When the Stress Doesn't Stop

In small doses, stress is useful: it helps us focus and get through a deadline. But when the stress doesn't stop, it contributes to chronic inflammation, which in turn is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other major diseases.

The things that bring calm – time outside in fresh air, a few deep breaths, dinner together – aren't indulgences. They’re an important part of staying well.

Sources

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Furman, D., et al. (2019). Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nature Medicine, 25(12), 1822–1832. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316

Meredith, G. R., et al. (2020). Minimum time dose in nature to positively impact the mental health of college-aged students, and how to measure it: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2942. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942

Moody, L. (2023). 100 ways to change your life: The science of leveling up health, happiness, relationships & success. Harper Wave.

Osborne, M. T., Shin, L. M., Mehta, N. N., Pitman, R. K., Fayad, Z. A., & Tawakol, A. (2020). Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 13(8), e010931. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931

Segerstrom, S. C., & Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 601–630. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601

Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353