JOIN USIt is the stark truth – frustrations, deadlines, demands and hassles are complimentary to the modern lifestyle leaving one dissipated and upset. From children to senior citizens, stress affects all, yet people are casual about it.
The modern-day lifestyle is almost robotic, you lead a routine life grabbing a hurried breakfast, spending two-three hours travelling to work, doing the 9-5 desk job every day year in and year out without taking a break, making life look like a time table.
There is seldom any change from this regular regimen leaving the body exhausted all the time.
“People lead a sedentary lifestyle, a monotonous one due to which the body lacks exercise and feels frustrated. As it lingers, the mind starts craving for reduction of this frustration, thus demanding an active body,” Dr Shilpa Thakur, head Nutrition, Asian Institute of Medial Science tells Metrolife.
Stress remains different in different age groups, while in children stress may be a result of study or peer pressures in school, in adults it may be related to professional challenges, career goals, domestic and financial issues, while it may be fallout of medical problems in senior citizens.
“Stress is a disorder when one is unable to cope up with their daily life and hence is faulty in whatever one does, developing the false mimic of memory loss,” Dr P N Renjen, neurologist, Apollo Hospitals tells Metrolife.
And, “women in their 20s-40s are more prone to stress than anyone else because of the burden they take from household work to career goals. The working adults remain the second most vulnerable group, leaving children and senior citizens at bay but not unsusceptible,” adds Dr Renjen.
Significantly, stress leaves the mind in ‘an illusion of being a memory loser and inculcates lack of concentration’. If a person is really stressed out, he will end up suffering a neuro-transmitter disorder which will mimic memory loss without the actual loss of memory, poor judgement and pessimism.
“Stress results in short spans of concentration added to an anxious and depressed mood, and the person can no more cope up with his routine work and place and hence feeling an eager need of rehabilitation” Dr Renjen describes what stress does to the mind and body.
Emotional symptoms of stress build through moodiness, short temper and irritability, agitation, feeling overwhelmed, isolation and general unhappiness, while physical symptoms of stress comprises aches, diarrhoea, nausea, frequent colds and chest pains.
Behavioural symptoms of stress range from appetite changes, sleeping pattern changes, procrastination, nervous habits and even consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.
Indeed, stress not only hampers the mind but also damages the heart in more than one way. In children, stress changes the overall personality of the person. As he grows up the person tends to develop high blood pressure for his entire life.
In adults, there is rupture in the arteries and veins which results in acute brain strokes, while in senior citizens, aorta, which is the largest nerve expands like a balloon causing death in sleep, inform the health experts.
“Stress causes high blood pressure which in turn leads to heart attack even without a blockage in the heart. Almost 20 to 60 per cent cases are a result of similar pump failure among adults,” Dr Vinay Sanghi, cardiologist, Fortis Hospital tells Metrolife.
But you needn’t stress over this, as experts advise how one can initiate effortless steps to not only prevent stress but cure it as well.
A little change or two in the tedious lifestyle helps bringing stress levels down to a great extent. A stressed person should keep a weight check, take up swimming, say no to smoking and yes to physical exercise.
Says Dr Renjen, “One must to go to the root of the problem and take measures accordingly. Medicines help cure, but they are not effective in the long run. If you really want to get the better of stress, add some yoga and meditation in your routine and remove factors that stress you.”
The importance of a nutritious wholesome diet too cannot be underestimated. While children should rely on light food to cope with examination stress, adults need to take more fluids to keep themselves light and at ease.
“One should consume more amount of mood-enhancer foods such as coffee as it relaxes the adrenaline hormone, bananas, dry fruits such as hazelnuts and walnuts, grapes and fruit wine. Body should be kept well hydrated with drinks such as lemon water, coconut water and butter milk which are good in complex carbs and less on sweet,” guides Dr Shilpa Thakur.