Is cultural stress creating a mess in your life? Or worse, on your skin? Read on to learn how to alleviate the damaging effects of cultural stress.
Is your lifestyle making you sick? According to a new study by Dr. Howard Murad, a new type of stress may be negatively impacting health - especially skin health - cultural stress. Coined by Dr. Murad himself, "cultural stress is a pervasive stress" that thrives in the jam-packed, multi-tasking, overly-busy lifestyle of most adults today.
Even more alarming, Dr. Murad's findings indicate that cultural stress can also impact children and, is often initiated by parents, even during pregnancy. New parents worry about their child's pre-schools, elementary schools, play groups and extra-curricular activities to such an extent they pass on this anxiety to their children. Coupled with the added pressures on parents to earn more money to provide opportunities for their children, as well as the constant demand to work more and longer hours, this type of stress infiltrates all levels of the family.
"According to a U.S. Government report, Americans now put in more hours on the job - an average of 47 hours per week - than workers in any other industrial nation." And, Murad reports, the endless opportunities for entertainment, activities and lifestyle now afforded to most people add to this stress, rather than detract from it, "75% of people surveyed believe their jobs are more stressful now than a generation ago".
Seemingly simple decisions, such as choosing a restaurant for the family dinner, are also becoming critical factors in cultural stress. With an alarming number of families eating out on a daily basis, parents must face the added burden of picking a restaurant which will not only meet budget constraints, but appeal to all members of the family. The result? Parents frequently find themselves opting for the ease and convenience of fast food. Murad goes on to point out that The American College of Nutrition reports that over "46% of expenditure on food items was spent on unhealthy food items".
An even deeper implication of increased cultural stress is the effect this stress has on skin. Dr. Murad notes that stress causes the body to produce stress-related hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In addition, certain skin conditions can flare-up in the presence of stress such as rosacea and acne. Stress may also cause an increased growth in facial hair, especially among adult women. To combat this type of stress, Murad goes on to recommend topical treatments, as well as lifestyle changes to help alleviate the effects of stress on the skin such as sun block, vitamins and supplements, meditation, exercise, adequate sleep and relaxation.
