The ripple effects of stress—and how to stop them

Last week started with a lot of turmoil for several of my friends. One is currently going through chemo and radiation. The second friend was having her first checkups after being declared clean from cancer—and that understandably brought its own kind of stress. Later that day I spoke to a friend whose marriage is about to fall apart. And then at night I heard from another friend who’s about to lose his job.

That’s a lot. And this was just one day. For my friends. Let alone everyone else in the world—especially with all that’s going on right now.

I went to bed with these people on my mind. I was seeing the stress these situations were causing for them and that made me want to offer help. Because when I see people I care for in pain and uncertainty, I want to assist them. Not just with supportive words and a listening ear—which is huge. But also with practical tips that make a real difference.

The ripple effects of stress

Because the problem is that stress doesn’t just feel extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant. It has a huge impact on how well your body functions.

Stress hinders your ability to make good decisions.

Prolonged states of stress deplete the body of its reserves and prevent it from doing what it’s supposed to be doing on an average day like cell generation, digestion, et cetera.

Stress hormones weaken the immune system, increase aging and the risk of (chronic) disease.

So I decided to create a program that offers first aid in times of stress. So that the impact of whatever event is happening in your life isn’t causing any more harm than the event itself already does.

There’s no need to suffer the ripple effects of long-term stress on your body. Or to experience the negative effects of not being able to think clearly.

Because stress signals to the body that there is a threat—and as a result it sends blood to your arms and legs so you can fight or flee. The body believes it’s fighting for its existence. As a result, the prefrontal cortex isn’t getting the blood flow it needs to support decision-making.

In fact, stress has such a big impact on our ability to think that it lowers our IQ—as shown by this research at Princeton University:

“On average, a person preoccupied with money problems exhibited a drop in cognitive function similar to a 13-point dip in IQ, or the loss of an entire night’s sleep.”

That’s why people who are suffering from stress might make decisions that seem illogical. Like getting a dog when you can barely make ends meet. Or starting a new expensive or time-consuming hobby.

Any logically thinking person would realize that that’s not the best way to spend your limited funds, time and energy. But when there’s (financial) distress, people don’t recognize the consequences of their actions because that part of the brain isn’t functioning optimally. Their capacity to think is literally impeded.

To fix that we need to lower your stress.

That’s why I created this program full of practical tools to help you do that.

That’s why I’m offering it for such an affordable price.

That’s why I hope you will tell your friends about this.

This program is for anyone dealing with stress and turmoil in their life.

Come home in times of stress
How to stay centered when your world is falling apart

We start May 26^th.

Get your seat or read more here

This program will help you dial down the volume of your fear, anxiety and uncertainty—so that you feel calmer and centered, and can focus on the best next step forward in your situation.

Iris van Ooyen guides people home to themselves. As a life transformation mentor with 20+ years of experience, she offers hope with a compass—helping you find your way back to who you truly are when life’s demands have made you lose touch with yourself. She’s the author of Radiant: How to Have All the Energy You Need to Live a Life You Love. When you feel life should be more than this, contact Iris to come home to yourself—and love your life again. 

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