Since April is National Stress Awareness Month, we put our spotlight on this silent killer. In the best-selling book, The Telomere Effect, the authors found that one year of chronic stress takes six years off our lives. This is because our chromosomes have telomeres – the protective ends that look like shoelaces – that become frayed with chronic, unrelenting stress. This fraying actually changes our DNA and decreases lifespan. The good news is that you can begin today to manage your stress and start to repair your telomeres.
For caregivers, a National Alliance for Caregiving study found stress was the Number One challenge that impacted their health. Stress is also the reason for 90 percent of all doctor appointments and according to a Commonwealth Fund Study, caregivers are twice as likely as the general public to develop chronic illnesses earlier in life due to the prolonged stress of caring for a loved one.
Stress is difficult to understand because so often is it invisible. Do you ever have your shoulders hunched? Is your tongue press against the roof of your mouth? These are just two of the invisible signs of stress that you don’t realize impact your overall health.
Finding ways to manage stress is essential for caregivers. Here are articles from our CEO Sherri Snelling – a national advocate on caregivers finding balance and help for stress relief:
Caregiver RX for Stress: 3 Steps to Me Time Monday – originally published on Huff Post 50
Caregiver Tipping Points – originally published on Forbes.com
Mars vs. Venus On Caregiver Stress – originally published on PBS Next Avenue
Mondays are the Prescription for Better Caregiver Health – originally published on Examiner.com
Caregiving Is A Small World After All – originally published on Huff Post 50
Watch
Two of our Me Time Monday™ videos focus on stress relief for caregivers and how to avoid burn-out:
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