The Victoria Napolitano Bookstore The Classic Male - Ryder Gordon | Page 4

It’s no secret we face stress every day. In

(37%); lack of interest, motivation, or en-

say they are concerned with the amount

5 WAYS
TO LIVE
LONGER

port irritability or anger (42%); fatigue

working adults—47% of all Americans—

STRESS
AND
YOUR
HEALTH:

As a result of this stress, Americans re-

fact, did you know that more than half of

ergy (35%); headaches (32%); and upset

of stress in their lives? Also, 94% of adults

stomachs (24%) due to stress. A smaller

believe that stress can contribute to the

percentage report having a change in

development of major illnesses, such as

appetite (17%) and sex drive (11%).1

heart disease, depression, and obesity,
and that so me types of stress can trigger

Eliminating stress from our lives may

heart attacks and even sudden death.

be an impossible task, considering that

Sadly, when stress occurs, only 29% say

the things we stress over the most are

they are doing a good job at managing

the things we control the least. So if we

or reducing it.1

can’t eliminate stress and we can’t allow
stress to take its toll on our physical and
psychological well-being, what do we

price tag for stress adds up to $200–300

do? The answer: we must learn how to

billion a year in lost work productivity,

manage our stress better, both physically

according to the International Founda-

and psychologically. Learning how to re-

tion of Employee Benefit Plans.2 As as-

spond better to the daily stresses in our

tronomical as this number is, the cost to

lives is the key to success. We can’t always

our health is even greater: 77% of peo-

By Rob R Morris

Stress also has a high cost. Overall, the

control events, but we can control how

ple report regularly experiencing physi-

we respond to them. That’s a choice.

cal symptoms caused by stress; 48% say
stress has a negative impact on their

A rough definition of stress is “an event or

personal and professional life; and 54%

a change in our environment that creates

say stress has caused them to fight with

a physiological response inside of us.” But

those close to them. Stress is taking a

the concept of stress is extremely com-

significant toll on our society and on us

plex. Stress is different for each of us—it’s

individually.

a subjective term. What I consider to be
stressful might be nothing to you, and

Money, work, and the economy (in that

vice versa. Additionally, the tolerable lev-

order) continue to be the most frequent-

els of stress are different from person to

ly cited causes of stress for Americans, as

person. How that stress affects us is also

they have every year for the past 5 years.

individually unique.

robrmorris.com