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Abstract:
In a world obsessed with how they look from fashion to cosmetics to dieting there are some ways to feel and look younger that are purely in the mind. Stress in the workplace and home is the number one contributor to the aging process. Stress or more correctly clinical anxiety is caused when a person perceives the world in a certain negative way in which drains the body's recourses and causes health problems from heart disease to high blood pressure to strokes and early aging of the skin. To have an insight into your stress levels and be able to monitor those areas that cause you the most aging you need to first take stock of your life style and choices. In this article we will look as some of the science behind stress and what you can do about it.
Introduction:
Stress is from the Latin word, stringere, meaning to pull tight. We sometimes call people up-tight when we think that they over-react, are irritable or constantly worrying over minor issues. The first scientific research into stress was conducted by Hans Seyle (1946) who felt that people reacted to stressful situations in a similar manner. In fact eventually coming up with a model of stress that is still recognized today as the most insightful scientific view from research. Selye saw that stage one was the Alarm reaction, the person starts out with a lower resistance to the situation and moves into shock in which they then begin to activate their defense mechanisms. The second stage is the resistance itself returning to a balance state, however if the stressor continues they have a bodily reaction to what is known as, Fight or Flight. In this moment the body is using valuable recourses of energy and strength to combat the threat. If the stress continues for too long then stage three is entered which is the state of exhaustion in which the aging process itself can be a factor in the body not coping with the stress it is under.
After Selye others modified the process to take into account the environment and hardiness of the person's personality. Cummings and Cooper (1979) felt that individuals try to keep a steady state through their thoughts, emotions and relationships with the world and other people. They say that people have a range of stability that allows them to cope successfully or within limits in certain situations. The person tries to adjust their situation in order to lower the effects of the stress. For example, avoidance - simply run away from the problem, or projecting in which the person blames others for their discomfort. Different personalities and past experiences will all have some effect on the current stressor. The body takes most of the punishment in stress such as a lowered immune system, more vulnerable to disease and physical damage to vital organs such as the heart and blood vessels in the brain.
In anti-aging Melhuish (1978) saw that moderate amounts of stress can keep us healthy but too little (boredom) or too much (pressures) can both lead it ill-health and so looking older and worn. While the environment you live in from severe cold to severe heat can both take their toll on your skins vitality, stress is the number one factor in skin disorders. Most dermatologists recognize that stress and skin complaints are the most common source of irritation and flair up to skin pores.
How to combat the aging process?
Holmes and Rahe (1967) developed a rating scale to measure the amount off stress that a person perceives at a given point of time. They through research discovered 43 stressors from everyday life, the number one being, death of a spouse to number 43 being minor violations of the law. These psychometric questionnaires helped by scoring and analysis identify the areas of stress a particular person maybe suffering from. However a list, a score and identification was only a first step. Later more refined questionnaires enabled clinicians (psychotherapists) to identify several areas of concern that could be worked on in therapy for the client to learn new coping skills and reframing their perspective about the stressors in the first place. This often leads to life decisions or change that directly benefits the person's lifestyle and outlook.
What was very interesting about the questionnaires was that often they correlated with the person's health. Those with heart disease and high blood pressure clearly scored high on questionnaires and those scoring low were clearly suffering illnesses through boredom and sedate lifestyle that often led to the chiropractor's offices for neck pain, lower back problems and stiffness of joints. Other questionnaires were more specific such as conflict recognition, knowing the style in which a person tackles stressful situations where arguments and disagreements occurred in work or home. This knowledge of conflict style led to insight into how to react to other people's styles, being more aware of your own was one way of dealing with conflict. Again with the support of a good therapist the person can grow and improve their outlook and health situation leading to better looking skin and internal functioning.
Psychotherapy
Most people when thinking about anti-aging think mostly about life-styles such as stopping smoking, cut back on meat intake and alcohol, others think about exercise, keeping fit and diet, but the fact is while all these things can help only your mental well-being will actually make you feel more youthful and alive. Another area is cosmetic surgery, when your skin, body and functioning has suffered the years of misuse, abuse and the toll of constant struggles in life (stress) then having a face lift, Botox injections or plastic surgery can certainly bring back a youthful appearance. However in order to make the right decisions and direction you need to talk it over first with an experienced clinical psychologist, this professional will guide you in the right decisions for why you want to take this or that route. Once you have good mental health - you can think clearly about issues and make informed decisions concerning your health and anti-aging.
Psychotherapy helps the client to have the insight and self knowledge to make life changes that will significantly alter their aging process in that a relaxed insightful person makes meaningful decisions that significantly can reduce their stress levels and prevent pre-mature aging of the skin and vital organs.
Coping with Stress to reduce Aging.
There are many ways to reduce stress in daily life but although many are useful they cannot replace a good therapist.
