Maybe you feel it when you're running late and can't find your car keys, maybe you experience it just before an important meeting or when you're browsing through social media. Stress, in this day and age, is impossible to avoid.
According to Gallup's 2019 Global Emotions Report, Americans are some of the most stressed-out people in the world.
Though a little dose of stress is actually good for you, being constantly stressed or anxious can have an adverse effect on your health.
"Stress and anxiety trigger neurocircuitry that was designed to be used sparingly to deal with life-or-death threats, not on a daily basis as a response to gnarled traffic, a toxic boss or work overload," says Lynne Everatt, Toronto-based wellness expert, personal trainer and co-author of The 5-minute Recharge. "Chronic stress has a corrosive effect on the brain that has been linked to degeneration of the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) and impaired functioning of the prefrontal cortex that can manifest in our lives as depression, dementia and impaired executive function," she tells.
Other health problems caused by acute stress include high blood pressure, fatigue, insomnia, obesity and heart disease. It has also been linked to a weakened immune system and an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Source: Noma Nazish
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