Unhealthy family dynamics can overwhelm empaths and highly sensitive people who lack the same stress-blocking filters that others have. Empaths are emotional sponges who absorb the stress of others. Though everyone is susceptible to emotional contagion, it’s amplified in empaths and highly sensitive people. They take on the stress of loved ones and can actually feel others’ emotions in their own bodies.

More people are empaths than most realize. Close to 20 percent of the population is particularly vulnerable to other people’s stress and emotions. This can result in panic attacks, depression, exhaustion and a range of physical ailments.

As soon as stress hits,immediately take a few short, deep breaths.

The heightened stress that often accompanies holiday togetherness causes sensory overload in empaths. They are especially susceptible to the stress caused by the narcissists or “emotional vampires” in the family. But empaths can learn strategies that can keep them from an emotional hangover — especially during the  holidays.

To take charge of their emotions and find relief, empaths can draw from these techniques:

1. Use conscious breathing. As soon as stress hits, immediately take a few deep, slow breaths. Breathing helps you expel tension so it doesn’t lodge in your body.
2. Place your hand over your heart. Just as mothers console their babies by patting their chest, you can put your hand over your heart to calm yourself. The heart area is the center for unconditional love. When you touch it, love will be activated and start blissful biochemicals called endorphins throughout your body.
3. Use visualization. Picture divine white light coming through the crown of your head and darkness flowing out the bottom of your feet. By keeping energy flowing out of your body, this reduces a feeling of being overwhelmed.
4. Engage in positive self-talk. Say to yourself, “This is a momentary situation. I will find a way to handle this. Everything will be okay.” Don’t let negative or fear-based voices get in the way of consoling yourself with kindness.
5. Develop a “witness state”. When you notice yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, tell yourself, “I am not this emotion. I can center myself and detach from my stress. I can lovingly witness the feelings I’m experiencing. Realizing that you are larger than the feeling will le you relax and offer you perspective.
6. Take a break. Create alone time to regroup and center yourself. This can be a bathroom break, or, if you can, go for a walk. Spending time in a natural setting, particularly near water, can clear the negativity. Quiet everything. Go inward and connect with your own healing energy.
7. Get extra sleep and take power naps. You’re more prone to absorb negative energy when you’re tired, which is why it’s critical to get enough sleep during the busy-ness of the holidays. Sleep is a healing balm that calms the nervous system If you’re especially feeling the stress of the season, plan on getting extra sleep and take short power naps (20 minutes or so) during the day. A calm, peaceful period before sleep when you meditate or listen to soothing music will reduce your stimulation and help you sleep more deeply.

The hikers, nature lovers, and health enthusiasts have come from far and wide to experience a few of the many natural hot springs scattered across the American West. By soaking in the 120+ degree waters, they’ll tap into a centuries-old wellness tradition of thermal and mineral baths and experience a list of benefits that is nothing short of, well…magic. (New Mexico’s official slogan is The Land of Enchantment, after all.)

The Jemez hot springs are just one of many ways that people can try out balneology, the practice of healing illness with mineral water.

Balneology has roots in many indigenous cultures and can be traced 5,000 years through history to the Bronze Age, where it was used by the Greeks and Romans throughout Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. In Germany and Japan, mineral bathing remains a popular choice for the health-conscious, with millions of people visiting thermal/mineral bath spas each year.

But is it just magic?

Ok, fine—not really. There’s a lot of science behind it as well. Soaking in hot water is known to help improve skin conditions, relieve muscle tension, clear the mind, and give the immune system a boost. Researchers are finding that this is likely the result of “passive heating” provided by the bath. Passive heating occurs when the heat source is outside of the body, as opposed to active heating, when the body is generating its own heat (like breaking a sweat at the gym). This allows the body to reap all of the benefits that increased temperature has to offer, without the exertion of having to work for it.

One study on passive heating found that a 30-minute hot bath burned the same number of calories as a 30-minute walk, and that the 30-minute bath was actually more effective at regulating blood sugar levels.

