August 27, 2024

Cumulative Stress is Costing You Your Life

Cumulative stress is costing you your life. We all know what happens with unpaid credit card bills—the stress you accumulate ultimately taxes your life span, organs, and immunity. Women, especially, are at a higher risk of autoimmune diseases due to unprecedented emotional and economic stressors. Not only that, women are twice as susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease, particularly when estrogen levels drop during and after menopause (Learn more from Lisa Mosconi), and they are significantly more prone to strokes later in life.

Recognizing the Signs of Stress

It’s crucial to recognize when you’re under stress to take timely action. Here are some common signs:

Physical Symptoms: Headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.
Emotional Symptoms: Anxiety, irritability, depression, and feeling overwhelmed.
Behavioral Symptoms: Changes in appetite, procrastination, increased use of alcohol or drugs, and social withdrawal.

So take note: How often do you experience symptoms of stress? Ask yourself how you manage your stress response after a stressor. How long do you stay in that state? What are your best strategies for activating your ‘rest-and-digest’ nervous system as quickly and frequently as possible?

How Chronic Stress Affects Our Health:

Heart Health : Prolonged stress raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.
Immune System : Chronic stress suppresses the immune system, making us more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Mental Well-being : Long-term stress is linked to depression and anxiety, disrupting our mental health.
Inflammation : Persistent stress increases inflammation, contributing to chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
Cellular Aging: Stress accelerates the shortening of telomeres (protective caps on chromosomes), leading to faster cellular aging and age-related diseases.
Digestive Health : Stress negatively impacts digestion, leading to conditions like IBS and worsening gut health.
Hormonal Balance : Chronic stress disrupts the endocrine system, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.

Stress & Disease Dr. Gabor Maté

Habits To Compound:

Incorporate small habits that put you in the “rest & digest” mode, helping you compound benefits so that in your retirement years, you are vibrant and healthier than ever!

“Sleep is the elixir of life“: aim for 8-9 hours each night. The scary part of being sleep-deprived is that you often don’t realize it! Feeling fine with just 5-6 hours of sleep, especially if you go to bed past midnight, is a big delusion. When sleep-deprived, your body runs on stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, keeping you in a constant “fight-or-flight” mode. After extensive research done by Matthew Walker, the reknown sleep scientist, 8hr of sleep has been shown to be essential! Dr Barbara On Sleep
Acupressure Mats: Use Spoonk Space mat for 20-35min before sleep to reduce daily tensions and improve sleep (Endorsed by Dr. Mark Hyman!).
Spoonk has a new line of Sleep & Relax supplements
Play more! Seriously, play isn’t just for children, it’s an excellent way to get into the parasympathetic nervous system (aka ‘rest & digest’). Here is a fun example. Try learning to juggle, dance like no body is watching or do a more playful yoga practice, this all instantly puts you in the ‘rest & digest’ mode!
Practice Mindfulness and Meditation . If you are looking for free options to learn & dive into deep meditation, try signing yourself up for a 10-day Vipassana course Dhamma.org. Meditation has shown to be even more potent to regenerate the nervous system than sleep does!
Build a Strong Support System of Friends and Family . Here is a nice post about hugs!
Skip the Caffeine and Alcohol! Caffeine leaves you less energized in the long term and anxious in the short term. Alcohol worsens your ability to handle stress and disrupts your sleep patterns!
Breath Work, Yoga, & Pranayama. We at Spoonk love practicing with Kino MacGregor at Omstar
Stay Active with Regular Exercise
Maintain a Healthy Diet . Plan-based recipes.