Pessimism is toxic. A 2001 study of 1,306 men showed that after ten years, pessimists were more than twice as likely as optimists to develop heart disease. Depression Is Dangerous Depression can be lethal as well. The cumulative evidence from 57 different studies suggests that depression substantially increases the riskContinue Reading
Numerous studies show that stress and negative emotions have been linked to the rate of progression for cancer. Researchers have implanted tumor cells into lab rodents, which were then exposed to uncontrollable stress, making them more prone to cancer (Sklar & Anisman, 1981). In the rodents with immune systems weakenedContinue Reading
Our emotions, the way we feel, are important natural warning signals that often start before our conscious mind is even aware of them. They are actually the most powerful determinant of a person’s attitudes and decisions. They can over-ride some of our most fundamental drives. For example, disgust, a basicContinue Reading
Our lives are filled with stress. Everyday living confronts us with a continuous stream of potentially stressful situations. From driving, school work, driving to work during morning rush hour, harsh weather, the daily struggle, relationships, to watching the latest terror attack, school shooting or lock-down on the nightly news. WhetherContinue Reading
Stress is an everyday fact of modern life and difficult to avoid. It attacks us environmentally through bad weather, pollution, traffic, noise and lockdowns. Stress is present in our schools (bullying), on the job, in our relationships, in our mailbox, in our personal economics, and in illness or loss ofContinue Reading
Throughout our articles about stress and anxiety we point out how important an exercise program is to our well-being. Exercise relieves stress, even if you only do it fifteen minutes a day, or just take the dog out for a walk and hopefully a jog around the block. Daily exerciseContinue Reading
When your time is at a premium but you still wish to relax, here is a great, abbreviated and progressive muscle relaxation technique to relax your body quickly. Begin this relaxation training session with a 10-minute Mindful Breathing exercise (time permitting). Shorten the session as desired. The same muscle groupsContinue Reading
Knowing the damaging effects of stress, one of the simplest ways of reducing and managing stress, requiring no expensive equipment or membership, is relaxation. More than sixty studies have found the relaxation procedures can help alleviate headaches, high blood pressure (hypertension), anxiety and insomnia (Stretter & Kupper, 2002). One suchContinue Reading
People who have personally witnessed or survived a disaster are most influenced by traumatic stress. Twenty percent of the people who lived near the Twin Towers in New York City suffered serious stress disorders. Even people who witnessed those events from a distance were traumatized. Over forty percent of theContinue Reading
A person begins to sneeze after seeing a flower on a restaurant table not realizing the flower is made of plastic. Experiences like this hint that stress is not the only psychological influence on a body’s ailments. Simple classical conditioning may also influence our body. If conditioning (seeing the flower)Continue Reading