Is Stress Sabotaging Your Heart?
By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Would you cut back your work hours if you knew that working long days could -- literally -- kill you? This week researchers announced data showing that stress from overwork can indeed kill.
There were actually two studies released showing similar results. The first study found that people who work more than ten hours a day are about 60 percent more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than people who clock just seven hours a day. This study was conducted by following British civil servants. Those who put in three hours of overtime had higher rates of myocardial infarction (MI), angina, and death from a coronary attack.
In a second study showing similar results, female nurses in Denmark who felt they were under "too much" pressure at work were found to have a significantly increased risk of developing angina or myocardial infarction (MI).
The real shocker: The people who worked longer hours were actually healthier, overall, than the other people studied. They were less likely to drink heavily or smoke, and they got more exercise. And yet they still died or suffered heart attacks at higher rates.
Even if you're not a Danish nurse or a British office worker, these results are directly applicable to you. Why? If you're a family caregiver, you're working many extra hours every day. And you're operating under tremendous pressure and stress.
Why is working too much so bad for you?
The answer, the researchers said, was simple: Not enough "me" time. If you're putting in long hours at work, or caring for others, or -- like most of us here -- doing both, you probably have very little free time. That translates as very few opportunities to take a deep breath, put your feet up, take a walk, or do something else that makes you feel relaxed and calm. Yet doing these things is the best way to protect your health and, therefore, protecting your loved ones.
So here are five stress-busters that take just a few minutes each. Are you more likely to do them knowing they could save your life?
1. Cuddle a pet
2. Have a laugh
3. Listen to a song
4. Take two deep breaths
5. Do a stretch, like touching your toes or reaching for the sky.
Let us know other "me time" strategies that work for you. Me, I love to go grocery shopping and take ten minutes at the checkout line to read a magazine!
Let's support each other in working fewer hours, or at least finding more "windows" to take care of ourselves.
I really would like to answer yes and no but only one reply can be accepted. Yes because I think the 5 busters will give an immediate relief but only momentary. Hence I would call them "tensionbusters" ie providing some relief from the gripping feelings in the stomach when you are under stress. And no, because something bigger is required to "stressbust" and obtain more than just this fleeting relief - play an electronic game; read 3 chapters; 20 minutes exercise; listen to a relaxation cd; do some cooking etc
just reminding myself to stop and have a me moment x
Yeah! Yeah! (sitting here squirming) because I NEED TO FOLLOW THIS ADVICE and for those of you who know me...I don't! Thank you for the reminder...again. SMILE
Hugs Dia J
Hi everybody, was reading about stress busters, thought to share mine to add up to many of yours list in a helpful way. I keep a list of things handy(some unfinished businesses) i try picking one of them.if does'nt work than, i do what i love to do the most,like for me painting is a passion.Playing with colours brings inner satisfaction,specially when done on a big wall.by now i have painted almost many of the walls in the whole house.In garden aswell.And sometimes even just looking at what i have painted ,proves to be a stress buster :)
Hi everybody, was reading about stress busters, thought to share mine to add up to many of yours list in a helpful way. I keep a list of things handy(some unfinished businesses) i try picking one of them.if does'nt work than, i do what i love to do the most,like for me painting is a passion.Playing with colours brings inner satisfaction,specially when done on a big wall.
For the lady who needs cumaden and can't get help with the financial side of it all. At least use vinegar to thin your blood a bit. Ii mean on salad or other foods, I use a bit on spinach, for example if I want to eat it, as dark green veggies are good for you EXCEPT if you have atherosclerosis, thick blood that can lead to strokes. Avoid those dark green veggies and anything with a high vitamin k content. You can find that out easily on the internet. Your blood INR should probably be stabilized at between 2.0 and 3.0 . That is important. I hope you can find help for the financial part quickly. Surely your Dr. can direct you somewhere to get help quickly...Best of luck.
I help my stresss by taking a nice , long. hot bubble bath...not high bubbles, just the stuff that makes the water real soft....I also take a book into the tub with me and read a book.. helps me a lot...I have heart disease, atherosclerosis and have a pacemaker now, but the bathing is still a help. should have started doing it regularly years ago..
I would like to add prayer and meditation to the list. I have scripture videos I listen to and watch. their r beautiful scenes of mountains,cascading waterfalls and inspirational music. I use to be a caregiver and used meditation tapes for therapy with my client and it did wonders for her. we have to remember that every person is a triune being and the Inspirational CD and DVD's effect all three areas.
