Americans Are Feeling Anxious — a health risk, especially for older adults.
Whether acute or chronic, stress can affect you physically, changing your hormone levels and activating your body’s inflammatory response.
“There’s evidence that people under chronic stress are more susceptible to the common cold and flu, and are at greater risk of developing depression and coronary heart disease,” says Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. “Under long-term stress, many of your body’s physical systems do not respond normally.”
And though older adults usually report less stress than younger ones—thanks to years of experience in developing coping strategies—age may make us more susceptible to the negative health effects of chronic stress.
This article shares 7 simple and highly effective ways to better manage stress levels including controlled breathing, practicing mindfulness, strong interpersonal relationships, connecting with nature, better sleep and taking more technology breaks.