Our society really values being up and at ‘em go-getters—but is it killing us? Literally yes, according to piles of research. One such study found that stress and poor sleep (which can each cause the other) are big contributors to poor heart health. Being stressed and not sleeping enough contribute to high blood pressure and increased risk of death, but luckily, we have the power to change things.
It’s long been known that you can literally die of a broken heart, or stroke out from stress and rage, although exaggerated portrayals in movies and TVs have lessened how seriously we take it. Over time, people who are chronically worried actually change the shape of the heart (something different than just strong and exercised or weak and fatty—it becomes sort of misshapen). Fortunately, it’s never too late to make a change, and just a small step today can reap benefits in the future.
It may be impossible to cut out stress—not everyone can quit their job, or it might be a chronic illness—but we can change how we deal with it. Small steps we can take include changing how we begin and end the day, and letting that snowball into a bigger change over time.
Try starting the day with calm. Meditation has many benefits, or you can just start with a minute of deep breathing.
At the end of the day, build a habit of winding down for sleep. There are lots of ways to do that, so add one sleep supporting habit to your routine at a time: pick a cut off hour for screens and eating, take a warm bath, do some light exercise (like a walk), unwind with a non-stimulating hobby, have a warm cup of tea, etc.
To help support a better night’s sleep, try our Sleep Support Kit with the right nutrients and herbs to support your body while it sleeps and restores itself.
