Stressful experiences occur in a lot of forms, demanding work, chronic illness or a disagreement with a loved one. But all kinds of stressors, even the stress of positive experiences, like party planning – can cause in the same physical and emotional problem on health, particularly when you’re an older adult. Our immune systems are less effective and adding stress that can lead to disease progression or the start of diseases as we age. There any many ways to manage your stress. Below are some tips to help you with this.
The response to stress
Stressful conditions activate a physical reaction known as stress response. The brain transmits warnings to the hardening muscles, and to the adrenal glands, which deliver stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones assist your body to fight or escape safely: your breath speeds up to get more oxygen into your blood; your heart swells, blood pressure increases, and more of your blood is directed to your brain and muscles; and your body discharges sugars and fats in the blood for energy.
Shortly, the stress response can assist you direct a tough situation. But chronic stress leads to physical damage. Stress elevates blood sugar and can worsen diabetes, can create high blood pressure and trigger insomnia, but also make people anxious, depressed, worried or frustrated. Chronic stress also increases heartburn, risk of heart disease, and multiple health issues.
You have to regognize your stress before you can manage your stress. Indications of stress can take different forms. Stress can cause physical problems like tension headaches, indigestion, back pain or heart palpitations. This may appear as cognitive complications, like poor concentration and indecision. Emotional indications of stress include irritability, crying and nervousness. And stress can also appear as a negative behaviors such as overeating, smoking or driving a car too fast can all be a behavioral indications of stress.
The first action in reducing stress is to learn what the triggers are. If you sense what triggers it, avoid them, but there are stresses that we must embrace, so we have to adjust our reactions. Here are the following means to lessen or manage your stress:
- Relaxation techniques. These are activities that activate the relaxation response, a physiological change that can assist reduce blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen consumption and stress hormones. You can accomplish this with activities like meditation, yoga, guided imagery and deep breathing exercises.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). The CBT is derived from the idea that the evolution of unhealthy thinking can alter your emotions. A CBT therapist will asist you determine a negative thought and learn to automatically change it with healthy or positive thinking.
- Setting a goal. When people set their goals, they have a sense of positive commitment, they feel they are masterful and they are optimistic. It is suggested to set goals in your career, creativity, relationships, play and health.