Is stress shortening your life?

Everybody experiences stressors. How this affects you health and longevity depends on how you respond to stress.  Do a Google search on "does stress shorten your lifespan" and you find an abundance of articles and research demonstrating the relationship between stress response and lifespan.

There is an abundance of resources to help you better respond to stress.  Many are free ans simple to do. But, similar to eating healthy and exercising, they are often forgotten or dismissed.  How you prioritize your health is reflected in what you do to stay healthy.

There is a more thorough approach to stress management called resilience training.  Resilience is the concept of dealing with stress in a positive and healthy way that allows you to bounce back better than you were before the stressor.  You know that muscles get stronger by using them to their maximum. In the same way you can get mentally and emotionally stronger by using stress as mental weight lifting. The challenge is to engage these mental exercises regularly, just as you should be doing with physical exercise.

The methods utilized in resilience training are quick, simple and have been shown to be clinically effective. Pick up a training book on Amazon, find a few exercises that fit with your schedule and personality, and DO IT.

I am planning to offer a resilience training workshop in February 2019. My current plan is to have a 60-90 minute session once weekly for 4 weeks. Start time would be 5:15 pm.  Attendees are expected to purchase the workbook and read the introductory chapter prior to the first class.  I haven't determined the fee yet, or if it will be billable to insurance. I will keep you posted via this blog and my office Facebook page.