STOP STRESSING

The new year is here, and by now you’re back into a routine, but are you feeling stress kicking in already? Learn to get on top of your stress before it’s too late.

Stress is a physical response you experience when you are challenged or overwhelmed. Chronic stress can have damaging effects on your body. It can cause your blood pressure to rise, and hypertension, increasing your chances of a heart attack or stroke. It disturbs your body’s natural rhythmic contractions (your body’s ability to move food to your gut), increasing the chances of irritable bowel syndrome and heartburn.

Other changes that occur include infections, a slower healing rate, acne, hair loss, headaches, sexual dysfunction, difficulty concentrating, irritability and fatigue.

By learning to respond to stress in a calmer manner, you can decrease the chances of damage to organs and cells.