I vote you do the full piece you suggested at the end of the SAID principles section. Happy to co-author over on our substack as well! So appreciate you taking the time to unpack Healthspan a bit from a perspective of adapatability and not just application.
Dr Leitner - Thank you for for such a well thought out and researched piece. From a clinical perspective, a lot of what you highlight makes sense to me. It’s encouraging to see a shift toward dynamic models of health that measure not just static biomarkers but the body’s ability to respond, recover and grow stronger under stress.
Your work reminds me that avoiding stress altogether isn't the point in life but more about fostering health and wellness systems that allow us to adapt wisely over time.
Great question. Take fear, for example: do we avoid it or do we move a little closer to explore what’s happening within us? In my work, I often frame overcoming difficulty as a kind of skill building process. Rather than avoiding stress or fear, I encourage patients to lean in just enough to meet it with awareness and curiosity, sort of like practicing a new skill.
It takes time to understand what lies beneath the surface of fear and I try to normalize that. My goal usually isn’t to eliminate discomfort but more help me and my patients build adaptability. To help them strengthen their ability to respond and recover from stress better. I think of it like training a muscle or expanding emotional range.
Over time, this often shifts their relationship with stress from something to fear or escape to something approached with an attitude of let’s just see what we find out.
I vote you do the full piece you suggested at the end of the SAID principles section. Happy to co-author over on our substack as well! So appreciate you taking the time to unpack Healthspan a bit from a perspective of adapatability and not just application.
Dr Leitner - Thank you for for such a well thought out and researched piece. From a clinical perspective, a lot of what you highlight makes sense to me. It’s encouraging to see a shift toward dynamic models of health that measure not just static biomarkers but the body’s ability to respond, recover and grow stronger under stress.
Your work reminds me that avoiding stress altogether isn't the point in life but more about fostering health and wellness systems that allow us to adapt wisely over time.
Interesting to hear. How do you frame overcoming difficulty with your patients?
Great question. Take fear, for example: do we avoid it or do we move a little closer to explore what’s happening within us? In my work, I often frame overcoming difficulty as a kind of skill building process. Rather than avoiding stress or fear, I encourage patients to lean in just enough to meet it with awareness and curiosity, sort of like practicing a new skill.
It takes time to understand what lies beneath the surface of fear and I try to normalize that. My goal usually isn’t to eliminate discomfort but more help me and my patients build adaptability. To help them strengthen their ability to respond and recover from stress better. I think of it like training a muscle or expanding emotional range.
Over time, this often shifts their relationship with stress from something to fear or escape to something approached with an attitude of let’s just see what we find out.