Houseplants Reduce Stress Symptoms?

Do you know how to recognize the symptoms of dangerous stress levels?

Typical symptoms of dangerous stress levels include headaches, poor mental focus, slipping memory, confusion, feeling spaced out, disturbed sleep patterns, feeling tired or run down, weight loss or gain… the list goes on and on.

But there’s hope – and even some remarkable evidence that just caring for a houseplant can help reduce your stress symptoms. Read on.

Most people are NOT aware of the degree to which they are suffering from stress.  Our society admires those who show grace under pressure, and we all want to believe we can handle whatever life throws at us.  But the stakes are high. People who can’t reduce chronic stress live shorter lives, suffer more illness and disability, have less satisfying relationships, and often are plagued by anxiety and/or depression.

We all know that stress contributes to weight gain, diabetes and many other ailments – but few realize just how harmful stress is for the physical brain itself. And fewer still know how to recognize their own stress symptoms.

Although chronic stress has long been known to trigger the release of excessive amounts of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, new studies show that both hormones actually KILL brain cells, and interfere with the production of new ones.

Is stress really an issue? Consider this: Research shows that chronic stress seriously disrupts our immune, endocrine and digestive systems. This has important implications for our physical health And killing our gray matter (the brain’s information processing center) from long periods of even minor stress is also not a pretty picture..

The Best Proven Stress Reducers
Changing our thought patterns can help us better control stress. This can allow us to prevent and even reverse some of the adverse changes such as loss of brain cells in our hippocampus — where our memory resides.

Research shows that people who spend just 20 minutes a day focusing on their breath, or on calming thoughts, experience lower blood pressure, less anxiety and reduced chronic pain from stress.

Moderate exercise is also an excellent stress fighter. Other good stress reducers are feeling we have a purpose in life, or having a pet to care for.  There is also quite a bit of evidence that engineered brainwave training, which has actually been around for almost 40 years is a very effective stress fighter, and has lasting stress management effects.

How a Plant Can Help
But here’s a research study that may really surprise you: In one study the residents of a nursing home were split into two groups. Half of the residents were told that they were responsible for taking care of a house plant.

After one year, the people who were caring for a house plant were healthier and had fewer illnesses. They also lived longer than the group who did not have a plant to care for. So yes, DO go buy a plant – or give one to your Mom, Dad,  Grandma, or even your boss 🙂

DO Men and Women Have Different Brains?

Is there some physical reason that stress makes men want to punch, and women want to cry?

Yes! Neuroscientists now insist that men and women truly DO have different brains.  

Many books and movies highlight the psychological differences between men and women — Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, for example. And now brain image studies of men and women under stress proves its all true – male and female brains do differ in response to stressful situations. In men, increased blood flow to the left orbitofrontal cortex activates the “fight or flight” response. In women, stress activates the limbic system associated with emotional responses.

Researchers induced moderate performance stress by asking the men and women to count backward by 13, starting at 1,600. Researchers monitored the subject’s heart rate. They also measured the blood flow to the brain and checked for cortisol, a stress hormone. Neuroscientists say the changes in the brain during stress response also lasted longer in women.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT: Certain events act as “stressors,” triggering the nervous system to produce hormones to respond to a perceived danger. Specifically — the adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. This speeds up both heart and breathing rates, increases blood pressure and contractions in major muscle groups. These and other physical changes help us to react quickly and effectively under pressure.

This stress response is commonly called the *fight or flight response.* But even low levels of continuous stress can damage your health. The nervous system remains slightly activated and continues to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period, leaving you feeling depleted or overwhelmed, and weakening your immune system. And equally undesirable is the fact that stress KILLS brain cells.

STRESS-REDUCING TIPS: There are several practical things you can do to reduce the amount of stress in your life: (1) Try not to over-schedule your time, (2) Cut something out when you start to feel overwhelm. (3) Get a good night’s sleep. (4) Get regular exercise. (5) Follow a healthy diet. (6) Learn to relax. (7) Use brainwave training   to train your brain to handle stress better.

Want to Create More Success?

Ever wondered WHY the some people always seem to have success, even when facing extreme challenges? Why they always seem to come out on top, while you seem to have a tougher time getting what you want in your life or business?

HERE’S A HINT:

• It’s not their family connections…
• It’s not their education or experience…
• It’s not even their credit or who they know…
• And it has little to do with their financial status.

What level of success is possible for you? And do you want to create MORE success in your life or your business?

Come discover a  PROVEN EFFECTIVE WAY to eliminate ANYTHING that stands in your way…so you can create more success in your life — and faster than you ever thought possible!

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