Even the slightest stress during the day could affect later health problems, according to the latest research.
One of the risk factors for many health problems such as depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases and chronic pain is exposure to stress.
It is assumed that the stress that leads to serious illness is caused by important events of the individual such as a breakup, dismissal or surgery. However, recent research has shown that even the slightest stress can have long-term health consequences if we allow the intensity of stress to carry over into the next day.
"Our research shows that even the smallest negative emotions affect our health," says study leader Kate Ledger.
The subjects were asked to record for eight days every time they were overwhelmed by negative emotions such as nervousness, hopelessness, loneliness, fear, irritability, shame, anxiety, anger, frustration, restlessness and tension. In addition, they were asked to explain what caused each of those emotions.
Ten years after the research, the participants were questioned in order to find out if they had developed any of the chronic diseases in the meantime or if they had a health problem that interfered with their daily life.
The results showed that people who could not get rid of daily stress, which carried over to the next day, had more health problems, including chronic diseases.
“Most people when they think about the reasons why they are stressed, they think about big events like the death of a loved one. However, the results showed that it is not just about important moments, but also about everyday stress that affects our health," explains Ledger, reports b92.
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