A recent study found that people who get less than five hours of sleep twice a week or more are 300 percent more susceptible to heart attacks. Their overall rate of developing heart disease doubles.

Constant stress has been shown to shrink the hippocampus, a region of the brain that controls memory and concentration. "We all know anecdotally that when someone is under stress they don't have the clearest vision," says Tyne.

When a large corporation nearby was going thru layoffs, the number of car accidents on the way home from work shot way up and they had to institute safe driving classes. [Ed.]

The best antidote to stress is exercise. And viewed in the context of the chemistry of the fight-or-flight response, that makes sense. Exercise is simulated flight - a chance for all the sugars and hormones in the bloodstream to be used for their intended purpose. Exercise also feeds our brains some feel-good drugs such as dopamine and beta-endorphinÑevolution's reward for safely escaping the tiger.

Source: Stress - science behind stress - strategies for coping - CIO Magazine Aug 1,2003

Stress and Cancer:
It has been common thinking for some time that stress is a major cause of cancer, but studies have been unable to prove this.
In 2003 Swedish researchers said that being under stress may double a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
Hundreds of studies have measured how stress impacts our immune systems and it's ability to fight disease. At Ohio State University, researcher Dr. Ron Glaser, Ph.D., found that students under pressure had slower-healing wounds and took longer to produce immune system cells.
Cancer cells produce proteins that block the immune system, so there may be an indirect link.

Self-Care Checklist
Source: National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Stress Factors (Stressors):

financial problems too much driving worry about children health problems pressure at work (deadline) not enough exercise poor diet (especially skipping meals) spouse relationship issues being overweight

working too many hours caretaking an elder no quiet time conflict with co-workers bored with routine conflict with family member noisy environment sexual problems nobody to talk to

See life Event - Social Re-adjustment stressors below.

Life Event - Social Readjustment Stressors

The table was updated in 1977 by Schaefer, Hiroto, Wilner and Levin.
See References below.

See the Effects of Stress below.

The following table allows you to determine the total amount of stress you are experiencing by adding up the relative stress values, known as Life Change Units (LCU), for various events. 

The test is used to determine of developing a stress-related illness in the next two years. Check boxes that apply and compute score below.

Adult Stress

See other effects of stress below.

References:

• Holmes, T.H. & Rahe, R.H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213-218.
• Horowitz, M., Schaefer, C., Hiroto, D., Wilner, N., and Levin, B. (1977). Life Event Questionnaires for Measuring Presumptive Stress. Psychosomatic Medicine 39(6): 413-431.

1. Concern for world conditions
2. Slowing down
3. Decreasing number of friends or losing old friends
4. Time with children or grandchildren too short
5. Feeling of remaining time being short
6. Thinking about your own death
7. Change in your sleeping habits ( such as ability to fall or stay asleep, change in place of sleep, etc.)
8. Wishing parts of your life had been different.
9. Constant or recurring pain
10. Reaching a milestone year (becoming 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90)
11. Not enough visits to or from family members
12. Change in your sexual activity
13. Concern for children (such as out of work, divorce, arguments, etc.)
14. Reducing eyesight
15. Concern for grandchildren
16. Concern for completing required forms (such as income tax, Medicare forms, etc.)
17. Decreasing mental abilities (such as forgetting, difficulty with decision-making, planning, etc.)
18. Change in your diet or eating habits
19. Death of close friend
20. Major change in number of family get-togethers

The damaging effects of stress can result in changes in physiological processes which alter an individual's resistance to disease, as well as changes leading to fatigue or malfunctioning of the organ system. The following are examples of stress symptoms :

Physical	Upset stomach, trouble sleeping, accidents and injuries, tight chest or throat, backaches, constipation, headaches, exhaustion, weight loss or gain.
Mental	Trouble concentrating, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, scary thoughts, making errors, repetitive thoughts. Emotional Grumpy, tense, impatient, hopeless, hostile, easily upset, no pleasure in pastimes, lonely, depressed.
Behavioural	Excessive drinking, changes in appetite, driving too fast, illicit drug use, getting into arguments, becoming a loner, working too much, criticising others a lot.

Although stress reactions are physiologically consistent, people do not react to stressors in the same way, nor do individuals react the same way to a particular stressor; stressors are "personal". Some people are "stress seekers" who look to increase the stress in their lives, while others, who feel they have too much stress, suffer from overstress so try to avoid it as much as possible.
Source: Canadian Defence Academy - "Moving-on; A handbook for members preparing for release"