Did you get stressed out while watching the recent episode of Mad Men where Don Draper is treated like an unwanted guest in the firm he built from the ashes? Well, you're not alone because a new study suggests that stress can be contagious, even if you see it experienced by a character in a TV show, reports the Telegraph. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany found that even being around a person who's stressed out can make you feel under the weather.
The researchers went to say that stress is a major health threat which causes a range of psychological issues such as depression and anxiety. During the course of the experiment, subjects were paired with near and dear ones and strangers, and divided into two groups. A group of 211 observers simply watched the test and interviews through a one-way mirror and on video and while 91% put under direct pressure experienced stress, even 26% of observers had an increase in cortisol, the hormone released when you're stressed. The findings are published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
What is stress?
Stress generally refers to a state of mind or mental tension that is linked to anxiety, irritability, insecurity, mental disorders like depression or insomnia and physical ones like migraine, cardiovascular ailments andsexual dysfunction. It occurs in the presence of an external stimulus called the stressor. Usually factors like work pressure, personal commitments and working environment act as common stressors in daily life. Our body can handle stress with a mechanism called fight-or-flight response, where certain hormones are released to combat stress. But when the levels of these hormones are increased, several organs and systems of the body may get affected. Increased stress levels commonly affect the immune system, musculoskeletal system, circulatory system and digestive system. It is also linked to heart disease, diabetes and gastro-intestinal disorders. There's a causal link between stress and physiological ailment. However the fact that many individuals remain healthy after stressful events suggests that susceptibility varies from person to person based on genetic, environmental and psychological factors. In this section, you can read some interesting ways to handle stress ex: laughter yoga,natural remedies, healthy food and water.
Expert tips to beat stress
Our expert Dr Rashmi Joshi, counselling psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, offers some useful and interesting ways to beat stress naturally.
Good nutrition: Good nutrition is a powerful ally when it comes to dealing with stress. Your body needs extra B vitamins for a healthy central nervous system, and vitamin C and zinc for building resistance against infections. You can boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue caused by daily stressors by eating small, frequent meals (at least every 3 hours) based around complex carbohydrates such wholemeal bread, pulses, oats, pasta, rice and potatoes. These foods supply a steady stream of energy to the body and have a calming effect on the brain.
Eat peacefully: Set aside a peaceful time for eating so that you can eat slowly, relax and enjoy your meal no matter how busy and rushed you may be during the rest of the day.
Avoid caffeine: Excessive amounts of caffeine containing beverages like tea and coffee are far more likely to stimulate feelings of anxiety headaches rather than helping to calm down.
Quit smoking and alcohol: Some people turn to smoking and alcohol during times of stress but both of these rob the body of valuable nutrients. While the short-term effect of alcohol and smoking is to induce a sense of well being, long-term use can lead to chronic depression. Read more tips to beat stress...
You may also like to read
For more articles on depression, visit our depression section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
