In dealing with change, every year organizations invest billions in new technology and training that fails to produce the desired results. Why?

The most common reason is a misunderstanding of how to produce sustainable change.

What makes a lifeless Corporation an entity? What makes an organization a living and thriving enterprise?

It’s the people!

Smart organizations realize employees are their greatest asset. True champions continuously invest resources in the expansion of their staff’s competences and motivation, as well as in cultivating value-driven culture.

Employees yearn for less stress, less separation, less discord but also for more connection and more alignment with core values and a deeper sense of purpose, both individually and organizationally.

        AREAS OF EXPERTISE

•      Stress

•      Leadership

 

Thank you again for the wonderful weekend!

We have learned new tools to change things for the better, and we are ready to use them.

My team is very excited and highly energized.

We really enjoyed your friendly and professional style.

I highly recommend your NCS workshop for those organizations that are ready to move into a bright future.

James Vagyi, business owner, AUGUST 8, 2018

         SOLUTIONS

•      Neuroscience based training program “Change Your Mind…Create New Results” ™ by Dr Joseph Dispenza

        

•      Executive Coaching

      PRACTICAL TIPS

      QUICK SELF-TEST

FIRST THE CHALLENGES

STRESS, HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

Stress impacts an individual mentally and physically and thus decreases employee efficiency. Stressors like workload, people issues, lack of work/life balance and job insecurity cause a dip in productivity at work and reliability, affects decision-making, job satisfaction/morale, courtesy, creativity.

According to Seco (the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) in Switzerland up to 34.4% of Swiss workers say they are overburdened and face stress and burn-out at work, a figure which has risen by 7% in 10 years. Yet the problem remains largely ignored by employers.

According to estimates published by Seco, the related costs could reach SFr10 billion per year for businesses and society.

Workplace stress is responsible for up to $190B in annual U.S. healthcare costs.

In the UK over 13 million working days are lost every year because of stress. Stress is believed to trigger 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses (UK HSE stress statistics). Work related stress accounts for 37% of work related ill health and 45% of days lost, in 2015/16.

According to American Psychological Association’s Stress in America study, 64 percent of employees have high stress levels with extreme fatigue/feeling out of control. This is what the study found surveying corporations:

Effect of stress on daily productivity

• 42% lose 15 to 30 minutes of productivity a day
• 35% lose one hour or more each day
• 24% report their productivity is not affected by stress

Effect of stress on attendance

• 55% miss one or two days a year to stress
• 29% miss three to six days a year
• 16% miss more than six days a year

Effect of stress on effectiveness

• 46% come to work one to four days per year when too stressed to be effective
• 30% show up that way five or more days per year
• 24% say stress does not influence their effectiveness

Effect of personal tasks on daily ­productivity

• 41% lose less than 30 minutes a day to personal tasks
• 40% lose 30 minutes a day
• 19% lose more than an hour a day

Stress at work provides a serious risk of litigation for all employers and organizations, carrying significant liabilities for damages, bad publicity and loss of reputation. Dealing with stress-related claims also consumes vast amounts of management time.

What is stress:

You know you are stressed when someone says “have a nice day”, telling them you have other plans.

It is a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism. Stress is a body’s method of reacting to a challenge. The body’s way to respond to stress is by sympathetic nervous system activation which results in the fight-or-flight response. Because the body cannot keep this state for long periods of time, the parasympathetic system returns the body’s physiological conditions to normal (homeostasis).

Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging. These are called toxic stress.

Main causes of stress at workplace:

The predominant cause of work related stress is workload, in particular tight deadlines, too much work or too much pressure or responsibility. Other factors include a lack of managerial support, organizational changes at work, violence and role uncertainty (lack of clarity about job/uncertain what meant to do.)

So, there are clearly strong economic and financial reasons for organizations to manage and reduce stress at work, aside from the obvious humanitarian and ethical considerations.