When you add minerals into the mix, the promise for health benefits grows even stronger. Natural salts, calcium, iron, sulfate, and magnesium are among the minerals that can be found throughout natural hot springs and man-made spa pools. Though their exact effects are still being studied, it is well known that these minerals can make skin silky smooth. Some dermatologists believe that this also leads to healthier skin in the long term, as the minerals regulate the bacterial colonies that live on our skin surfaces and trigger acne, eczema, dryness, and other conditions.

The heat and mineral combination might even help our bodies absorb some of the minerals that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to, explaining a large body of non-clinical evidence that suggests mineral baths help to relieve muscle fatigue and speed recovery.

The great part about thermal and mineral baths is that—while spas and remote hot springs are pretty tempting—it’s pretty easy to recreate them in the comfort of your own home if you have a bath tub. Beauty brands like Pursoma offer mineral bath kits to get you started. Or, you can get creative with your own mix of minerals, maybe even adding in a few essential oils for an aromatherapy boost.

Of course, you’ll want to check with your doctor first to make sure you won’t be putting yourself at risk. And please, if you see a hot spring while you’re out hiking, don’t just assume that it’s safe to take a dip. Some hot springs, like those in the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone, National Park, can reach a scalding 459 degrees Fahrenheit…proving that while getting hot feels great, there is definitely such a thing as too hot.

You started as a seed, your pets, the tree outside your window, the ideas that led to your iPhone, your tablet, and laptop started as seeds. As society races towards a high-tech future, shooting for the moon (and Mars), we’re learning that, despite our progress, there is much we have left to do. Diseases, inequality, and climate change remind us that some of our most pressing problems are still looming—and that the clock is ticking to find a solution.

Rather than look into the future to tackle these issues, a subset of activists, health professionals, and researchers are looking back, way back, to where it all started: seeds. Instead of investing in cutting-edge gadgets to serve their communities, they are doing something else:

planting gardens, and within them, tackling a range of issues including disease, mental illness, and social inequality.

As a result, they’re popularizing a mode of healing that can rival even the most popular medications: garden-based nature therapy. In schools, hospitals, and vacant neighborhood lots across the country, mini-miracles are happening as communities come together, surgical patients heal at faster rates, and chronic illnesses disappear, starting what might just be a seed-based health revolution.

In many ways, a hospital is an unlikely setting for a garden. But, guided by a growing body of evidence supporting the healing properties of gardens, hospitals are making green spaces a central part of their design.

Studies have found that these spaces have the ability to lower stress levels, consequently improving mental health and boosting immune function. This can lead to patients recovering more quickly and feeling less pain in the process.

One groundbreaking study of surgical patients found that those who had simply viewed green spaces outside of their windows as compared to a plain wall were less likely to need pain medication or develop complications. On top of that, patients who viewed the green spaces recovered, on average, a full day faster than those who had not.

And it isn’t just the patients that are benefiting—it’s the whole hospital community.

Hospital workers, many of whom work in high-stress conditions all day long, are finding that the gardens offer valuable space to slow down, collect, and refresh their energy. One study found that hospital gardens can even help lower obesity rates in hospital communities, regardless of whether or not those spaces are producing fruits and vegetables to consume.

Rehabilitation facilities have found success with therapeutic gardens as well.

At Four Circles, a nature-based rehabilitation center in North Carolina, patients are encouraged to spend time in one of four herb and vegetable gardens, where they can stimulate their senses while learning practical gardening skills. Experts there say that this enriches traditional therapy by encouraging patients to take healthy risks while reinforcing the value of hard work.

Even outside of health establishments, gardens can work their healing magic. School and community gardens have been popping up all over the map, often sparked by one or two enthusiastic community members.

These green spaces bring together many generations and cultures, encouraging the exchange of both practical gardening knowledge and life wisdom. Some community gardens blossom into full-on urban agriculture centers like Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, an organization that transformed a sprawling NYC rooftop into green-machines churning out fruits, veggies, and herbs. Such local produce is essential to addressing the pressing shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables available to middle and low income urban residents.

One of the more exciting things about this mini green health revolution is that it’s just getting started. Want to join? Just get out there with your hands, some dirt, a willingness to work, and of course, seeds. You might even find that it catches on in your family and community…because everything starts with a seed, even revolution.

