It is an increasingly accepted theory that years of failing to discharge the body’s stress response can damage the body’s immune system and result in many different kinds of ill health. Possible long term consequences of living with too much stress are ulcers, high blood pressure, and higher risk of coronary heart diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Some causes of stress:

1. Financial insecurity
2. Job loss
3. Death of somebody we love
4. Ending or beginning of a relationship
5. Job changes; or a new job
6. Having a baby
7. Moving
8. Being discriminated because of race, class, age , looks, sexual preference or physical disability.
9. An illness for which we can find no appropriate care.
10. A diet low in fresh foods and high in sugar, white flour, caffeine, additives and salt.
11. Environment pollution
12. The threat of nuclear war.
Symptoms of Excessive Stress
1. Headaches
2. Neck, back and shoulder pains.
3. Nervous twitches.
4. Insomnia
5. Skin rashes
6. Greater susceptibility to cold, influenza or other illness.
7. Worsening of existing condition or illness
8. Depression, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, despair
9. Jaw pain and toothaches
10. Cold sores, canker
11. Stomachaches, diarrhea
12. increased frequency of herpes episodes.

We can minimize the effects of stress in various ways such as exercise, better food, meditation, foot rubs, long hot baths, and time to ourselves. It helps to complain when we need to, ask our friends for encouragement, and laugh.

But it is important, too, try to identify the causes of negative or excessive stress in our lives and to change as many as we can. This isn’t always easy or possible, especially by ourselves.