Why Coping With Stress Gets Harder As You Age, And What To Do About It
As you age, stressful situations may take more of a toll on your body and mind than they did when you were younger. If coping with stress is more challenging now, the shift could be due to physical changes in your body and the long-lasting effects of chronic stress.
Here, we'll look at the common factors that can make managing stress harder as you age, and then outline the steps you can take to help you better cope.
1. Effects of Chronic Stress
After an acute (short-term) stress event — say, getting stuck in traffic — the body usually returns to its normal state, says Monisha Bhanote, MD, a quintuple board-certified physician and Yoga Medicine instructor. But when stress is chronic — that is, lasting over a long period — the body remains in a constant state of alarm. "As we age, this continuous stress impacts our body's ability to return to its previous normal state," Dr. Bhanote says.
Take the circulatory system, for example: "The circulating inflammation affects our blood vessels, which can remain dilated, increasing our blood pressure," she says.
Chronic stress can also lead to excess cortisol, commonly known as the body's "stress hormone," which can trigger a cascade of negative health effects, Dr. Bhanote says.
"As we age, we feel these negative health effects even more, including a weakened immune system, sleep disturbances, digestive issues, weight gain and decreased memory," she adds.
2. Chronic Illness or Pain
If you have a chronic disease, illness or another medical condition — all of which are more common in older adults — the mental stress caused by those conditions can make it harder to cope with stress in general.
"Having any disease puts a strain on your mental and emotional state," Dr. Bhanote says. "From numerous doctor appointments to simply not feeling well, chronic disease makes life more challenging."