And yet, if meditation truly has as many benefits as it is purported to have, why is it that only 8% of Americans choose to meditate?

An integral component of the Buddhist religion, meditation often brings to mind images of peaceful monks sitting cross-legged, quiet gardens, and serene landscapes – a far cry from the frenetic pace of city streets that many of us call home. For many, this promise of absolute serenity is what draws them to the practice. Who wouldn’t want to swap out the grating metal clank of a braking train with the soft, flowing water of a meditation garden fountain? But for others (like the 92% of Americans who don’t practice meditation), this idea of absolute serenity is what keeps them from trying. In a world that seemingly moves at the speed of light, sitting still—and finding the time to sit still—seems like an impossible feat, an “unaffordable” luxury.

But it’s 2018, and there’s a new form of meditation on the block…

It’s called micro-meditation, and it puts up a tough challenge to these meditation nay-sayers. With each practice fitting in to an existing daily routine, or taking less than two minutes to complete, it’s pretty hard to say you don’t have time for micro-meditation.

Drawing on the human tendency towards ritualistic behaviors, micro-meditations transform everyday actions into opportunities for physical + emotional healing. Like rituals, micro-meditations can be performed in large communal settings, completely alone, or anywhere in between.

Here are 10 Ways to Micro-Meditate — No Sitting Required:
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1. Washing Dishes

   Yes, even washing dishes can be a meditation if you make it one. Especially for those of us who wouldn’t typically enjoy this task, doing a micro-meditation while scrubbing can be a great way to learn how to find peace in any According to the Wall Street Journal, researchers have found that mindfully washing dishes can significantly reduce nervousness and increase mental stimulation. To try it for yourself, pay close attention to your senses: observe the smell of the soap, the temperature of the water, and the feel of the dish. When your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the task at hand.
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2. Going to the Gym

   Is going to the gym (or another form of exercise) already part of your daily routine? If so, try incorporating a breathing micro-meditation into your workout. At a comfortable pace, inhale for three counts and then exhale for three counts – repeat for several cycles. The focus on breathing will bring mental focus + calmness, and reduce anxiety.
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3. Riding the Elevator

   A lot of guided meditations ask participants to visualize riding an elevator – so why not take advantage of the awkward silence of your actual elevator rides by doing a micro-meditation? On the first floor, pay special attention to your feet. Observe how the ground is moving beneath them, and scan for any discomfort. Let your focus point rise with each floor: first to your legs, then torso, chest, arms, neck, and finally, head. Breathe deeply at each floor. As you exhale, imagine a wave of relaxation washing over the body parts of focus.
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4. Morning Reading

   If the first thing you read in the morning is on your phone, you might want to reconsider. Business Insider reports that checking your phone right when you wake up can actually sabotage your productivity, causing you to focus on negative thoughts such as what you missed yesterday. Instead, pick up a book of daily meditations and turn to a random page. Reflect on the meaning of the passage you chose, and return to the passage throughout the day.
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5. Riding the Train

   It’s quite common to be frustrated by your fellow train passengers, especially those who are too close to you, chewing loudly, or having long phone conversations. But letting these frustrations simmer can be toxic for your mood. Instead, picture yourself near a shallow pond with a beautiful assortment of lily pads. Associate each lily pad with a negative thought about your fellow passengers. As each lily pad floats towards you, push it gently away from you and watch it float away. Feel the peace that results from letting go.
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6. Walking

   The average person takes 10,000 steps a day—that’s 10,000 opportunities for micro-meditations! Researchers at UC Berkeley have designed a perfect walking meditation to help you step into mindfulness. Give it a try!
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7. Taking a Shower

   Use your shower as a time to clean your mind and your body. As the water runs over you, let it wash negative feels away. Replace those negative feelings with gratitude: gratitude for your hot running water, gratitude for your body and all that it does. Carry that gratitude with you throughout the rest of your day.
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8. Drinking Coffee

   Instead of reading the paper or scrolling through your phone while enjoying your morning cup of coffee, try clearing the table and your mind by simply being mindful of your surroundings. Scan for any sounds or sights that come and go. If you find your mind wandering too much, guide your attention back to the act of sipping.
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9. Taking a Bathroom Break

