Stress is natural, and it is inevitable. But these days, there may be many more stressors pressing down on each of us, from the dismal news cycle to job losses and health concerns. Left untreated, that stress can be detrimental to mental and physical health. It can even shave years off your life.
Some of the stress we face today is likely caused by the economic effects and uncertainties created by COVID-19. Medical professionals are beginning to see patterns in how the novel virus and its manifold effects are influending stress among the public. We're also starting to see where stress is higher than the baseline average -- among frontline responders, older Americans and racial and ethnic minorities, for example.
In this edition of HealthConnections, Dr. Carole Myers explains the early findings about COVID-related stress, and what political leaders and individuals can do to reduce stress-related problems before they spin out of control.