Those negative emotions can lead to memory problems.
A study last year by Robert S. Wilson, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL found that people with negative emotions and who are easily distressed are more likely to develop memory problems than people who are more easygoing.
Results showed that people who most often experience negative emotions such as depression and anxiety were 40 percent more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who were least prone to negative emotions.
Chronic stress is bad for the brain.
“People differ in how they tend to experience and deal with negative emotions and psychological distress, and the way people respond tends to stay the same throughout their adult lives,” according to Dr. Wilson, “These findings suggest that, over a lifetime, chronic experience of stress affects the area of the brain that governs stress response. Unfortunately, that part of the brain also regulates memory.”
Three quick ways to reduce your stress:
- Breath. You gotta do it anyway so why not breath away your stress. Here’s a link that will show you some easy breathing exercises.
- Yoga. Aside from the physical benefits, check out what one expert has to say about how it can reduce your stress.
- A casual game. Nothing chills me out faster than a round of solitaire. There’s something about it that puts me in a quiet zone. Ten minutes later (OK, maybe half an hour) I’ve forgotten what I was stressed about.
Looks relaxing, doesn’t it?
