The word stress is so overused today that it has nearly lost its meaning. So let’s introduce some new words.

First, say hello to adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, vasopressin and aldosterone. These are all hormones your body releases when a psychological or physical challenge suddenly confronts you. These chemicals play a major role in the inflammation we’ve talked about in this book. Recall that this inflammation damages cells, leading to a host of health problems. Every time you are scared, pressurised, angered or frustrated, your body releases chemicals that lead to inflammation, and this is one of the major problems caused by acute stresss.

But there is fresh news in the world of stress. To understand it, you first need to know that there’s a second type of stress that’s much more problematic than the type caused when someone shouts an insult at you. Chronic psychological stress is when troubles gnaw at yor persistently over time. Think of ongoing financial woes, out-of-control children, tough daily commutes, an underlying sense you cell by cell. It does so by shortening a part of the cell called a telomere.

Telomeres are caps on the ends of the cell’s chromosomes that help to keep chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents ink from leaking. Every time a chromosome unzips to make copies of its genetic materials to the cell can divide, the telomere gets a tiny bit shorter. The shorter the telomere, the worse the cell functions. Studies link shrinking telomeres to numerous age-related conditions, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, insulin resistance and early death, primarily from infection and cardiovascular disease.

Telomeres get some help in maintaining their length from an enzyme called telomerase, which is released by immune system cells. Telomerase builds up telomeres after replication, keeping the cell alive longer and functioning better. Eventually, however, the telomere gets so short it disappears and the cell self-destructs and dies.

The new discovery : chronic psychological stress can shrink telomeres the same way hot water shrinks a woolly jumper. It also seems to lower the amount of telomerase the immune cells release. And, in a vicious circle, the less telomerase you have the greater your body’s response to stress and the more inflammatory chemicals released.

These findings are important because they show how psychological issues such as stress have a harmful physical effect on our cells. The findings also provide crucial good news: it’s how you perceive stress, rather than the actual cause of the stress, that leads to the harm.

If you can find ways to inoculate your body against overreacting to perceived stressors, you will halt the flow of inflammatory chemicals and stop unnatural damage to your cells’ telomeres. One study found that people who practised transcendental meditation for 16 weeks had much better blood pressure, insulin resistance and heart-rate readings when exposed to stress compared with those who didn’t meditate.

This all becomes even more important as you age, since studies find that your body’s reaction to stress increases with age.

Along those lines, then, here’s our advice for protecting yourself against the ageing effects of stress and changing your conscious perception of the stress you encounter. Add these tips to those in the sections above, and you will have all the information you need to live more calmly and happily and for a longer time.