Older People More Stressed by Losing Jobs

A recent study conducted by William Gallo, a research scientist at Yale University's School of Medicine, showed that older people were more stressed by losing their jobs than their younger counterparts.

The study, which followed older people who lost their jobs after a plant closing, found that this population was at high risk for depression, heart attack, and stroke. In fact, these older people had more than double the risk for heart attack and stroke than people who did not lose their jobs. Older job losers also suffered more symptoms of depression and were at high risk for cardiovascular problems. All of these risks were reduced when study participants found jobs again.

But the baby boomers are not alone in dealing with stress from job loss. According to one study, led by Sheldon Cohen, psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, people living with unemployment or underemployment were twice as likely to develop colds than those not dealing with the same kinds of stress.

How to Deal with Stress from Unemployment
Stress plays major havoc with the body's hormonal systems that regulate the various organ systems. If you are stressed by the economic situation and/or unemployment, there are a number of things you can do to restore your body's balance:

Breathe Deeply: shallow breathing sends panic signals to the brain while deep breathing seems to have the opposite effect

Get Involved: whether you read the mystery, volunteer at a local charity, or visit with friends and family, get involved in activities that take your mind off your situation. Thinking about other things prevents stress, which can restore your body's hormonal balance.

Get Healthy for Cheap: with so many unable to afford health insurance, it's time to take health into our own hands. For $40-$50 a month, you can boost your immune system and nourish your body on a daily basis with the Essentials from Simplexity Health.

Let it Out: Laugh, cry, rage � do whatever you need to do but don't hold it in. Suppressing emotions will only make you sick. Whatever you are feeling about your situation, let it out of your system and then get on with life!

Finally, try to get some perspective on your situation. Our nation has been through recession before. You may have been through unemployment before. We have survived. Remember past hardships and note how you have survived those. You are still alive and breathing, and that's saying a lot. Sometimes getting a little perspective makes all the difference in the world!

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Photo credit: 1-26-07