Stress response and your health:

• Positive stress response. It is characterized by brief increases in heart rate and mild elevations in hormone levels. Is stress all that bad? No. The stress response is what your body innately does to return back to order.

Is professional life all that bad? No, of course not. From my personal experience in corporate life we unfortunately spend most of our time focusing our energy on problem solving, on the negative. But little that we know: where we focus our attention – our energy goes.

• Tolerable stress response activates the body’s alert systems to a greater degree as a result of more severe, longer-lasting difficulties.
• Toxic stress response can occur when a person experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity.

When we turn on the stress response and can’t turn it off, we’re headed for some type of breakdown in the body or disease. If you’re putting the bulk of your energy toward some issue in your external environment, there will be little left for your body’s internal environment. Your immune system, which monitors your inner world, can’t keep up with the lack of energy for growth and repair.

Therefore, you get frequently sick, whether it be from a cold, cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Other schools of thought teach how to accept stress and cope with it. I will show you how using neuroscience you can TRANSFORM YOURSELF in order to transcend and convert any stress. I teach deferent types of stress and stress responses, and how to practically convert toxic stress into healthy stress response in CYM CNR workshop.

There is direct link between your type of stress response and the length of the protective caps at the end of your chromosomes called telomeres. Once the telomeres are gone the cells can no longer replicate. The diseasespan starts to happen.

The longer the telomeres of the chromosomes of your body’s most important cells, the more longevity and good health you will have.

HOW MUCH STRESS IS TOO MUCH?

Stress and telomeres have a dose-response relationship. If you drink alcohol, you’re familiar with dose and response.

A small dose of stress does not endanger your telomeres. In fact, short-term, manageable stressors can be good for you, because they build your coping muscles. You develop skills and confidence that you can handle challenges. Physiologically, short-term stress can even boost your cells’ health.

But a high dose of chronic stress that wears on for years and years will take its toll. We now have evidence that links burnout from job stress to shorter telomeres.

New studies have shown that being under chronic stress does not inevitably lead to telomere damage. Incredible as it sounds, you can learn to use stress as a source of positive fuel – and as a shield that can help protect your telomeres.

Of course, it’s not the situations themselves that produce the short telomeres; it’s the stress responses that many people feel when they’re in these situations. And even under these stressful circumstances, dose matters.

Here is some vital information about how stress gets into our cells. It’s not just from experiencing a stressful event, it’s also from feeling threatened by it, even if the stressful event hasn’t happened yet.

Feeling threatened is not the only way to respond to stress. It’s also possible to feel a sense of challenge. These people have a “bring it on!” mentality.

Whereas the threat response prepares you to shut down and tolerate the pain, the challenge response helps you muster your resources.

People don’t generally show responses that are all threat or all challenge. Most experience some of both. It is the proportion of these responses that matters most for telomere health.

In CYM CNR workshop I teach what it takes to make a shift from THREAT response to CHALLENGE response, from fear and anxiety to mastering of your resources.

Check your type of stress response using this quick self-test.Here’s a quick self-test to Self-Test

Fortunately we can protect our telomeres from some of stress’s worst damage.

With the advent of discovery of an enzyme called telomerase and latest advances in biology and genetics we now know that we have the capacity to regrow our telomeres. In my Art Of Rejuvenation And Longevity workshop I explain the underlying mechanism and teach technics and exercises aimed at regaining the length of your telomeres.

I also offer 101 Executive Coaching sessions to personally assist individuals to implement practices and technics in order to achieve tangible results in the appropriate period of time.

Read testimonials of people who attended.

LEADERSHIP

Executive leaders today face unprecedented levels of stress, overwhelm, and pressure.

How your leaders think matters to your organization.

Psychologists tell us that by the time we’re in our mid-30s, our personality will be completely formed. This means that we will have memorized a select set of behaviors, beliefs and perceptions, emotional reactions and conditioned responses that are now subconsciously programmed within us. We now know that we behave out of those conditioned responses 95% of time.

Habits can be a great thing. However, over-focus and imbalance occur when leaders rely too heavily on their old familiar ways of thinking.