   If you frequently find yourself getting lost in the day, using your bathroom breaks as a cue for micro-meditations is a great way to stay calm, focused, and relaxed even with a busy schedule. After you wash your hands, take three long On your last breath, exhale for as long as you can, feeling your diaphragm deflate. Your next breath will send fresh, oxygenated blood throughout your body, recharging your mind for the work ahead.
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10. Sitting in a Meeting

    Believe it or not, a task as simple as consciously listening to those that are speaking in a meeting can be a centering micro-meditation. To try it for yourself, just gently guide your thoughts back to the person who is speaking whenever you feel your mind begin to wander. You may be surprised at how frequently you are tempted to drift!

When someone is under stress they can appear up to 5 years older, 10 years if they don’t manage stress or make changes to their lives. Stressful relationships and careers age people. I have seen patients end relationships or get new jobs and look 10 years younger within days.  People are spending money on creams, facials and cosmetic procedures but if the stress is still there it will still show in their face.

Here are Ways Stress is Written All Over Your Face

1. You have dark circles. Stress results in blood flow to main organs plus capillaries under eyes are fragile and break under stress leaving your face looking sallow and tired. Dark circles seem more apparent.
2. Mini-Menopause The jury is still out on exactly how or if this is possible, but it appears that the constant flow of cortisol that goes along with chronic stress causes a dip in estrogen, one that mimics, on a smaller scale, the dip that occurs during menopause. Less estrogen means less collagen and less moisture. So, while estrogen levels may not drop enough to shut down your period, stress may make them dip enough to make your skin look dull and dry.

3. You notice more wrinkles. Life’s stress due to divorce, death of loved one, job-loss, financial concerns; impacts our brain chemistry. When we feel sad or anxious, are crying or not sleeping well it’s common to see deeper lines around the middle of the eyes, forehead, under eye area and mouth.
4. You itch, flake and even have hives.  Stress leads to inflammation which may lead to rashes, rosacea, eczema flare ups and changes in skin moisture.
5. People ask if you’re feeling okay. When the Starbucks barista or guy at the dry cleaners asks if you’re feeling okay, pay attention. These people may not know the details of your life but they know how you look because they see you quickly.
6. Under-Eye Bags: Tomorrow’s to-do list can weigh on your mind, keeping you from getting enough beauty sleep. This can cause fluid to pool below your lower eyelid area, and what you end up with is a puffy mess in the a.m. Stomach sleepers, bad news: You can expect the puffiness of your under-eye bags to be even worse because of gravity.
7. Increased jaw size– Heavy jaw: Grinding teeth and clenching of the jaw are common symptoms of stress. Unfortunately, these habits can cause the jaw muscles to work overtime. This can result not only in damaged teeth, but also a heavier than usual jawline, as the muscles become larger with the grinding action.
8. Hair Loss: Stress can cause sudden hair loss by literally flipping the switch on the hair follicle’s growth stage from an active to a resting phase. Once the follicle enters this resting phase prematurely, it stays there for about three months, after which time a large amount of hair will be shed. When you experience an overall shedding of hair, you must cast back a few months to find the trigger. Rest assured that in most women, this hair will grow back.
9. Adult Acne: Acne isn’t just for hormonally crazed teenagers. Many adults can’t seem to outgrow it because of stress hormones. What makes it worse is that tense people often can’t leave pimples alone. Squeezing, poking and picking at them becomes an almost obsessive way to release tension, but it also makes breakouts worse, exacerbating the inflammatory response, and you’re left feeling a bit more stressed. So no picking
10. Hormonal Mood Swings: There is a lot of interaction between hormone physiology and mood that works both ways. Our mood can impact our physiology, and our physiology can influence the balance of our hormones. If stress can sit at the top of a cascade of events that lead to undesirable hormonal changes in the body (like those that trigger insomnia, insatiable hunger and weight gain, and collagen breakdown), then what we want to do is find ways to gain the upper hand on our stress level and ensure that we keep all those hormones in check

The good news is that we can get to the root cause of our stress and manage it. When you notice changes in your facial appearance take inventory of what is going on in your life and what may be stressing you out. Simple things like sitting quietly for 10 minutes focusing on breathing, writing in a journal, exercising or taking a walk outside, reading, baking, painting, listening to music and reaching for an activity that takes focus off the stress is helpful. If you find yourself reverting back to the stressful issue consider therapy. Clearly there is a connection between how we look and how we feel and think.

