Sport and arguing both put stress on your heart, but fighting is more strenuous for your heart than working out. The reason for this, according to the study, is that emotions from the argument can elevate your blood pressure even after the argument or fight is resolved. Just thinking about a fight can raise your blood pressure!
Doctors have known for a long time that stress is harmful to health, but this study pins down one of the physical effects that stress can have on the body. The researchers found that those tested who were provoked to anger not only took twice as long to lower their blood pressure to normal, but also had a significant jump in blood pressure when they thought about the experience.
The researchers suggested that in order to counteract this effect of emotional stress on the heart, people should learn to let things go and not ruminate or worry about the past.
In another study, one that measured how the heart reacted to stress while in the presence of pets, friends and spouses found that people with pets had a significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure while resting. They also had much smaller increases in blood pressure and heart rate while under stress. Pet owners had the lowest increases in pressure and rate while their pets were present.
The researchers concluded that pets played a significant role in promoting good health.
Psychosomatic Medicine 64:727-739 (2002)
Psychosom Med 2002 Sep-Oct;64(5):714-26
Stress really is not the problem, but rather our ability to handle the stress. For those of you who may not know, W. Clement Stone died on September 4 at the ripe old age of 100 and he was fond of using the term "inverse paranoid".
He believed that the world was conspiring to make him a better person and that every bad thing in his life ultimately was for some greater good.
He wrote or co-authored three books: "The Success System that Never Fails," "Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude" and "The Other Side of the Mind," but I believe the far better books were the ones written by his mentor, Napoleon Hill.
Clearly a positive mental attitude can go a long way towards helping one improve the effect of stress. As the above study suggests, pets can also be helpful.
However, it is far easier, simpler and quicker to utilize the psychological acupressure techniques like EFT to help you accomplish this.
You can review my recently revised Free EFT Manual to help you in this area.