Separating our thoughts from one another can help to allow better understanding of situations. To be objective helps to stop us feeling isolated. Analyzing situations through logical thought can help to keep us grounded in reality and not rationalize all our problems to ourselves or others. Set aside disturbing thoughts to concentrate on the task in hand this will help to avoid denial of problems by finishing one thing at a time. Try not to regress to old patterns of feeling and behavior about life and so try to be a little more playful with everyday events - have fun at work and home. Where you cannot make a clear choice avoid trying to make things to complicated - tolerance of ambiguity is a key to slow down the aging process. Try to suppress thoughts that interfere with the here and now situation - set them aside until a more appropriate time - avoid repression but tackle these issues in the therapist's room. (Grasha 1983)
Summery
Clearly anti-aging and stress are linked in such a way as to affect every other aspect of your life and well-being. You do not have to have a mental illness to seek therapy merely a will to have a more balanced life that will lead to significant changes to your well -being moth physically and mentally. If you have insight into your stress levels, discuss with a good therapist your concerns and practice good coping mechanisms all can considerably help the client to live longer, healthier and look younger. A person with a genuine smile and happy disposition in more likely to look younger than their age and healthier than many of their compatriots. Research shows that clients can achieve considerable benefits from life style changes and insight into their own character, personality and view of life.
Citations:
Grasha (1983) Arnold, Cooper & Robertson, (1991) Work Psychology 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall pgs. 422-427
Melhuish (1978) Hock R (2005) Forty Studies that changed Psychology. 5th Ed. Pearson Ed. pgs. 175 - 179
Holmes & Rahe (1967) Gross R (2001) Psychology, The Science of Mind and Behavior 4th Ed. Hodder & Stoughton pgs. 179
Further Reading:
Myler S. F. (2011) The China Papers, Stress at Work, Raider Publishing USA
In a world obsessed with how they look from fashion to cosmetics to dieting there are some ways to feel and look younger that are purely in the mind. Stress in the workplace and home is the number one contributor to the aging process. Stress or more correctly clinical anxiety is caused when a person perceives the world in a certain negative way in which drains the body's recourses and causes health problems from heart disease to high blood pressure to strokes and early aging of the skin. To have an insight into your stress levels and be able to monitor those areas that cause you the most aging you need to first take stock of your life style and choices. In this article we will look as some of the science behind stress and what you can do about it.
Introduction:
Stress is from the Latin word, stringere, meaning to pull tight. We sometimes call people up-tight when we think that they over-react, are irritable or constantly worrying over minor issues. The first scientific research into stress was conducted by Hans Seyle (1946) who felt that people reacted to stressful situations in a similar manner. In fact eventually coming up with a model of stress that is still recognized today as the most insightful scientific view from research. Selye saw that stage one was the Alarm reaction, the person starts out with a lower resistance to the situation and moves into shock in which they then begin to activate their defense mechanisms. The second stage is the resistance itself returning to a balance state, however if the stressor continues they have a bodily reaction to what is known as, Fight or Flight. In this moment the body is using valuable recourses of energy and strength to combat the threat. If the stress continues for too long then stage three is entered which is the state of exhaustion in which the aging process itself can be a factor in the body not coping with the stress it is under.
After Selye others modified the process to take into account the environment and hardiness of the person's personality. Cummings and Cooper (1979) felt that individuals try to keep a steady state through their thoughts, emotions and relationships with the world and other people. They say that people have a range of stability that allows them to cope successfully or within limits in certain situations. The person tries to adjust their situation in order to lower the effects of the stress. For example, avoidance - simply run away from the problem, or projecting in which the person blames others for their discomfort. Different personalities and past experiences will all have some effect on the current stressor. The body takes most of the punishment in stress such as a lowered immune system, more vulnerable to disease and physical damage to vital organs such as the heart and blood vessels in the brain.
In anti-aging Melhuish (1978) saw that moderate amounts of stress can keep us healthy but too little (boredom) or too much (pressures) can both lead it ill-health and so looking older and worn. While the environment you live in from severe cold to severe heat can both take their toll on your skins vitality, stress is the number one factor in skin disorders. Most dermatologists recognize that stress and skin complaints are the most common source of irritation and flair up to skin pores.
How to combat the aging process?
Holmes and Rahe (1967) developed a rating scale to measure the amount off stress that a person perceives at a given point of time. They through research discovered 43 stressors from everyday life, the number one being, death of a spouse to number 43 being minor violations of the law. These psychometric questionnaires helped by scoring and analysis identify the areas of stress a particular person maybe suffering from. However a list, a score and identification was only a first step. Later more refined questionnaires enabled clinicians (psychotherapists) to identify several areas of concern that could be worked on in therapy for the client to learn new coping skills and reframing their perspective about the stressors in the first place. This often leads to life decisions or change that directly benefits the person's lifestyle and outlook.
