Some stress is good for you. This might come as a surprise because stress certainly doesn’t feel good, but it can boost adrenalin levels and spur us on to achieve our goals and deadlines, either physically or mentally.
Too much stress, however, is bad. It can affect many different parts of your body and mind, and it should be addressed if you find you are suffering from it. Although this is not always easy, one thing you can do to be less stressed is to relax more. Even if you only have a little time, this is possible, so read on to find out some of the benefits of more relaxation; this might help you put more of it into your day.
Better Skin
You’ll certainly notice that sometimes you get patches of dry skin or break out with acne. You might think this is just to do with the cleanliness of your skin or how hydrated it is, and that is true to an extent. However, if you think about when these breakouts and dry patches occur, you might find that they correlate to stressful moments in your life, such as a big deadline, an interview, an exam, or even something you’re looking forward to.
If this is the case, relaxation will help. Take some time to listen to music, read a book, take a warm bath, go for a run, or whatever else it is that relaxes you, and you should find that your skin becomes healthier. Of course, there could be a medical reason for bad skin, in which case something like Duac gel should also be part of your routine.
Keep Your Heart Healthy
Your skin is not the only organ that can be harmed through too much stress; your heart can be damaged as well. This could lead to a heart attack, chronic heart disease, or high blood pressure, for example. These alone can be dangerous, but all of them together can certainly cause you many problems.
It is thought that stress causes the body to flood with adrenalin, and when too much adrenalin reaches the heart, it can cause it to overwork or even shut down altogether. Therefore, when you are feeling stressed, it’s a good idea to take some time to calm down and relax in whatever way you want to in order to protect your heart.
Better Memory
You’ll probably have experienced the problem of being stressed about an exam and then finding it hard to recall what you need to know, thus becoming even more stressed. This is because stress can affect the memory due to impairing the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
This is why it’s a good idea not to cram for a test but to work steadily and then relax before sitting down and answering the questions. Although this might seem counterintuitive because you’ll feel you need to study, you’re more likely to recall what you need to remember if you take this route instead of trying to learn everything at the last minute.
