Do you know the greatest threats to men's health? The list is surprisingly short. The top causes of death among adult men in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is that making a few lifestyle changes can significantly lower your risk of these common killers. One lifestyle shift that we can all get on board with is developing a resiliency to stress.

Stress trigger’s our body to enter a fight-or-flight response. This sudden burst of energy and strength comes from increased heart rate, slowing of digestion, slowed blood flow to major muscles, and other changes to the autonomic nervous functions. Normally, our body returns to normal function after the perceived threat is no longer around. However, in cases of chronic stress, relaxation does not occur often enough – causing damage to the body!

Feeling stressed over your living situation, relationships, financial obligations, or career can cause damage to your body. Pay attention to these stress-influenced conditions (particularly you men!):

• Heart disease (the #1 killer of men!!!)

• Hair loss

• Sexual dysfunction

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• Ulcers

• Tooth and gum disease

• Hyperthyroidism

Of course, mild anxiety and/or frustration can be produced from stress, but prolonged exposure can cause burnout, anxiety disorders, and/or depression! 

Therefore, it is SO important to learn to manage the stresses in our lives. 

Burnout is categorized as prolonged or chronic job stress resulting from exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of reduced professional ability. According to a 2018 report by Gallup, employee burnout has 5 causes: unreasonable, time pressure, lack of communication and support from a manager, lack of role clarity, unmanageable workload, and unfair treatment. However, these notions don’t just cause burnout! They affect your overall stress levels – which lead to more serious mental and physical health complications!!! 

How do you reverse this stress? Simple – make some changes to your environment. Change your job (or find a way to appreciate and value the job you do have), find a self-care routine, obtain a support system from others, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, engage in healthy sleep habits, or even treat yo’ self and take a vaycay!! 

Stress is preventable!! According to a 2001 CDC report, women are 33% more likely than men to visit a doctor in general, although the gap narrows with increasing age. Don’t allow your waistline to increase, health complications to start, or decrease your mental happiness! Establish a self-care routine to incorporate into your daily life.

The biggest problem that men have is not so much a specific disease, but the diseases are the result of lack of health care monitoring earlier in life. Learn how to take care of your mind, body, and spirit and discover how to set yourself up to live your best life. And as always, reach out to someone if you need it.

HOW ARE YOU INCORPORATING A SELF-CARE ROUTINE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE? SHARE WITH US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. 

GET EVEN HEALTHIER!

Are you curious about how to harmonize your health goals? How to fit wellness into your busy schedule? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial coaching session with me today – or pass this offer on to someone you care about!