Saturday, November 12, 2011

Why being happy makes your skin beautiful







Do you ever notice how toddlers and babies all have such beautiful skin? Well I have a theory on this. Some of the reason may be because when we are younger our skin can repair itself faster. But I also think it's because when we are children we find joy in the simple things, like bubbles! More and more studies are showing that happy people live longer and have better overall health. Some people may think that great skin is only about how well you take care of it. While I do believe that good skin care is important, it is only part of the equation. Our skin is directly related to our nervous system which is affected during our fight or flight stress response. When we are in this mode of high stress, chemicals are released in our body to help us fight whatever it is we are stressing about. One of these chemicals released is called Cortisol.  Cortisol is toxic in large doses, and when it is released too often in the body it can have side effects such as lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body(acne is inflammatory), decreased muscle tissue, high blood pressure, suppressed thyroid function, increased abdominal fat, blood sugar imbalances, and other scary stuff! It's commonly  believed that we start to develop skin problems such as acne when we enter middle school and high school, a time when it is crucial to fit in. You have stress over grades, friends, drama, prom, and sports. Stress levels are at a maximum, no wonder it's a time when our skin can go bonkers! The interesting thing about stress is that it is perceptual. One person may see an event as stressful, while someone else may not. If we have a painful memory we recall, our brain can't tell the difference and it releases the same chemicals it would if it were the real deal. Sometimes we even stress over imaginary things. Obviously, we have to live our lives and we are going to be stressed out at certain times. In small amounts, stress can actually be helpful to us. It's just when we are stressing about little things all the time that it affects our health. I've noticed a great improvement in my skin and energy levels ever since I've been properly managing my stress. Some of my favorite ways are through yoga, meditation, humor, walks, exercising, and socializing with friends and family. But each person is different, so I encourage you to experiment and find your thing that works for you. Sometimes life can be hard on us, its perfectly fine to allow yourself to be upset and there and can be moments in life where its perfectly justified. You don't want to be stressed out about the fact that your stressed out! It's normal and no one is happy all the time. So if you need to pitch a fit every once in a while, just do it. This is another reason why I think little kids are so healthy, because they don't care what anyone thinks. If they are upset, they let you know it and they don't bottle things up. I am a firm believer that if we are healthy on the inside, we will be beautiful on the outside. I encourage you to find your way of relaxing, your skin will definitely reflect a more vibrant, healthy you! Have a wonderful day!

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