One can say that stress is the cause of all dis-ease – it is known as The Killer Number 1.
I'm sure that knowing this helps your stress levels considerably right now…. You're welcome.
1. Adrenal fatigue. While adrenal fatigue as a disorder is still under dispute in the medical community, most medical professionals will tell you that constantly stressing your adrenals - tiny little glands that sit atop your kidneys and produce cortisol, the stress hormone - leads to an imbalance that, left unchecked, can cause all kinds of problems from inflammation to depression.
2. Memory problems. Studies examining memory have found one major constant that affects what and how well we can remember things. The more stressed out we are, the more our short-term and long-term memories are affected. Chronic stress has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the elderly.
3. Weakened Immune System. Studies have shown that prolonged stress presents strain on the cellular functions that support the immune system. Stress causes hormone imbalances, poor sleep patterns, and wears down on organs. Suppressed immune function readily leads to increased sickness and reduced ability to combat ailments.
4. Unwanted Weight Gain. Some resources suggest that increased hormone cortisol levels related to stress cause weight gain. There is also a strong correlation between stress and weight gain suggesting that ongoing stress patterns generate poor nutrition habits, increased use of food as a support system, and improper meal schedules.
5. Musculoskeletal and Physiological Imbalances. Stress is a highly tacking process that depletes energy from bodily systems affecting work and activity performance. Stress is often a culprit for generating muscle tension throughout the body. This muscle tension is most commonly experienced in the spine with discomfort radiating through the neck, back, and shoulders. Neck tension is often diagnosed as the source of many headaches. Stress also greatly affects digestive function, reproductive organ health, and hormone balance. One can see how readily stress generates hormone and energy imbalances especially for those who have skin disorders like acne and eczema.
6. Aging faster. Look at someone's brain scan and you can't tell their chronological age, but you can tell what age their body thinks it is. The more stress you are under, the "older" your brain looks and acts. All the wrinkle cream in the world can't help you if you are a die-hard stress case.
7. Reduced Quality of Life and Social Relationships. Most people have difficulty managing stress and associate themselves with the factors causing this stress. Without managing stress, this negative energy manifests into emotions and physical reactions. As social beings, others encountering someone else's stress manifestations will either facilitate these stress reactions further (like attracts like) making the environment even worse. Or, those who are sensitive to others' stress responses will choose to remove themselves from this social environment. Stress can adversely affect our relationships with others causing us to lose healthy relationships and foster further negative social relationships.
No matter how stressed you feel after a long day of work, dealing with family matters and friends demands and whatever you need to handle in a day – there are ways to relax, recharge and calm down your nervous system. You might practice yoga or meditation, go for a walk, chill out with some soothing music, have (self-) massages or pamper yourself. Just make sure you have a few options so you can do something every day.
At JOYA we recommend daily 10 minutes of self-massages. As stress often tenses your neck and shoulder muscles you can easily bring relief by using a JOYA Classic or Mini to massage this area effectively without breaking your fingers ;o). Also spending a few minutes every evening and gently massaging your face brings huge relief. Make sure you go along the hairline where we hold lots of tension and don’t forget your jaw line – especially if you have to bit your tongue often to stop you from saying what you truly think!!! The JOYA-Pen or Mini are best suitable for facial massage and bring fast relaxation, Bliss in Seconds as many customers say.