aging. A recent study has shown that stress actually enters the bodys cells and damages the DNA. Heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration rates were clocked in this first-of-its-kind study, in otherwise-healthy people such as mothers of young children and students writing difficult examinations. The physical, cognitive, behavioural, and mental effects of the stressful activity were obvious.
Chronic stress appears to hasten the shrivelling of the genes inside cells, which shortens their life span and speeds the body's deterioration. These findings could provide the first explanation on a cellular level for the well-documented association between psychological stress and increased risk of physical disease, as well as the common perception that unrelenting emotional pressure accelerates the aging process.
Long term stress factors that are continuous and not easily resolved wear away at you, overloading your system, causing serious damage, and often resulting in sleepless nights. Anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and heart irregularities are just a few of the symptoms of stress which can actually shorten your life and cause early onset of age-related diseases. And when you are stressed you are going to look and feel haggard, compounding the problem because every time you look in the mirror you are going to get a reminder of the load you are carrying. You may experience feelings of frustration or fear. Your immune system may break down and you will experience more episodes of colds or influenza. You may be more forgetful, have trouble thinking clearly, and lose your sense of humour. And those worry lines around your eyes and mouth get their name for a reason. Its been proven that constant stress not only causes wrinkles to form but can also irritate skin conditions such as acne. And speaking of wrinkles, if you are a smoker, stop. And if you havent started yet, dont. Smoking, which causes narrowing of the blood vessels, can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles after as few as 10 years of indulging in the habit.
An interesting factor which appears in stress studies is how attitude affects your stress response. Mothers of handicapped children varied widely in their laboratory tests, with those having a positive attitude towards their lot in life faring much better than those who internalized the problems of raising a child with special needs.
With some effort, you can better manage the stresses in your life and get control over what is keeping you from your full potential and causing premature aging. Some techniques for dealing with stress include regular exercise, massages, enjoying hobbies, listening to music or relaxation tapes, and meditation. Volunteering to help others will get your mind off your situation. Insist on some time to yourself every day, even if its just for a few minutes, and learn to say no to further demands from family, friends, work, or community obligations. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4054207.stm
If you have many things you need to do, try to concentrate on one task at a time, instead of worrying about your total workload, and prioritize what needs to be done. Ask yourself if all of the remaining errands or activities really are important, and give up what isnt absolutely necessary. Clear away clutter and get better organized, keeping a regular to-do list, making menus before shopping, doing extra cooking on the weekends to make busy weeknights more manageable, and enlisting family members to help with work around the house. Even a pre-schooler can pick up toys or put laundry in the clothes hamper. Keep a calendar or day-timer so you dont miss appointments. More information about recognizing and eliminating stress can be found at www.webmd.com.
Most importantly, be proud of what you have accomplished by looking back at your successes. And start today to eliminate whatever stress you can so you can live a long and healthy life looking your best.