I AM IN A DIFFICULT PLACE AND FIND MYSELF JUST GETTING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO A BLACK HOLE. I WAS TOLD I HAVE MI AND NEED TO TAKE CUMUDEN FOREVER BUT I HAVE TO HAVE A BLOOD TEST BEFORE I SEE THE DOCTOR BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT MEDICARE B AND I CANNOT AFFORD THE DOCTORS COST OR THE LAB AND THEY ARE NOW SENDING ME TO A COLLECTION AGENCY IT JUST INCREASES THE STRESS 100 TIMES ANY HELP?
Prayers Charise
I am just learning about the effects of stress. I have been experiencing one tragedy after another for th past year and a half. 3 deaths in my family within 1 year, My dad, grandma and recently my cousin. I am a single mom, three teenagers, two just going off to coollege this fall, financially drownding. I have become overweight as I have suffered an injury to my back and since have found out other health issues. So, yes, Stress is my middle name. I have been working with a health care coach the past few months and just the past few weeks she has been teeching me alot about stress and how to handle the ones that are in our control, such as planing major lifestyle changes so it wont become overwhelming, realize your limitations and learn to say "NO". Prioritize, make a list and prioritize your tasks ..one at a time, have a positive additude, you can end up setting up yourself for faliure and more stress. Ezersize!! Its one of the most effective ways of preveniting and managing stress. Eat and sleep well...it can help you develop a healthier lifestyle that is conducive to less stress.
Prayers jan spiak
It's really obvious that working for long hours is difficult and tiring. Me i need to eat light meals before going to bed , this is what i noticed because for the whole day I worked hard and you eat heavy meals then go to sleep, i end up having nightmares. So every night i just eat cereals with 2 tablespoon of chia seed of hidalgofoods
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so sorry to hear about the difficulties with your parents - it sounds like way too much has fallen on your shoulders, and that sense of unfairness adds emotional stress to the stress of trying to do too much. I hope your story will help others recognize the toll that situations like these can take on our health. Please be good to yourself and find support for yourself whereever you can - and let us know how you do. There are lots of us here at Caring.com in difficult family situations and we care.
I had a heart attack two weeks ago due to stress that was partially the result of helping to care for my 84 year old father after a fall. My mom has cancer and Dad has mid to late stage Alzheimer's, congestive heart failure, and a broken pelvic bone. He fell to begin with because the family members he was with weren't paying attention because they minimize his health problems and think he is faking both the mental & physical health issues. Both have lived with us for varying amounts of time from a few days to 2 1/2 mos. due to Mom being to ill to care for Dad or herself. One of my brothers is very spoiled, self-centered, and self-serving. He has always been able to con our mom into bailing him out of whatever mess he has gotten into. He was in the middle of another con & put his personal time before the care of our parents when I confronted him about not helping except when he could get something out of it. That was 3 months ago. He has continued to harass me since then by lying, not showing up on time to relieve me so I could go to work, being verbally abusive, and bullying all of us. Including myself & my mom, four family members have been taking turns staying with my dad 24/7 at the hospital & nursing home. Others have helped out when they can, but he doesn't respond as well to them, so they were short term. The spoiled brother has not spent one night, one full day, or more than an hour or two at a time, with the exception of a couple of occasions, during the entire time Dad has been injured. He has some health problems himself, is on disability, and has a business that allows him to set his own schedule & be free 90% of the time. So there is no excuse for him not being there part of the time other than his selfishness. After I had spent 3 nights straight in the nursing home while working full-time during the day, and then all the next day, he was an hour late showing up to relieve me so that I could go to my granddaughter's 2nd birthday party. He was mean, a bully, lied about me and making fun of me for being upset with him. I got very angry and lost my temper with him. Fifteen minutes later I was having "muscle spasms" in my left upper back. They continued throughout the evening and in about 3-4 hours they were getting worse, moving into my shoulder, my neck, my face, my ear, and down my arm. On the way to the hospital, four hours after the argument, my chest began hurting. After being transferred to a heart hospital and a heart cath the next morning, I was diagnosed with "stress induced weakened heart muscle" or "Broken heart syndrome." I have no history of heart problems, high cholestorol, or high blood pressure. I am over-weight & have diabetes. A year ago I had several heart tests and was declared having a healthy heart by a cardiologist. After some research I have learned that this is a somewhat rare thing to happen, but basically my heart suddenly reacted to the stress and I had a heart attack. I will probably recover completely if I lose weight, keep my diabetes under control, and keep my stress under control. Many people survive this type heart attack, but many die during the actual attack. Stress can kill you; it could have killed me.