https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/if-you-want-to-live-longer-take-good-care-of-your-telomeres/2017/01/13/0127ab70-d69d-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html?utm_term=.7be9de6bab30
A couple paragraphs from there;
Pay attention to this story as if your life depended on it.
That’s because thinking about things other than the task at hand can seriously up your anxiety level. Not to stress you out or anything, but that might make you age faster, get sick and die, according to “The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer,” a book from molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel.
Blackburn
(and two colleagues) won the Nobel Prize in 2009 for the discovery of
telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the bits of DNA on either end of
your chromosomes. Those bits are called telomeres, and they’re often
compared to the plastic caps on shoelaces.
It’s a strategy based on the book’s promising premise: Even
if you’re a total stress case, it’s possible to reverse the negative
effects by transforming how you respond to situations.
The
key, the authors explain, is to develop a “challenge” response.
Basically, instead of crumbling under the pressure of responsibilities
or events, you should have a “bring it on!” mentality. It also helps to
banish negativity, practice self-compassion and not be an idiot about
your health. (I.e., get enough sleep and physical activity, cut out
processed foods and smoking.)
I looked at stroke recovery as a challenge not as 'woe is me'.
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