Published Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:02 AM
Updated Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:03 AM

 

Judy’s Fitness Corner

Stress isn’t more for Goose Creekers


Financial difficulty is ranked as one of the top causes of stress among American adults.  

With the current economy slowing down and the cost of gasoline and food increasing, I see the impact of stress on physical and mental health every day.  

Different people feel the effects of stress in different ways.  Some are more aware of their stress and feel powerless to stop it; others don’t even realize they are under stress until there is a physical consequence.  

Here are some tangible facts about the effects of stress that can help you understand its role in your life. This column can help you identify some effective stress management techniques to stay healthier and to live longer.

We all experience stress at some level but the pessimists, perfectionists, and those with 'type A' personalities are more likely to feel more stress they experience in a given event. They often deal with stress in self-sabotaging behaviors affecting their relationships or drinking, smoking, sleeping and eating habits.  To be successful at overcoming your stress you must (1) recognize that your stress is building and (2) take proactive steps to disrupt the stress cycle.  

Schedule breaks to breathe, meditate, listen to calming music, take a bath, or write an appreciation journal. These are inexpensive things you can do to change your attitude and reduce stress.  

Even positive – or “good” – stress is still stress, and may affect your stress hormone levels.  Eustress typically produces feelings of excitement and drive like starting a new job or falling in love.  

It is beneficial because it provides a sense of energy to your day. However, that positive feeling cannot last forever and the letdown or burnout can often result in self-sabotaging behaviors.  Finding balance and not over-indulging in good stress can help you to weather the storm.  

For example, maintaining your relationships with your family and other friends and keeping some time for yourself can be tremendously beneficial in the long-term.

While stress is inevitable, you can structure your life to be able to cope with stress and stressful events.  Maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, getting enough sleep, soliciting advice from family and friends, and making time for fun and/or relaxation, are all great practices to incorporate into your daily life.  

Minimizing the use of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol or other drugs will allow your body to function at its maximum.  So even though the stress is still present in your life, by practicing these daily habits you will hardly notice them.

Did you know that even relatively short periods of stress can compromise your immune system and elevating your risk of illness?  Stress has been linked to the development of heart disease, weight gain, hypertension, chronic headaches, migraines, type-2 diabetes, as well as other conditions.  

Chronic job stress has been linked to the metabolic syndrome which is a group of factors that increase the risk of these diseases, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, central obesity (excessive abdominal fat, which has been linked to increased cortisol in the bloodstream.  

The study by the British Medical Journal found that greater levels of job stress did indeed increase people’s chances of developing metabolic syndrome.  In fact, the higher the stress level the greater the chance of developing metabolic syndrome.    

Stress can also make you “feel” older than your chronological age.  Stress can speed up wear and tear on many areas of your body such as your heart, your circulatory system, your digestive system, your endocrine system, your organs and your musculoskeletal system.  It can also exacerbate any aches and pains you may be experiencing on a daily basis.  

Stress has also been shown to impact your ability to concentrate and process information for short-term and long-term memory.

Again, not everyone experiences stress in the same way. Certain inborn personality traits and learned behavior patterns can cause two people who live through the same event to experience it differently.  Many of these traits cannot be changed without professional guidance.   If you feel you are not able to cope with your stress successfully, please consult with a mental health professional immediately.  

Contact Judy at lapan.j@gmail.com and 843-764-4717.