“It has been verified through scientific exploration that more than 80 percent of all diseases are due to stress and strain that originate in the mind and reflect on the body.”
– American Medical Association
This stat looks bad.It must be said ,though, that not all stress is the same.We will all have benefited from positive stress at some time in our lives and also suffered to some degree from negative and corrosive stress.Working with the positive stress and binning the rest is good for your mental and physical wellbeing.We need to be mindful both of the dangers and of the solutions that are available to us.There are things we can do.
When we were younger the challenges in life tended to be far different from those which we experience in older age.As we age our bodies cannot deal with these as well as they once did. This change may also come at a time when we are least prepared for life challenges previously unfamiliar to us.
Stress factors.According to the Harvard Health Watch team there are health factors which can reduce our mental ability to cope with stressful events. They report that stress may also be caused by different factors that could be more complicated than the issues you faced in your younger years. For example, losing family members, leaving a career, changing financial circumstances, or perhaps moving home, for example, may hasten on physical effects of which we are often not immediately aware. Some of these effects may include raised blood pressure, suppressed appetite, and increased and prolonged muscle tension.
The researchers at Harvard say these problems can result in signs of stress which mimic symptoms of memory loss or dementia or include appetite changes, headaches, anxiety, irritability, or trouble concentrating. They suggest we can help manage stress by
- using relaxation techniques
- getting involved in community activities
- taking care of yourself
- eating right and
- getting enough sleep
Now for the good stress. At healthline, Clinical psychiatrist Dr. Michael Genovese refers to eustress which works as a positive force and is good stress causing a nerve response in our bodies from for instance the excitement of challenging and realistic goals.It gives a good feeling of wellbeing.
Some further articles on stress for information are to be found at
Stress management is more difficult as we age
5 Ways older adults can reduce stress
16 Ways to relieve stress anxiety
Wishing you a good stress only day today!