What was very interesting about the questionnaires was that often they correlated with the person's health. Those with heart disease and high blood pressure clearly scored high on questionnaires and those scoring low were clearly suffering illnesses through boredom and sedate lifestyle that often led to the chiropractor's offices for neck pain, lower back problems and stiffness of joints. Other questionnaires were more specific such as conflict recognition, knowing the style in which a person tackles stressful situations where arguments and disagreements occurred in work or home. This knowledge of conflict style led to insight into how to react to other people's styles, being more aware of your own was one way of dealing with conflict. Again with the support of a good therapist the person can grow and improve their outlook and health situation leading to better looking skin and internal functioning.
Psychotherapy
Most people when thinking about anti-aging think mostly about life-styles such as stopping smoking, cut back on meat intake and alcohol, others think about exercise, keeping fit and diet, but the fact is while all these things can help only your mental well-being will actually make you feel more youthful and alive. Another area is cosmetic surgery, when your skin, body and functioning has suffered the years of misuse, abuse and the toll of constant struggles in life (stress) then having a face lift, Botox injections or plastic surgery can certainly bring back a youthful appearance. However in order to make the right decisions and direction you need to talk it over first with an experienced clinical psychologist, this professional will guide you in the right decisions for why you want to take this or that route. Once you have good mental health - you can think clearly about issues and make informed decisions concerning your health and anti-aging.
Psychotherapy helps the client to have the insight and self knowledge to make life changes that will significantly alter their aging process in that a relaxed insightful person makes meaningful decisions that significantly can reduce their stress levels and prevent pre-mature aging of the skin and vital organs.
Coping with Stress to reduce Aging.
There are many ways to reduce stress in daily life but although many are useful they cannot replace a good therapist.
Separating our thoughts from one another can help to allow better understanding of situations. To be objective helps to stop us feeling isolated. Analyzing situations through logical thought can help to keep us grounded in reality and not rationalize all our problems to ourselves or others. Set aside disturbing thoughts to concentrate on the task in hand this will help to avoid denial of problems by finishing one thing at a time. Try not to regress to old patterns of feeling and behavior about life and so try to be a little more playful with everyday events - have fun at work and home. Where you cannot make a clear choice avoid trying to make things to complicated - tolerance of ambiguity is a key to slow down the aging process. Try to suppress thoughts that interfere with the here and now situation - set them aside until a more appropriate time - avoid repression but tackle these issues in the therapist's room. (Grasha 1983)
Summery
Clearly anti-aging and stress are linked in such a way as to affect every other aspect of your life and well-being. You do not have to have a mental illness to seek therapy merely a will to have a more balanced life that will lead to significant changes to your well -being moth physically and mentally. If you have insight into your stress levels, discuss with a good therapist your concerns and practice good coping mechanisms all can considerably help the client to live longer, healthier and look younger. A person with a genuine smile and happy disposition in more likely to look younger than their age and healthier than many of their compatriots. Research shows that clients can achieve considerable benefits from life style changes and insight into their own character, personality and view of life.
Citations:
Grasha (1983) Arnold, Cooper & Robertson, (1991) Work Psychology 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall pgs. 422-427
Melhuish (1978) Hock R (2005) Forty Studies that changed Psychology. 5th Ed. Pearson Ed. pgs. 175 - 179
Holmes & Rahe (1967) Gross R (2001) Psychology, The Science of Mind and Behavior 4th Ed. Hodder & Stoughton pgs. 179
Further Reading:
Myler S. F. (2011) The China Papers, Stress at Work, Raider Publishing USA
Dr. Stephen Myler is from Leicester in England, an industrial
town in the Midlands of the United Kingdom. He holds a B.Sc (Honours) in
Psychology from the UK Open University the largest in the UK; he also
has an M.Sc and Ph.D in Psychology from Knightsbridge University in
Denmark. In addition to this Stephen holds many diplomas and awards in a
variety of academic areas including journalism, finance, teaching and
advanced therapy for mental health. Stephen has as a Professor of
Psychology many years teaching experience in colleges and universities
in England and China to post 16 young adults, instructing in psychology,
sociology, English, marketing and business. He has been fortunate to
travel extensively from Australia to Africa to the United Sates, South
America, Borneo, most of Europe and Russia.
Stephens favourite hobby is the study of primates and likes to play badminton. He believes that students who enjoy classes with humour and enthusiasm from the teacher always come back eager to learn more.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Myler
Stephens favourite hobby is the study of primates and likes to play badminton. He believes that students who enjoy classes with humour and enthusiasm from the teacher always come back eager to learn more.
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