Worried Sick? Smile Yourself Healthy
New research show highly anxious people face nearly double the risk of heart attack or death when compared to those with a serene outlook on life
Dr. David Burns, a clinical psychiatrist and author of “When Panic Attacks” (Broadway, 2007), confirms what most of us experience about anxiety: It’s a total body experience.
“When you’re anxious, you always feel like something terrible is about to happen. Your heart may beat more rapidly and you may feel pain, pressure, or tightness in your chest, along with dizziness, shortness of breath or choking sensations. Psychologically, we might say that your body is of ‘full alert,’ ready to right or flee from the imaginary monsters that aren’t really there.”
What wasn’t known until know is how important for your overall health it is to calm your nerves and get rid of those monsters.
According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, patients whose anxiety intensified over time were in greatest peril of a coronary condition, while those who started out highly anxious but later found inner calm markedly reduced their risk.
So how, in this high-speed world where calmness and serenity seems like an anachronism of days past, should you minimize all the worry?
Dr. Debra Condren, a business psychologist and life coach, New York City, gives advice for how to stop worrying ourselves sick through all the deadlines, carpooling, bill-paying and family reunions.
Exercise
Start every weekday with 45-minutes of exercise. “This is great for body, mind and mood. Work out your stress on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or with weight training or yoga. Regular exercise is a tremendous stress antidote,” Condren says.
Pinpoint the source of your stress
To isolate what is causing the stress in your life, Condren advises patients to write down three things you can do to begin ameliorating that stress trigger.
“If you need to delegate and outsource to tackle whatever is creating this pressure, do it. For example, if you can’t handle everything on the home front, hire someone to run errands for you that will allow you to move something off of your to do list; or have that person fold your mountain of clean laundry for you, or to come in and do a one-shot organizing job for you. Clear your plate a bit and stress will dissipate.”
Build a Team
Condren says people need an advisory board – an inner circle of people – that can be there to support when the heat is on. “Talking is a big anxiety reliever,” she says.
Drink More Water
Condren tells patients to drink half their body weight in fluid ounces every day. “Drinking enough water throughout the day has been linked in a number of clinical studies to reduced risk for
Hannah Seligson is a writer based in New York and the author of “New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches” (Citadel Press, 2007).
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