While everyone knows that stress can make you feel miserable, a study released in January 2012 by the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta suggests that emotional stress can actually damage your health.
Emotional stress activates the immune system in preparation for fighting infection and healing wounds. With prolonged stress and the absence of any actual infection or wound to fight, the constantly activated immune system releases molecules, known as cytokines, that can contribute to a variety of chronic health problems including:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Neuropsychiatric disorders
The study investigated whether the stress of playing competitive sports would trigger the same cytokines as emotional stress. Over eight days, saliva samples were taken from 122 young adult participants before and after stress tests in the lab to measure for biological markers.
The researchers found that cytokine levels went up after negative interactions, such as arguments, but the stress of playing competitive sports didn't have the same effect.
"The takeaway from this study is that we should minimize the number of unpleasant interactions and relationships in our daily life for the good of our emotional and physical health," notes Matt Steinkamp, vice president of EAP services for VITAL WorkLife. "Where that's not realistic, we should definitely have ways of reducing the negative impact of stress we can't avoid."
Reducing Stress: We Can Help
When some person, place or situation is causing your stress levels to rise, a free, confidential conversation with a VITAL WorkLife consultant can help you put things in perspective.
Your EAP benefit includes unlimited telephone consultations—simply give us a call at 800.383.1908 any time of the day or night that's convenient for you—as well as face-to-face consultations on request.
Managing Stress: Helpful Online Resources
At the VITAL WorkLife' website, you'll find hundreds of helpful articles and links to resources that can help you manage stress and take better care of yourself in stressful situations, including the following articles:
- How to Fight Stress and Ward Off Illness
- Listening to the Warning Signs of Stress
- Mind and Body Health: Stress
- Six Myths About Stress
- Stress Management Primer
- Stress Management: Ways to Cope
- Stress Management: The Challenge of Balance
- To find these articles, go to VITALWorkLife.com, click on member login and enter your user name and password.
- On the page that comes up, in the left hand column, click on the "Your Work & Life Resources" button.
- In the shaded area at the top of the screen, click on the pull down menu that says "Thriving" and pull down to "Health Challenges."
- In the Categories box on the right side of the Health Challenges page, click on "Stress" then click "View All" in the articles section.
Members: Access your EAP resources by calling 800.383.1908 or through your VITAL WorkLife App.
