Why Stress Relievers are so Essential
How to Relieve Stress and Why
I come from a long tradition of stressed out women. Not the sort of stress you get from working to hard or from serious life tragedy. The women in my family just seem to have over thinking, stressful minds. And whether through the genes or simply through living amongst them, I seem to have inherited this trait.
This is certainly one of the main reasons that I am so passionate about natural health care. I hate feeling stressed. I cannot stand worrying about something that doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. I am no fan of that nervous feeling in my stomach that I used to chronically experience before I got into holistic health and became empowered to cope with the physical and emotional ups and downs of life.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that emotional stress is perhaps the single greatest aging factor. We have all seen how quickly presidents age after four years (of fighting unnecessary wars, for example). This is because stress damages the body in many different ways.
One direct link between psychological stress and premature ageing has recently been identified by scientists.
The study involved 39 women aged 20 to 50 who had been experiencing extreme stress for years as a result of caring for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 other similar women whose children were healthy.
The researchers examined structures inside cells called telomeres. Telomeres are the caps at the ends of chromosomes that carry genes. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. In the natural aging process, the telomeres eventually get so short that the cell can no longer divide and dies.
As more and more cells die, the effects of aging can be noticed. These include skin wrinkles, weekend muscles, eyesight and hearing fade, organ failure, and diminished thinking abilities.
The researchers also measured levels of an enzyme called telomerase, which helps rebuild telomeres to stave off this process. Telomerase levels naturally decline with age.
The scientists discovered that chronic stress appears to accelerate this process. The longer a woman had been caring for a sick child and perceived her situation as stressful, the shorter her telomeres and the lower her levels of telomerase.
I recently wrote about a study that linked younger telomeres with exercise. This makes sense since exercise is one of the best ways to relax and distress.
This study shows how interlinked our minds and bodies really are, and offers scientific proof that emotional stress is highly ageing. It further reveals how important stress relievers such as meditation and practicing yoga poses are for staying young.
As a natural stress case myself, I shall continue my stress relievers and lower blood pressure naturally in hopes that my telomeres remain long and my telomerase high for as long as possible.
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February 25th, 2008 at 1:37 am
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