Stress Make You Young

You must have heard stress contributes to 80% of major illness and is responsible for 75% to 90% of doctor’s visits. But that’s not stress; it’s distress. “Stress is the only anti aging agent we know of the exact opposite of what we think,” says psychologist James E. Loehr.

Stress is a biochemical reaction, the fight or flight adrenal rush that readies a body for short term challenges, such as a tired pilot making an emergency landing. The adrenal gland releases cortical, which in the short term increases immune cells to kill damaged or infected cells.

Stress is essential. Life without it would be like having a new Porsche and driving only in the driveway.

What really brings happiness is meeting obstacles and overcoming them. The damage occurs when stress levers never go down. A recent study showed it took nine days longer for the constantly stressed family caregivers of chronically ill patients to heal from wounds than it took other people the same age. It’s not stress that’s issue; it’s insufficient intermittent recovery.

The key to taking stress head on is being relaxed. The traditional vacation week off here or there is not enough to really recharge. Power vacations are the ticket, even if they’re just changing venues for an afternoon. Make mini “vacations” routine, even you don’t have to go anywhere at all, physically, as long as your mind is somewhere else.