Don’t worry; this isn’t a treatise on the rising costs of health insurance, or the recent attacks levied against Medicare and Medicaid. The health practitioner I’m referring to hits a bit closer to home.
I’m talking about you.
I want to spend a few minutes addressing what each of us can and should do to provide some measure of care when it comes to our health. From an overall perspective, we’re being exposed to massive amounts of corrosive elements that have reached ridiculous proportions: Rampant dishonesty in politics, the blatant and intentional dissemination of misinformation, abusive relationships, treacherous or toxic work environments, antagonistic racial and/or misogynistic behavior, and a willful disregard for the importance of life where the only thing that seems to matter these days is our VSL – the value of a statistical life. These all weigh heavily on our minds while lessening the quality and actual length of our lives. So my focus here is on mental and emotional health.
Nature developed stress as a means of survival. In measured dosages, it increases acuity for learning, prepares the body to react quickly to external stimuli, and even helps the mind to recognize what matters most in life. Yet according to a 2024 statistic from the American Psychiatric Association1, 43% of people reported a rise in stress or anxiety; that’s an 11% increase since 2022. Driving that anxiety are concerns for such issues as the economy (77%), current events (70%), and gun violence (69%). Stress in the workplace creates further problems such as concerns regarding overall mental health (77%) and the damage it inflicts on personal relationships (71%). According to the Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace stress in the US causes up to 120,000 deaths per year and costs over $300 billion USD annually due to diminished productivity and increased medical and administrative costs. Globally, 31% of adults2 noted that stress is the biggest health problem in their respective country. Overall, that translates into depression and anxiety racking up losses3 to the tune of $1 trillion USD each year primarily due to reduced overall productivity. Even among teenagers4 in the US, 70% noted that anxiety or depression were their major concerns.
From a medical perspective, the statistics are even more concerning. Senior citizens exposed to additional stress will most likely see an increase in cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and dementia. Medical research5 estimates that up to 90% of illnesses and disease are stress-related, potentially leading to either the creation or aggravation of digestive issues, increased blood pressure, affected sleep patterns, headaches, and chest pains.
So, what can we do as individuals? Actually, a lot. Stress wasn’t designed by nature as a weapon of choice for opportunists, or a bargaining chip for simultaneously increasing wealth while worsening life expectancy. Once stress manifests itself as a medical condition, then that issue will certainly require the help of a professional health practitioner. But that first line of defense, the one that can lessen or block stress altogether? Well, that’s kind of up to us. And we don’t need a medical degree for that; just a degree of empathy, connection, and understanding.
Remember endorphins? They’re those amino acids the brain produces that act as neurotransmitters. Released during times of stress or severe physical discomfort, they help block the awareness of pain while promoting things like happiness and well-being. Another thing that releases endorphins? A smile. A simple smile (whether you mean it or not) helps to recover more quickly from a stressful situation and reduces heart rate. Laughing also lessens stress by reducing cortisol, which is one of the body’s primary stress hormones. Showing empathy or kindness towards another human being is an additional way to reduce stress. It creates a sense of connection and security that aids in improving emotional well-being.
Final Thoughts
Come to think of it, the majority of the stress being thrust upon the world originates from a small set of sources. It mostly comes from plans or situations instigated by individuals who have neither the good sense nor the emotional courage to care for anyone else other than themselves, their business models, or their agendas. And yet the antidotes to these hallmarks of stupidity, malfeasance, and gross social negligence are what you already possess in your kit as an amateur health practitioner: A desire to share meaningful smiles, an inclination to recount funny anecdotes, a willingness to be a tolerant listener, a desire to share friendly advice, or a knack for placing welcomed calls out of the blue. These are just a few examples of what it takes to begin reducing costs, strengthening collaborative enterprises, improving the health and welfare of people’s lives (to include your own), and helping to set in motion a simple yet life-altering process: To move convictions in the right direction by doing our part to make the world a little less antagonistic.
- https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/annual-poll-adults-express-increasing-anxiousness ↩︎
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1498280/stress-as-a-top-health-concern-worldwide/ ↩︎
- https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/mental-health-in-the-workplace ↩︎
- https://www.stress.org/who-gets-stressed/teens-young-adults/#:~:text=Stress%20in%20Teens%20and%20Young%20Adults&text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,fear%2C%20or%20stress%20in%20school ↩︎
- https://nasdonline.org/1445/d001245/stress-management-for-the-health-of-it.html#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20medical%20research%20estimates,been%20linked%20to%20stress%20factors. ↩︎
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