Stress is a part of our life, and one of the greatest stress relievers according to some experts is simply accepting that fact rather than imagining life to always be easy.
But when stress is excessive and persistent, it can damage you in various ways and taking an action is a must!
Chronic stress may damage your health in various ways:
- It can damage key parts of the brain and increase your risk for dementia and Alzheimer disease.
- Chronic stress may put you at risk for psychiatric illnesses like depression.
- It can increase your risk for developing a heart attack or stroke.
- It can make you prone to diabetes.
- It can dangerously impair your self – control.
- It can disrupt your life by causing unexpected headaches.
Luckily there are numerous ways to reduce stress, some of which take more or less of your time, and some just a simple change in attitude but if you do choose the unwise and unhealthy way to cope with your stress you may cause much more damage than the stress itself!
It is true that many people when under pressure first turn to unhealthy choices in an attempt to cope with tension, and for example the most unwise choices to cope with stress are:
- Drinking alcohol to excess
- Substance abuse
- Smoking
- Overeating
- Gambling
- Playing video games most of the time
- Doing nothing at all and spacing out
According to experts even a seemingly harmless source of stress relief, such as computer games, can add to your problems if it cuts into the time you need to take care of yourself.
Chances are that if you play computer games more than seven hours a week, you could be losing two hours of sleep a night — which will actually add to your tension in the long run.
Same goes for long hours spent in front of the tv while thinking of nothing at all…but it will back fire for sure.
So, if you notice that you are starting to depend on unhealthy habits to relieve stress be strong and make a change, or if you can’t make a change on your own, seek professional help before it is too late!