"STRESS AND WORKING SENIORS"

According to the survey findings, one in four Americans turns to food to help alleviate stress or deal with problems. Comfort eaters report higher levels of stress than average and exhibit higher levels of all the most common symptoms of stress, including fatigue, lack of energy, nervousness, irritability, and trouble sleeping. Comfort eaters are also more likely than the average American to experience health problems like hypertension and high cholesterol. In addition, 65 percent of comfort eaters characterize themselves as somewhat or extremely overweight and are twice as likely as the average American to be diagnosed with obesity.
Stress levels are higher for frequent fast levels are higher for frequent fast-food eaters. While only 13 percent ofpeople who did not eat at a fast food restaurant in the last week are very concerned about stress, this number rises to 21 percent of among those who ate fast food meals in the past week.

● 31 percent of women say they are comfort eaters versus 19 percent of men.

● Men are more likely than women to opt for unhealthy snacks such as potato chips.
Job stress comes in different forms and affects your mind and body in different ways. Small things can make you feel stressed, such as a copy machine that never seems to work when you need it or phones that won't quit ringing. Major stress comes from having too much or not enough work or doing work that doesn't satisfy you. Conflicts with your boss, coworkers, or customers are other major causes of stress.

It's normal to have some stress. Stress releases hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. Stress can be useful when you need to focus on or finish a big project. But too much stress or being under stress for too long isn't good for you. Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often. It can also lead to long-term health problems such as heart disease , high blood pressure , back problems, and depression.

Look for these signs of job stress:

Headaches
Trouble sleeping
Problems concentrating
Short temper
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction and low moral Try to be positive
Give yourself messages as to how well you can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be. "Stress can actually help memory, provided it is short-term and not too severe. Stress causes more glucose to be delivered to the brain, which makes more energy available to neurons. This, in turn, enhances memory formation and retrieval. On the other hand, if stress is prolonged, it can impede the glucose delivery and disrupt memory." All Stressed Up, St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch, p. 8B, Monday, November 30, 1998
Stress seems to be part of everybody's life. The United Nations International Labor Organization recently issued a report that states, "Stress has become one of the most serious health issues of our times."

There are many ways to contend with stress -- everything from jogging and paddle ball to biofeedback, aerobics and herbal tea. All these methods work to some extent but they take up precious time. The quickest, most effective way to beat stress is literally to laugh it off.http://workingseniorsmoderntechnology.blogspot.com/