New Findings About Stress and Health

New Findings About Stress and Health Stress Management Effects on Health Print New Findings About Stress and Health By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on June 24, 2019 How Stress Impacts Your Health Overview Signs of Burnout Stress and Weight Gain Benefits of Exercise Stress Reduction Tips Self-Care Practices Mindful Living Stress can weigh you down more than you may realize. Heres what research has to say about stress and your health. Michael Blann/ Getty Images We all may intuitively know that stress can take a toll on our health, but stress and health research provide  us with a clearer picture of how stress and health are linked, and what specific choices we can make to better manage stress and create greater health. In recent years, there have been many interesting and informative research studies on stress and many articles on the topic on this site have linked extra resources to help you put what you learn into action in your own life. While no single study provides the whole picture of the link between stress and health, the following list of studies does provide some important information that you can use right now. Let this stress and health research be your guide to changes you can make today for a healthier tomorrow. Short-Term Yoga Can Bring Real Benefits Yoga has a reputation for being a health-promoting practice, and research backs that reputation. While there are documented health benefits, this study shows that even a short-term yoga program can bring real benefits for overall well-being and productivity as well. Stress Makes The List As A Top Childhood Health Problem The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital National Poll on Childrens Health ranked 23 health concerns for children, and guess where stress ranked? Learn more about stress and childrens health, and how to keep your children less stressed, as well as healthier and happier. 80% Reduced Risk of Chronic Disease? Heres What To Do! What does stress have to do with the factors that contribute to 80% of chronic disease? And how can we keep ourselves healthier? It turns out that many of the risk factors for major chronic diseases can be alleviated by techniques that also reduce stress. In other words, certain stress management techniques can help you feel less stressed and lower your risk for serious illness by a whopping percentage. Read more about stress and risk of chronic disease, and find resources to lower your risk. Exercise Can Increase Resilience Toward Stress We know that exercise is good for our bodies, but its also good for our stress levels! Researchers studied different types of athletes and found that physical activity can work as a buffer against stress and help build overall resilience to stress. Threat Vs. Challenge: How You See Things Makes A Difference Researchers have found that a key difference in how stressors at work translate into chronic stress for workers has to do with outlook and how we perceive things. If we feel challenged, we fare better than if we feel threatened. Learn more about seeing things as a threat vs. a challenge, and find ways to feel more in control of your life. Stress Can Increase Your Risk of Mortality Researchers from Kings College in  London examined data that show that self-reported stress is associated with increased all-cause mortality in the next 20 years--that stress is, in fact, statistically associated with a higher risk of death from various causes. The authors of the study believe this could be due to one or all of the following three reasons. First, it may be that the impact of stress or distress on well-known risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer create this link. Second, there might be direct, underlying psychosomatic pathways where stress can affect the immune system or autonomic function.   Finally, there might be common factors that cause bothâ€"shared genes or early adversities that predict both stress and mortality from other causes independently. Managing stress is an important aspect of staying healthy. Laughter Can Help With Stressâ€"Even Before It Happens Laughter is a great stress reliever in that its fun, easy and free. Its also effective even before it happens! Thats right, new research shows that even merely anticipating laughter can affect stress hormones in a positive way. Learn more about stress and laughter, and see how that can impact your health. Job Stress Can Hurt Your Heart In a large study, researchers found that lack of control, job awareness, unexpected changes, job strain, and stress could lead to poor cardiac health. How can you keep job stress from impacting your heart? Read more about stress and cardiac health. Losing Weight May Improve Brain Functioning Stress and weight gain have been linked in several ways--and now heres another fact about weight that can lead to stress: being overweight may affect the functionality of your brain. Learn more about the link between weight, brain functioning, and stress, and find resources for a low-stress, fit and healthy life. Stress Can Lead To Fatigue and Illness People always talk about feeling sick and tired, but research shows that the two can go together, and both states are linked to stress! Thats why part of staying healthy is basic stress management. Read more about stress and fatigue, and find out how to manage both. If You Think Youre In Control, You May Fare Better Its not just what you experience, or even how you handle what you experience--the level of control you believe you have in your life also makes a difference in how you experience stress. Read about the locus of control and learn more about how your feelings of control over your life can impact your stress levels and, in turn, your health. (Theres a very interesting poll to check out as well!) Your Negative Thoughts Really Can Hurt You Your thoughts can affect your health in ways you may not realize. Because of this, it matters what your habitual thought patterns are. (But dont worry--you can change them!) One Poor Habit Can Lead To More A few days of not taking care of yourself can add to stress  but it can also add to bad habits in other areas of self-care! One study found that those who were sleep-deprived for a few days ended up eating poorly and exercising less--all things that can create and exacerbate stress! Learn more, and find ways to live healthier and stress less.