Healthy Living
Managing Stress
Stress is a natural and unavoidable part of life. It is your body’s response to change, whether good or bad. When stress hormones are continually released within the body, they build up over time and may lead to a condition referred to as 'DISTRESS'.
How stress affects our health
Chronic or long term stress can lead to physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. The manifestations include fatigue (tiredness), constant headache, muscle aches, upset stomach, colds, anxiety, unusual awareness of one’s heart beat (palpitations), depression, poor concentration, and sleeplessness. People who lead stressful lifestyles are high risk targets for sudden death from cardiovascular conditions. Finding ways to release stress is therefore very important.
How to fight stress
Laughter is the best medicine. Humor is scientifically accepted as wonderful stress reducer. Always look at the humorous side of life and you will clearly prolong your life. The following are a few ways laughter affects our body and offers us health benefits:
Our hearts and lungs become stimulated when we laugh, allowing us to breathe deeper which increases blood flow throughout the body.
Laughter boosts our immune system
Lowers the blood pressure
Decreases muscle tension
Boosts metabolism
Causes our body to relax and relieves anxiety
Increases production of endorphins (natural hormones in our bodies) which creates feelings of pleasure
Laughter increases right cerebral (brain) activity which stimulates creative thinking.
Learn to laugh at yourself. Don’t let life’s little and inevitable upsets keep you down. Be generous with laughter…it is a potent drug that costs nothing. Remember: it has no side effects.
Stress is a natural and unavoidable part of life. It is your body’s response to change, whether good or bad. When stress hormones are continually released within the body, they build up over time and may lead to a condition referred to as 'DISTRESS'.
How stress affects our health
Chronic or long term stress can lead to physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. The manifestations include fatigue (tiredness), constant headache, muscle aches, upset stomach, colds, anxiety, unusual awareness of one’s heart beat (palpitations), depression, poor concentration, and sleeplessness. People who lead stressful lifestyles are high risk targets for sudden death from cardiovascular conditions. Finding ways to release stress is therefore very important.
How to fight stress
Laughter is the best medicine. Humor is scientifically accepted as wonderful stress reducer. Always look at the humorous side of life and you will clearly prolong your life. The following are a few ways laughter affects our body and offers us health benefits:
Our hearts and lungs become stimulated when we laugh, allowing us to breathe deeper which increases blood flow throughout the body. Laughter boosts our immune system Lowers the blood pressure Decreases muscle tension Boosts metabolism Causes our body to relax and relieves anxiety Increases production of endorphins (natural hormones in our bodies) which creates feelings of pleasure Laughter increases right cerebral (brain) activity which stimulates creative thinking.Learn to laugh at yourself. Don’t let life’s little and inevitable upsets keep you down. Be generous with laughter…it is a potent drug that costs nothing. Remember: it has no side effects.