Dear Future Centenarian,
I talk about, think about and try to
live a healthy lifestyle designed to extend my life and preserve my health. But
I know there are no guarantees. All we can do is increase our life extension
odds to the best of our abilities. One way to do that is to manage the stress in
your life. You can do everything else right. But if you are chronically
stressed, that can undo all your other good habits. In fact, stress may even rob
you of your chances to maximize your healthspan.
Simply
put, chronic
stress kills. It kills by way of weakening your immune system, causing heart
disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more. In fact, 80% of all doctor visits in the U.S. are related
to stress induced conditions. These include high blood pressure,
kidney damage, colon cancer, ulcers, food allergies, digestive problems,
diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Stress can affect every one of the
trillions of cells in your body. In essence, chronic stress accelerates aging and makes you sick.
But even if
you are stressed out, there’s good news. Stress management can measurably
reverse much of the stress induced damage very quickly. You can even restore
your over taxed immune system in ninety days or less. Best of all, your benefits
accumulate. The longer you practice stress management techniques, the healthier
you become.
Next week, I
will discuss some simple ways to reduce stress. For now, let me share a simple
observation with you.
I have
concluded there is one overriding cause of
stress. In fact, it may be the only cause. In one word, it’s
“reaction”.
You probably
know what thoughts and actions advance you forward in life. I hope you know what
specific action or actions energize you and are most productive for you. What
are you best at? Know these answers, focus on those related activities, and you
will cut 90% of the stress out of your life. In other words, get “proactive”.
Take control of your life one day at a time.
Is that how
you manage most of your average day? Probably not. If you do, congratulations!
But if you’re like me, you’re constantly faced with interruptions. Phone calls,
emails, family emergencies, mail, unexpected guests, tax issues, bill paying,
other peoples’ agendas, etc, etc, etc.
So how do you keep this insidious
killer from robbing you of your health, happiness and prosperity? It’s actually
very simple advice. Plan your days in advance, and stick to your plans. Fill
your schedule with positive uplifting actions that move you toward your goals.
Go back a few weeks in your daytimer and list all your counterproductive
reactionary items. Do the same moving forward for the next two weeks. Every time
you react to something, and every time you feel stress, write it down. Write
down what you hate doing as well. Then record what you do but are not especially
good at.
Now group these items and hand them
off. Delegate them. Outsource them. Or just ignore the ones that won’t damage
you if they don’t get done.
Second, work in peace, quiet and
privacy. Shut distractions out during designated chunks of your day. Work your
way up to all day if possible. Turn of your phone and email during these
periods. Close your door, and leave specific instructions to not bother you
except in an extreme emergency such as a medical crisis or anything else that is
absolutely life or business threatening.
Once you master these habits, you’ll
wonder why you didn’t do so years ago. Your business and personal life will
prosper like never before… and you’ll live longer.
By the way, I was interrupted twice
while I was writing to you, because I am not behind a closed door. Being
distracted and then trying to refocus doubled the time it should have taken me
to write this. I write to myself as much as to you. We all need to keep
reminding ourselves, over and over. The rewards far outweigh the
effort.
Long Life