Is Long-Term, Chronic Stress Really That Unhealthy?
Terms like stressed-out, anxiety, freaked and worried seem like they’re getting used more and more lately. With ongoing wars overseas, high gas prices, lay-offs and increasing foreclosure rates, stress levels certainly seem to be on the rise. Additionally, with the explosion of new tools that “enhance productivity,” like cell-phones, PDAs, instant messaging, and super-small computers that can be taken anywhere, it seems like we can never fully unplug from our professional lives and other commitments anymore – even on vacation (that is, if we have time or money to take one). We live in a society that puts a premium on more and better. More square footage in a house; better looks through plastic surgery; and more money from, of course, a better job. There seems to be no end to the whirlwind that has become the 21st Century. And there likely won’t be. Working long hours. Paying too much for a house to afford the mortgage. Wanting to look like a 25 year old when you’re in your 50s. All of
