Stress is a fact of life.
Add politics and a divisive election season to the mix and there’s extra anxiety at every step.
All that tension can take a toll on your health.
“Stress is a major issue right now,” Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, an internal medicine physician and stress expert said.
“There are so many reasons, so many events that have been unfolding over the past four or five years — we’re just not getting a break.”
In a room of 30 people, 21 people have stress and burnout, she noted.
It’s concerning because people who experience chronic stress show signs of accelerated immune aging, a study found.
And stress is associated with around a 20% increase in the risk of death, researchers announced in 2023.
But there’s something you can do about it: Managing stress is one of eight healthy habits Americans can adopt to live substantially longer.
(The other habits include exercise, being free from opioid addiction, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, avoiding binge drinking, ensuring good sleep and having positive social relationships).
