STRESS IS GREAT??????

Ok we have all heard how bad stress is for you so when I came across an article from  Women’s Health that stated stress in small doses  can improve your health, slow down signs of aging and prolong your life I had to read some more because that was news to me. The type of stress they referred to in the article was short bursts of stress that ends quickly, not chronic stress.  A study was performed on mice they found that when they experienced short bursts of stress they were better able to fight the flu. Why? According to the article, stress sends your system into repair mode. They compared it to when you are injured, your body hones in on the injured area to repair it, thus building your immune system to protect you from infection.  If the stress is minor you are able to deal with it quickly and still have energy left to continue. Who knew?   Being able to relax after a stressful situation is key as this will help your body to heal.

 

I deal with stress by doing a few things:
1. I exercise daily, which includes running, zumba, pilates, strength training, etc
2. I play card games, for example solitaire
3. Cross word puzzles are a great stress reliever as well
4. An occasional  massage
5. Acupuncture
6. Tetris is great as well, infact the same article mentioned that researchers found that people who experienced traumatic event and then played Tetris were less likely to experience flashbacks.

How do you deal with stress? Do share.

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