Stress Is The United State's Number 1 Health Problem - By: Don Saunders

Since the early eighties stress has been very much in the news as a health epidemic and this situation is continuing to get worse as an increasing number of workers say they are suffering increasing stress in the workplace. In fact work is now the leading environment for the development of stress among American adults. However levels of stress have also been rising for children in recent years and a lot of people now link this to a loss of religious and family values, insufficient social support and also corporate greed.

Stress today is much more dangerous than it was a decade ago and seems to be more extensive and more insidious than ever with far more stress arising out of psychological instead of physical threats.

Stress leads to a raised heart rate and greater blood flow in turn creating a higher blood pressure. Blood sugar levels also rise to provide the body with the added fuel which it needs to combat stress and our body is designed to move blood away from the stomach when under stress in order to provide extra strength for the arms and legs as part of what is typically called our "flight or fight" response.

Stress can also contribute to anxiety and chronic depression together with skin and gastrointestinal problems and interferes with the work of a lot of the body's major organs. It can also create an impairment of the body's immune system so that it in unable to shake off viral conditions from the common and not particularly serious cold to very serious conditions like cancer and AIDS.

Stress related to a work environment directly influences things like absenteeism and productivity and the business climate gradually worsens with competition nowadays at an all-time high. The pressure that is placed on employees to produce and the constant worry about job security can cause a host of conditions including back pain, neck pain, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, ulcers and heart attacks.

Many things can produce stress including just sitting in front of a computer for eight hours every day or more, meeting deadlines or having somebody continually monitoring you. In these situations the results are generally seen as depression and a range of physical complaints which give rise to lost work time.

Taking the necessary steps to manage the stress in your life may well be the nicest gift that you can give yourself and just a few simple alterations to your life can make a huge difference to the way in which you handle stress. For instance, taking just 20 minutes each day to walk will reduce your stress level as will talking to friends and colleagues, prayer and meditation and eating a healthy diet. Take the time to learn some relaxation techniques because deep breathing and relaxation exercises can go a long way towards reducing your stress levels.

About the Author

Despite the fact that stress is a significant health issue for many millions of Americans today there are numerous ways to relieve stress available and the secret is simply to find what works best for you.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Don-Saunders/17211

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