EP 319: The Health Impacts of Chronic Stress

I get to talk to a lot of people about stress. And one of the most common things I hear people say is that stress is just ‘part of life’... or ‘unavoidable.’ I can remember a time when I felt this way too. I felt that stress motivated me. It made me who I was. But the truth that I learned the hard way is that chronic stress (something that 77% of American adults suffer) carries some very serious health risks. And in addition to the direct health risks - hypertension, heart arrhythmia, autoimmune issues, loss of telomeres, and more - there are also indirect health risks that arise from the maladaptive coping mechanisms we employ. The good news is that the risks from stress and the benefits of mindfulness read like mirror images of each other! Mindfulness and meditation have been shown to lower blood pressure, strengthen our immune system, and help our bodies produce telomerase which strengthens our telomeres and literally extends the life of our cells. And this is just the beginning of a very long list of other benefits of mindfulness and meditation. If you’d like to learn more, hit me up with an email.