Stress and Anxiety

Economic strains could increase the risk of mental breakdowns. - tips on preventing depression -

stress and stress management

Researchers speculate that their more resilient brains may be due to lower levels of cortisol — studies show that oversecretion of this "stress hormone" can inhibit brain cells' communication. Science-backed ways to cut cortisol levels: Meditate, sip black tea, or take a nap.

stress and stress management

10 ways to control your stress and get a better night’s sleep

Don't drink caffeinated beverages after noon. Caffeine can stay in your system as long as nine hours after you consume it.
Give the adrenaline a place to go. A little exercise will release beta-endorphins into your bloodstream, which will counteract the stress hormones.

Cool your exercise jets—the body's best cure for stress may be a little face time.

The most efficient stress-reducer might just be a smile. Engaging socially with others triggers neural circuits that calm the heart, relax the gut, and switch off fear, Porges says.

A 13-hour Flight and Panic-free
How to get to Hong Kong without anxiety setting in.

Not only do you need to know that most outcomes you fear will never come to pass, but that you can eliminate the enormous amount of time you dwell on these things.

There are many approaches to anxiety and panic attacks, but by far the best record of success is achieved with a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT).

Do you fear what others think of you? How shame can hurt your health.

Mounting evidence demonstrates that this kind of mental stress can physically exacerbate cardiac problems and depress the immune system, suggesting that we should monitor our personal insecurities as we would salt intake and cigarette smoking. For the sake of your heart and body, treat your self-image gently.

The High Price of a Broken Heart

The heart is the honorary seat of emotion—and no wonder. Experience, mood, temperament, and thought style can profoundly alter the ticker. Dispatches from the hidden superhighway between heart and mind.

“We've long connected depression and anger with heart ailments, but new findings suggest that even mild forms of these states can place us at risk.”

“we've learned it's not just extreme stress or fear, but also work-related repetition and boredom—often referred to as burnout—that puts us at risk.”

When stress is long-lasting, the engine of inflammation can run without end. Over the long term, inflammatory molecules can "spill into the brain, where they may cause apathy, social withdrawal, fatigue, and changes in eating habits.