‘Stress is a distorted relationship with time!’ John O’Donahue

I really love this quote and when you really think about the times
you are under stress it is usually because you do not feel there is
enough time to complete what you believe needs to be done. There are so
many articles, a huge amount of research and bucket loads of information
out there on stress, in fact for every one book on happiness on Amazon
there are ten books relating to stress. Here are 30 interesting facts
for you:

  1. Stress has been called ‘the silent
    killer’. It is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart
    disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and suicide.
    In fact they say that 90%of all illness is stress related! 
  2. Stress alters the neurochemical
    makeup of the body, which can affect the maturation and release of the
    human egg. Stress can also cause the fallopian tubes and uterus to
    spasm, which can affect implantation. Stress in men can affect sperm
    count and motility and can cause erectile dysfunction. In fact, stress
    may account for 30% of all infertility problems.
  3. Stress can make all skin
    conditions worse such as acne and eczema, this is due to the rise in
    stress related inflammation within the body. 
  4. Laughter is a powerful stress
    reducer. Laughing lowers stress hormones (like cortisol, epinephrine,
    and adrenaline) and strengthens the immune system by releasing
    health-enhancing hormones.
  5. The stress hormone cortisol not
    only causes abdominal fat to accumulate, but it also enlarges individual
    fat cells, leading to what researchers call ‘diseased’ fat.
  6. Chronic stress can impair the
    developmental growth in children by lowering the production of growth
    hormone from the pituitary gland.
  7. The term ‘stress’ derives from the Latin stringere (to draw tight).
  8. Chronic stress floods the brain
    with powerful hormones that are meant for short-term emergency
    situations. Chronic exposure can damage, shrink, and kill brain cells.
  9. Eating moderate levels of dark
    chocolate reduces stress hormone levels. Research has shown that dark
    chocolate reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and other
    fight-flight hormones. Additionally, cocoa is rich in antioxidants
    called flavonoids.
  10. Chronic stress increases
    cytokines, which produce inflammation. Exposure to constant inflammation
    can damage arteries and other organs.
  11. Stress can alter blood sugar
    levels, which can cause mood swings, fatigue, hyperglycemia, and
    metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for heart attack and diabetes.
  12. Chronic stress worsens irritable
    bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that irritates the large intestine and
    causes constipation, cramping, and bloating.
  13. Chronic stress decreases the body’s immune system’s response to infection.
  14. Stress can increase the ability of
    chemicals to pass the blood-brain barrier, which shields neurons from
    some poisons, viruses, toxins, and other fluctuations in normal blood
    chemistry.
  15. Getting out and admiring nature,
    such as a beautiful garden has a calming effect on the nervous system,
    undoing the damage that stress causes.
  16. Stress increases the risk of
    pre-term labor and intrauterine infection. Additionally, chronic levels
    of stress place a fetus at greater risk for developing stress-related
    disorders and affect the fetus’s temperament and neurobehavioral
    development.
  17. Chinese stress balls (Baoding
    balls) were created during the Ming dynasty(1368-1644) in Baoding,
    China. Originally made of iron, the balls are thought to relieve stress
    because they touch pressure or acupuncture points on the hand.
  18. Stress can result in more headaches as a result of the body rerouting blood flow to other parts of the body.
  19. The hyper-arousal of the body’s stress response system can lead to chronic insomnia.
  20. When cells shrink due to exposure to stress hormones, they disconnect from each other, which contributes to depression.
  21. Stress creates hormonal changes in the human body that can decrease libido and sex response. 
  22. Extreme or sudden emotional trauma
    can lead to “broken heart syndrome”(BHS), or stress cardiomyopathy
    (severe heart muscle weakness). This condition occurs rapidly, and
    usually in women. 
  23. Long term stress dramatically speeds up the aging process. 
  24. Many natural therapies that work
    at calming and balancing the body systems are extremely beneficial to
    alleviate the negative effects of stress.
  25. Some people have become so accustomed to living with stress that they think this is their normal state!
  26. Exercise is a powerful stress reliever.
  27. The term stress was first employed in a biological context by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s.
  28. Australian employees are absent
    for an average of 3.2 working days each year through stress.  This
    workplace stress costs the Australian economy approximately $14.2
    billion
  29. Meditation, getting outside and
    into nature, eating real foods (nothing packaged or containing numbers
    and other questionable nasties), reducing exposure to EMF’s, movement,
    laughter and a positive outlook all help relieve stress symptoms. The
    challenge is ensuring you stay committed to doing these or else burnout
    can most definitely occur.
  30. Aromatherapy is the best to help with relieving stress. All of the Twenty8 synergy blends will help. The key is to choose the blend you like the best. If you want to know where to start then Instant Calm and De-stress and Revive
    would be my pick. I would be body boosting every day morning and night,
    vaporizing everyday, using my spritzer and bathing in my chosen blend
    as much as possible. It doesn’t have to take forever. Sometimes just
    doing a little self-care goes a long way to soothing those stress
    levels.

 

 

Kim Morrison – Founder and Creator of Twenty8

 

 

Twenty8 is 100% natural and chemical-free catering for
all skin types including sensitive skin. It is ideal for all ages, for
men, women and teenagers. We stand by an exceptionally strong ethos
where NO questionable, toxic or synthetic ingredient, or any ingredient
tested on animals will be included. Twenty8 is a beauty and wellbeing
range like no other. It is available online or by hosting (or attending)
your own in-home SPArkle Experience with Kim Morrison, renowned health
and lifestyle educator, six times best-selling author and the founder
and creator of Twenty8.  

 

www.twenty8.com