Stress shows up in different ways for everyone. Stress has been known that it can lead to heart attacks and a variety of other health issues. Chronic stress happens and when you get to the stage of stress, typically when a person gets to that stage, they start to have some physical changes. You think you can handle your stress, but it can be seen that you are older than you are, with lines in your face for just for starters. If you are young like in your 20s to even late as 40s, if you are having to deal with a great deal of stress may also take on this physical appearance. No one wants to look older than they are. If you are smoking, drinking more than ever, trying to find ways to rid of your stress if just for a night. That too will add to how you are looking.
When you see your father or mother who work in a high stress job, you can see what it has happened to them. High stress can lead to broken families, cheating husbands. Everything you do trying to release the stress of the day.

So where does stress start showing up?
The most common place where stress first becomes apparent is in the facial area. The area around the eyes will start to appear baggy and dark. That can come from looking at a computer screen all day. Next, the lines will appear around the eyes. These are typically called crow’s feet because of the shape. When people are under stress, they do not smile frequently. Even just smiling can help. If you are a smoker, it will show up on your mouth first, with new lines every day.

Stress can lead to hair loss and brittle nails, which give you even more stress. How we look matters, but having too much stress will stop you from looking your best. When people are under a great deal of stress, they tend not to care for their skin as much and even stop wearing makeup or getting manicures done. Stress can also lead to smoking and drinking large amounts of alcohol weekly. Both of these habits can cause serious skin damage on the external side, which makes a person look much older than they really are.

When people are under a great deal of stress, that can lead to eating wrong foods, like fast foods all the time, which can lead to gaining weight. Which can even lead to chronic diets with your weight going up and down. You can get into the habit of doing a diet, then giving up and regaining the weight they lost. This constant weight fluctuation can cause sagging skin, which lends to the aging factor.
Adding to stress by eating foods that are not healthy, people tend to drastically increase their sugar intake. Too much sugar in the body interferes with collagen production and the elasticity of the skin. People will start to see rough, droopy skin in particular around the eyes, giving that aged look. Everything you do or do not add up over time.

When under a great deal of stress, people will often notice that they are producing more gray hair than expected. It is true that you can produce more gray hair and this isn’t just women, it can happen to men as well. Women who have chronically ill children were studied and found to have higher amounts of worn telomeres. Telomeres are caps at the end of the chromosomes. These caps wear away naturally as we age, however under great deals of stress, the wear factor increases, and we age more rapidly than people who live a stress-free life.

Stress wears out our cells more rapidly than nature intended. When our cells age, we start looking older. Stress also depletes the natural hormones our bodies produce to keep us healthy and young looking. It is best to find as many ways to reduce stress in your life if you want to stay young and physically fit.

So what does this all mean? Finding ways to release the stress, such as turning off the news at night, taking time to do nothing. That can be really tough in the days of everything, from phones, computers even Facebook is all parts of your life. Turn it off, learn a new hobby such as cooking or even learning to knit or crochet. Listening to music has been known to help as well.

Here is another wonderful book called “The Art of Calm: Spiritual Exercises for the Anxious Soul” It’s by Roger Hutchison Now it’s a pretty new book, but it’s already got lots of 5 stars. Check it out here: The Art of Calm

We all deal with stress in different ways, but there are so many ways to give yourself relief. Taking time for you, even if it is just getting a manicure done, or pedicure, and turn off your phone while you are having your nails done. If you can stop smoking, that is even better! Try packing your lunches so you start eating better. Take time to decide how you want to handle your stress, and giving yourself the right to take time for you.
Hope this was helpful and gave you ideas on what you can do to stop your stress making you look older. If you start eating better, cut back on drinks, try not to take work home with you and other small steps like these.