Dr. Sanam Hafeez, Colombia University Professor and Founder of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services in New York City, provides neuropsychological educational and developmental evaluations in her practice.  She also works with children and adults who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, autism, attention and memory problems, trauma and brain injury, abuse, childhood development and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…) In addition, Dr. Hafeez serves as a medical expert and expert witness by providing full evaluations and witness testimony to law firms and courts. Please visit www.comprehendthemind.com 

Caregiving for a loved one is stressful and the physical and emotional effects longstanding. Caregivers experience anxiety, depression, declines in health, and a number of other conditions as the result of the role of caregiving. If you find the effects of caregiving difficult to believe the example I share is Christopher Reeve and his wife Dana. Christopher was injured in a horseback riding accident and was cared for by his devoted wife and family for many years. After Christopher passed in October 2004, his wife, Dana, was diagnosed with lung cancer the following August—never having smoked a cigarette. Dana passed away in March of 2006.

What happens to caregivers who already have chronic diseases including a prior diagnosis of cancer? Should individuals already diagnosed with a chronic disease be more cautious about their health when caring for another person?

I recently consulted with a wife who had knee replacement surgery only to learn at the time of surgery that her breast cancer returned; the only treatment available was palliative chemotherapy. The wife came to me because she was the caregiver for her husband diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and she wanted to make a long term plan for his care.

After receiving the news that her cancer had returned the plan changed from being her husband’s long-term caregiver to planning for her husband’s care without her in his life and making plans for her own care. It was evident that the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease was taking its toll on my client in addition to the emotional stress of learning about a terminal diagnosis of cancer with a defined time limit. For this couple the experience of being diagnosed with cancer and the role of caregiving and care-receiving posed similar but sometimes opposite experiences.

The many effects of caregiving—while often not immediately life threatening—have much in common with the effects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Individuals with cancer experience declines in health, episodes of anxiety, fatigue, loss of appetite and body changes, sleep problems, confusion and feelings of overwhelm, anger, and sadness.

My discussion with this woman revolved around practical considerations for bill paying and identifying a companion for her husband’s safety as well as a caregiver to provide general support on days she would not be feeling well after chemotherapy treatments. Even more practical discussions were held about his and her end of life care, legally responsible parties to serve as medical and financial power of attorney, cremation plans, and how to discuss her advancing condition with a husband diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease who likely would not understand.

The options of receiving in home care versus moving to a care community where her husband might adjust and make new acquaintances that would support him after her death was a timely and important subject. At least she would be comforted to know where her husband would live and who would provide for his care after her passing. Caregiving is challenging when one person requires care, however when both spouses require care and the death of one spouse is imminent the challenges seem to rapidly multiply.

Some spouses are unable to have these important discussions and are at a loss to make plans. This emotional distress results in “overwhelm,” and that makes planning difficult; many individuals in these situations feel immobilized. Children may or may not be supportive or available depending on proximity to parents and the busyness of their own lives.

In the case of this couple, the husband was the one who managed the finances and was now experiencing an inability to organize and comprehend the documents that arrived in the mail. Agreeing to allow his wife to act in the role of financial manager was damaging to the husband’s self-esteem and he struggled with comprehending that he was no longer able to complete this activity with the ease experienced prior to his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Years ago, I became the guardian for a woman whose husband died from cancer and failed to make plans for her care, assuming that somehow, someone would care for her after his death. Through the court system I was appointed to be the person who coordinated and made certain that she received care. Fortunately her husband did leave sufficient financial resources to support his wife’s care in the lifestyle they were accustomed to prior to his passing.

I imagine that the last several months of his life were overwhelming, attempting to care for his wife and for himself. There were no in home caregivers at the time that I became involved and I can only assume that due to his health and the corresponding pain and symptoms that making it through a single day was considered a success.

