Research suggests that stress ages us faster
I was watching a programme on TV on Wednesday night on the subject of ageing and in particular how to slow the ageing process down. My ears pricked up when the presenter informed us that research suggests that stress ages us faster than we should age.
It made sense to me, because I know that chronic stress degrades our immune system and when our immune system is compromised we are exposed to a greater risk of illness and disease.
The finger of blame is pointed at Cortisol
When our body is experiencing stress the adrenal glands on top of our kidneys release a powerful hormone called cortisol. Cortisol regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to activating the stress response. When we experience stress on a regular or ongoing basis the amount of cortisol in our system builds up. The programme stated that, over time, an excess of cortisol weakens muscles, degrades bones and (drum roll) ...... can shorten our lives by up to five years. Eek!
Stop for a moment and just imagine what you could do with an extra five years of life.
Perhaps you'll agree that not losing those five years of life is a really powerful reason for learning how to reduce the amount of stress you routinely experience.
Changing from the Inside Out
The best way to reduce the level of stress you experience is from the inside out. By that I mean for example; changing the way you interpret events, by breaking unhelpful thinking habits, by addressing internal values conflicts, by ensuring that your physical and emotional needs are met to your satisfaction.
Changing from the inside out requires practice, practice, practice, but remember the massive pay off from all that practice. Once you know how to reduce the stress you experience you can look forward to extending your life by five years.
Just imagine how good will that be? What might you do with that extra time? Perhaps you will spend more time watching your grand kids grow, or visit that special place on your bucket list, or learn a new language. The possibilities are endless.
What Next?
Helping people to learn to change from the inside out is what I do. If you'd like to explore how I can help you to change from the inside out let's have a chat. Contact me now on 021 056 8389 or email me at tony@tycoaching.nz
Have a relaxing, chilled out week.
Go well
Tony
Tony helps individuals to harness the power of personal change to achieve success and well-being in life, work and business. Tony's particular area of expertise is in helping people perform under pressure and gain freedom from worry, anxiety and stress. Tony’s solution focused approach to coaching uses a range of techniques drawn from the fields of co-active coaching, hypnosis, positive psychology and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).
Contact Tony today to discuss how he can help you, or if you think Tony could help someone you know, you might like to encourage them to get in touch with him.
