Kill Stress -- Before It Kills You |
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The personal and professional transitions of midlife often bring on mind/body stress that can negatively affect health in the short and long term. by Kyle Roderick
"A certain amount of stress helps increase your motivation to do better on the job or around the house," says job stress expert Angela Di Blasi, L.C.S.W., of the Psychiatry Department at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. "But if you've got too much stress, your health is going to suffer." It's been well established that one's ability to manage stress profoundly influences midlife and future health, Di Blasi notes. Learning how and when to practice stress reduction now may literally add years to your life.
Ongoing stress taxes the immune system and darkens our moods. When our immune system is weary, we become more vulnerable to developing everything from colds and flus to cancer. Chronic stress may also interrupt healthy sleep patterns and make us feel anxious or depressed.
"You can start to manage stress by making the commitment to take responsibility for your emotional life," says David Simon., M.D., medical director of The Chopra Center For Well being in La Jolla, California. Dr. Simon, author of Vital Energy: The 7 Keys to Invigorate Body, Mind and Soul, (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), says that there are numerous medically proven, simple techniques that help relax mind and body. "They're also easy and good for your health," he adds. Here are three winning strategies.
 1. Breathe Deeply When Under Stress
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