For cancer patients, discussion of managing pain and symptoms through practical methods of medications and alternative treatments like massage, relaxation, and other techniques is important. Many caregivers, not facing a terminal diagnoses, experience anxiety: feelings of being tense or nervous, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, sudden feelings of doom, trouble breathing and butterflies or nervousness in the stomach. Individuals with cancer often experience anxiety. Medication, exercise and self-care are mandatory for both the care recipient and the care receiver.

Fatigue is a common among individuals diagnosed with cancer as well as caregivers working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to care for loved ones. Monitoring nutrition, planning daily activities and identifying others to help is important to managing care situations. Naps are also beneficial but not too much so that that one is awake all night. Caregivers often sleep lightly as they are listening for their loved one to wake from a sound sleep. Individuals with cancer and other medical concerns often have trouble falling asleep, wake up and are unable to fall back asleep and sleep for short periods of time.

Loss of appetite and changes in the body are common: weight loss, weight gain, constipation, nausea and vomiting affect individuals diagnosed with cancer. How comforting might it be to have an individual to help with the practicalities of grocery shopping and preparation of meals to support a topsy-turvy stomach? Caregivers also experience similar events as the result of caregiver stress and exhaustion.

Confusion, memory loss, and an inability to focus are also common to caregivers as well as people experiencing cancer. Being a care recipient and a caregiver has similar stressors of different natures. Care recipients worry about their own health and well-being as well as sometimes feeling that their care might be a burden for family members. Caregivers worry about loved ones and mourn the loss of free time, spending time with friends, and dream of living a life without so many complications and daily responsibilities.

Cancer and other chronic and life threatening diseases change the life of individuals seemingly overnight and result in the role of care receiver. These life changing events also result in the role of caregiver. It is important to understand that the effects of conditions leading to a need for care are similar to the experiences of caregivers caring for a loved one. In both roles compassion, understanding, patience, and grace support positive relationships and allow individuals to make practical plans for care needs today and in the future.

Constant stress on your body and mind, as well as limited physical activity, can lead to emotional disorders like depression and anxiety, which can develop into various other conditions that stand in the way of aging well.

So, how do you combat your emotional and physical stressors to promote a healthier lifestyle? Try a therapeutic massage, which can definitely help you feel younger, increase your quality of life, and support aging well. For instance, many older adults complain of chronic back or joint pain; massage therapy can easily help relieve aches and reduce your need for painkillers. And the better you feel, the more likely you are to stay active, which is critical for aging well.

Regardless of the style, regular treatments from a registered massage therapist can benefit virtually everyone, but especially older adults who want to optimize their chances of aging well. Here are four ways massage therapy can help slow the aging process.

Improves Circulatory System

Massage therapy helps with aging well, because it helps the circulatory system, which contains your cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. The cardiovascular system is known to decline with age because of high cholesterol diets and plaque buildup, reduction of elasticity of vasculature, and stress. Massages can naturally promote aging well by decreasing cardiovascular stress, improving vessel health, and improving your overall tissue nutrition.

The lymphatic system is also important for aging well, because it removes excess fluid, pathogens, dead blood cells, toxins, and cells with cancer implications. A poor lymphatic system may result in pain, fatigue, cold hands and feet, and other body aches that interfere with efforts to keep aging well. Your blood flow is improved when pressure is applied along your various tissues and extremities.

Boosts Immune System

When your immune system is strong, you’re less likely to get sick and more likely to continue aging well. Lymphocyte (white blood cell) production is required for immune response and illness prevention. For example, HIV positive men responded to regular massage with increased cellular immune profile and blood serotonin levels, and an overall improvement for fighting disease in the body, according to a study.

Massages can strengthen immunity and promote aging well by improving lymphatic circulation, boosting the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity, and lowering the circulation levels of cortisol and insulin. Massages can help increase lymphocytes, which releases cytotoxic granules to fight tumor cells and other viruses that would otherwise get in the way of aging well.

