Can stress STOP YOU AGEING?

Does the run-up to Christmas leave you feeling frazzled? Turns out, the right kind of stress can actually make you look younger

- FAYE M SMITH

The festive period is typically frantic. There are huge pressures on our bank balance, family and health – and it can leave us feeling overwhelmed. So it’s no wonder stress is considered a negative aspect of life that’s linked to a range of problems, including depression and heart disease. But taken in small doses, certain stressors could help fight the physical and mental decline that comes with ageing. Sounds good? Here’s how positive stress could benefit mind and body…

Stress isn’t all bad

When we talk about stress, we often dwell on its damaging effects. ‘However, there’s actually a healthy type of stress known as eustress,’ says mental health specialist Ray Sadoun from OK Rehab. He explains that eustress is the ‘stress’ we feel when we get an adrenaline rush – such as when riding a roller coaster or getting married. ‘Physically, the sensations of anxiety and excitement are the same, so the only difference between good and bad is that you perceive the latter as negative and therefore it causes you to worry,’ says Ray.

Roll back the years