Between sports events for the children, homework for you and the kids, making lunches and dinners, working full-time both inside and outside the home, we hardly have a moment for ourselves. We become overly stressed trying to meet the day to day challenges and helping to keep everyone moving in the right direction. Everyone that is, except us. By ignoring ourselves and our own needs, our own self-esteem, personal growth and even health can be affected.

You’ve heard it said time and time again; stress can kill you. Well, it’s true. Let’s take a brief look into stress and how it can keep our inner selves from being beautiful.

Health Issues Related to Stress
Here are the top 10 health related problems associated with a life of stress. Where do you fall?

1. Heart disease. Those who are highly stressed, who live a very stressful life, are twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease as those who have stress more in control in their lives.

2. Asthma. Studies have shown a link between stress and worsening asthma. These studies further suggest the worsening of asthma in the children of highly stressed individuals.

3. Obesity. Carrying around that ‘extra spare tire’ at the waist makes us more susceptible to heart disease and diabetes. Coincidentally, guess where most people who are overly stressed carry their weight? You guessed it. Right in the stomach area.

4. Headaches. If you go to your doctor complaining of on-going headaches, probably one the first questions he or she will ask is ‘are you under a lot of stress lately”. Stress is a number one trigger to headaches.

5. Stomach problems. Contrary to old wives tales, stress does not cause ulcers. However, it can definitely make existing ulcers worse, along with causing heartburn, IBS and GERD.

6. Diabetes. No, stress does not cause diabetes, but it can make it worse in one of two ways. First, because stress can cause us to eat more unhealthily, we tend to end those things that are not good for the diabetes. Secondly, it has been shown that stress can raise glucose levels in those who suffer from Type II diabetes.

7. Accelerated aging. Yes, it’s true. An actually DNA study conducted between women who were either highly stressed or not stressed at all, and sure enough results showed a difference in aging of approximately 9 to 17 years. Yikes!

When you’re stressed out, your body responds to that stress by breathing faster, your heart rate increases, your pulse increases, and your blood vessels constrict. It’s not just in your head; stress is real and it has real effects.

Less Stress
Although it may be easier said then done, it’s important to make some changes to either decrease the stress, or find ways to handle it better so our bodies and minds don’t suffer the consequences of it.

One of the first ways to help eliminate some stress is to learn to say ‘no’. It’s okay that you can’t be five places at once. You have to realize that taking care of you and pleasing you is just as important as those around you. And learn to laugh. Look for the funny side of things. Again, this may be easier said then done, but try it. Smile when you don’t want to, and laugh when it hurts the most. These two suggestions alone can help to rid some of that unwanted and dangerous stress from trickling in to our lives.

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage and massage stone therapy including hot and cold applications.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: hot stone massage, massage stone