Improve Osteoarthritis

Older adults with osteoarthritis are known to benefit from massage therapy treatments. According to a survey out of Washington, 57% of the 122 respondents with osteoarthritis would use massage therapy over chiropractic care, dietary supplements, or over-the-counter medications. You can ensure that you’re aging well with massage therapy, because it can help flush out toxic inflammatory substances that add to swelling and pain. The massage treatment would increase your mobility, improve blood flow, and allow for more oxygen circulation to help with healing—all of these factors are important for osteoarthritis patients who are concerned about aging well.

Stress Management

Stress can be detrimental to your health and aging well, because it can increase your cortisol and insulin levels. It can also make your body tense and increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and your internal organs must therefore work harder to function. Cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke are all possible results from stress.

Massage therapy is a great stress management technique. It used to be considered a relaxing luxury, and now many people who are interested in aging well get massages for health purposes, including helping to reduce stress and for mental health relief. Studies support that massage therapy programs can lower blood pressure and cortisol stress hormone levels, which improves your cardiovascular health and lowers depression and anxiety symptoms. You can also improve sleep and reduce headaches with a regular massage.

The findings, by researchers from North Carolina State University, are based on a pilot study of older adults.

“This finding tells us, for the first time, that these behaviors are dynamic,” said Dr. Shevaun Neupert, lead author of a paper describing the study and an associate professor of psychology at NC State. “This highlights a whole new area for researching the psychology of daily health and well-being.

“And these are behaviors that can be taught,” Neupert adds. “The more we understand what’s really going on, the better we’ll be able to help people deal effectively with the stressors that come up in their lives.”

In their study, the investigators looked at 43 adults between the ages of 60 and 96.

Participants were asked to fill out a daily questionnaire on their activities and feelings – including whether anything stressful had happened – on the current day, according to a news release from the university. They were also asked whether they expected a stressful even the next day, and how they were getting ready for it.

The results found that people used different coping behaviors to prepare for different stressors, and that those coping behaviors changed from day to day.

“The findings tell us that one person may use multiple coping mechanisms over time – something that’s pretty exciting since we didn’t know this before,” Neupert says. “But we also learned that what you do on Monday really makes a difference for how you feel on Tuesday.”

“This was a pilot study, so we don’t want to get carried away,” Neupert says. “But these findings are very intriguing. They raise a lot of questions, and we’re hoping to follow up with a much larger study.”

The findings were published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

“Women tend to report greater stress and more stressful life events than men, potentially because of their different roles in family life and work, as compared to men,” said first author Xiao Xu, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “This difference in the level of stress may be an important reason for sex-based differences in recovery after acute myocardial infarction.”

According to a news release from Yale Medicine, to reach their conclusion Xu and her colleagues used data from the Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender Outcomes on Young AMI Patients (VIRGO) study, the largest prospective observational study of young and middle-aged women and men with AMI. VIRGO studied AMI patients 18 to 55 years old from a large, diverse network of 103 hospitals in the United States, 24 in Spain and 3 in Australia from 2008 to 2012.

They found that compared with men women had higher rates of diabetes, depression and cancer as well as greater financial strain and more family responsibilities.

Xu added, “Helping patients develop positive attitudes and coping skills for stressful situations may not only improve their psychological well-being, but also help recovery after AMI. Stress management interventions that recognize and address different sources of stress for men and women would be beneficial.”

The findings were published in the journal Circulation.

The team linked elevated amounts of cortisol to the gradual loss of synapses in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that houses short-term memory. Previous studies have shown that cortisol negatively affects other regions of the aging brain, but this was the first study to examine its impact on the prefrontal cortex. Synapses are the connections that help us process, store, and recall information.

The release quotes corresponding author Jason Radley as saying, “Stress hormones are one mechanism that we believe leads to weathering of the brain.”

Although the findings are preliminary, they raise the possibility that short-memory decline in aging adults may be slowed or prevented with treatments that decrease levels of cortisol in susceptible individuals, Radley said. That could mean treating people who have high levels of cortisol, such as those who are depressed or those who experience traumatic life events like the death of a loved one.
According to Radley and Rachel Anderson, the paper’s lead author, short-term memory lapses related to cortisol start around age 65.