One of the culprits to potentially developing hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, is the inability to shut off the stress response.

 

 

Webster’s definition of stress is the “state of mental or emotional strain, or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. When you are under stress, biochemical and emotional responses occur in your body. It affects the cardiovascular system and respiratory systems. Your blood pressure and blood sugar levels elevate, your heart begins to beat faster, and you begin taking shorter breaths.

 

Despite what you may initially think, not all stress is bad. Eustress, for example, is positive stress and fills you with excitement. Adrenaline and endorphins are released throughout the body. It is stress you may feel when your child graduates or when you travel.

 

You also stress your body when you exercise. Putting moderate stress with cardiovascular movement or lifting weights, along with appropriate rest, enables you to tone and achieve a healthy body composition. There are also ties to an overall sense of well-being.

 

Divorce or the loss of a loved one are examples of distress – negative stress. Even distress is sometimes useful. Fight, flight, fawn, and freeze are different ways of dealing with distress. These responses can be lifesaving.

 

If the stress is acute, most often, your body returns to a normal state in approximately 90 minutes.

 

However, when stress occurs repeatedly with no time to recalibrate, like continually having more month than money, overtime, it will likely compromise your immunity and subject you to major health challenges.

 

April is Stress Awareness Month. This has been a health observance since 1992. The purpose is to find healthy ways to deal with stress. Some circumstances make stress inevitable. What is most important is to find healthy ways to manage stress.

 

Habits that can help with managing stress include:

  • A routine for gratitude
  • Physical exercise to release endorphins
  • Get fresh air and sunlight daily
  • Create supportive tribe of family and friends
  • Avoid using drugs and alcohol to cope since
  • Seek advice and care from professionals