9. Your blood pressure is elevated
Stress is also a major risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. “When you’re constantly dealing with a barrage of stressors, whether it’s financial stress or stress at work, it incites a physiological response to increase your blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure over time can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, and dementia,” Kaiser explains.
In order to lower your blood pressure from stress, Kaiser recommends practicing simple breathing techniques. “We take breathing for granted. Just pausing to have some awareness of your breath can help you relax instantly,” he says. “I count the inhalation and exhalation of my breath and focus on the depth of each breath.”
