High stress levels can increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which impairs the development of new brain cells and your ability to cope with life’s ups and downs. Therefore, giving yourself a break is imperative. “Just that bit of respite has a very therapeutic effect,” says Dr Carmine Pariante, reader in biological psychiatry at King’s College, London. “Our brain is primed to deal with fleeting stress, but ongoing stress from work or financial problems is very damaging to hormones.”
A short break – even if it’s just for a few days – can help restore levels to normal.
Taking a break can also help boost your sex life. High levels of stress hormones have been shown to lower libido in men (as the body focuses on producing cortisol instead of the hormone testosterone) and can have a similar effect on women.
