The health and wellbeing of our communities is extraordinarily important. In fact, stress is a leading risk factor for many major diseases with the World Health Organization going so far as to call it one of the global health epidemics of the 21st century. Even with its prevalence of this because of the intricate interrelationships between physical, mental and emotional health, stress can be harder to define or even identify — especially if it’s a long-term issue. WHO says, “Stress is a highly personalised phenomenon that varies between people depending on individual vulnerability and resilience and between different types of tasks.”
The fact of the matter is that stress can creep into all areas of our lives. On the one hand stress can have its benefits relative to survival, assessing risks, and, whether it’s temporal or chronic. Despite this, when we have ongoing stress responses that keep firing, day after day, it can put our health at serious risk from elevated heart rate through to anxiety. Data from The American Institute of Stress found that 77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms from stress and over 50% of individuals felt that stress negatively impacted work productivity. Rates of reported stress continue to increase with George Fink writing for SciTech Connect, “Between 1983 and 2009, stress levels increased by 10 to 30 percent among all demographic groups in the USA.”
So where to start if you’re experiencing stress in your life or would like to develop skills to manage symptoms? Study Medicine Europe developed this infographic on the topic, ‘The Negative Health Impact of Stress’, to discuss this issue in more detail. With relevant facts, data and expert insights, you will learn more about the physical aspects of stress as well as discussing preventative measures you can take for holistic wellbeing. Stay safe and best wishes in your health and wellbeing.
