Mark
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Joined: 23 Jul 2005
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 Posted: 11/07/06 - 02:09 Post subject: Stress from one day carrying over to another and causing ill |
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More and more research is being done on the stress effects on the whole body and the problems it can cause. The latest findings show that stress is being carried from one day to another and that we shouldn’t go to bad angry, lonely and overwhelmed.
Stress is not something you can sleep off as elevated cortisol levels associated with stress stay in the body and do not decrease upon waking up.
And while increased cortisol levels can be useful in so called “threatening situations” when it gives us the rush, chronic elevated cortisol levels are linked to many physical or emotional illnesses.
And while somewhat increased cortisol levels are influencing experience, experience is certainly influencing stress hormone big time.
However, it is not just anger and everyday problems that are affecting stress hormones but scientists find that loneliness as well elevated cortisol levels. They examined around 150 older adults between ages 54 and 71 in three days time to see if their high stress levels from one day affected their behaviour the next day. Besides having to write down their feelings, study participants had to have their saliva samples tested to check for hormonal levels.
Those that went to bad lonely did have high cortisol levels in the morning indicating that a few hours' rest did not wash away any stress.
Again, this can be good for some time as slightly elevated cortisol levels in the morning could provide you with the energy that day however if this keeps up for a very long time, it will eventually wear our brain as well as the body and affect our mental and physical health.
Being able to recognize and react to stress is a very important human feature and our survival may depend on it. It is these hormonal fluctuations that help us in dealing with every day challenges.
However, if stress hormones are always high, we will lose an ability to handle stress and won’t be able to recognize stressful situations and act accordingly to them.
People should take seriously all the advices about managing their stress. Luckily, things like having friends, laughing, walking, exercising and having a sense of humor helps a lot. |
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