Real problem arises when this way of thinking interferes with the leader’s potential to make balanced decisions, to think and lead proactively.

With the advent of neuroplasticity neuroscience now demonstrates that we physically change our brain with every new thought and experience.

To change then is to unmemorize those obsolete programs that no longer serve and replace them with those that do!

When we create balance within our leadership, teams experience increased creativity, productivity, trust and openness to new ideas. As a result employees become more engaged and motivated, thereby reducing stress and improving culture.

In CYM CNR workshop I teach what it takes for leaders to realize the threats associated with the conservative thinking, how to becomes fully present with their thoughts, recognize those thoughts and concepts that no longer work and replace them with the new and creative thinking. This shift will allow going from stressed to creative, from unconscious to mindful, from negative to coherent.

My 101 Executive Coaching is aimed to work with leaders at the top levels of an organization to identify leadership gaps and close them as well as set stretch leadership goals and achieve them. Additionally, I work with high potentials who aspire to that next level.

SOLUTIONS

I use latest advances in neuroscience, biology and psychology and apply them in my coaching processes to help you rediscover your powers and redefine the meaning of life.

I. CHANGE YOUR MIND… CREATE NEW RESULTS^TM

This groundbreaking new corporate business training program based in neuroscience teaches individuals how to become conscious of their thoughts, actions, and feelings. It helps people embrace rather than retract from the unknown.

An understanding of self will lead to better performance in the workplace. Reaching this goal means providing both the knowledge and tools to harness the incredible power of the brain.

CYM…CNR teaches individuals to understand the ability they possess to achieve their personal and professional goals and those of the organization using the most innovative breakthroughs in neuroscience.

Other schools of thought teach how to accept the stress and cope with it. CYM…CNR shows the way to TRANSFORM FROM INSIDE in order to transcend any stress, to convert toxic stress into healthy stress.

What it takes to transform your organization

In dealing with change, every year organizations invest billions in new technology and training that fails to produce the desired results. Why?

The most common reason is a misunderstanding of how to produce sustainable change.

How your leaders, employees, and stakeholders think matters to your organization.

An understanding of self leads to better performance in the workplace. How do you want your leaders and employees think, act, or feel differently?

Sustainable change comes from within so it requires that we alter the very neuro-pathways in our brain.

Psychologists tell us that by the time we’re in our mid-30s, our personality will be completely formed. This means that we will have memorized a select set of behaviors, beliefs and perceptions, emotional reactions and conditioned responses that are now subconsciously programmed within us. We now know that we behave out of those conditioned responses 95% of time.

Habits can be a great thing. However, a problem arises when these behaviors interfere with an individual or an organization’s potential.

Advances in the field of neurology have led to a better understanding of how the repetition of thoughts, actions and emotions hardwires our brains against change no matter how much we may want it. However neuroscience also demonstrates that we physically change our brain with every new thought and experience.

To change then is to unmemorize those programs that no longer serve us and replace them with those that do!

Once the obstacles inherent in “normal” ways of working and thinking are removed only then can we tap into each employee’s unique potential.

And when we help people realize their potential, while releasing previous barriers, we create an organization that has a strong culture of Empowerment, with clear Values, Strategies, Support, and Direction.

On-Site Workshop at Your Business or Organization

Change Your Mind … Create New Results™ (CYM …CNR) program teaches individuals how to become conscious of their thoughts, actions, and feelings. It helps people embrace rather than retract from the unknown.

This is all about people. And the power of their brains.

This groundbreaking new corporate training program is based on the rapidly evolving field of neuroscience that says that we are not as “hardwired” as we once thought. Neuroplasticity, that is, the power of our brain to connect new neural networks (rewiring) and to break old neural networks (unwiring), is now better understood.

The process of unwiring and rewiring is a learned skill and the CYM CNR program gives participants the process, model, and tools to develop these skills.

You will learn how to harness the incredible power of the brain to make lasting changes in the life of your organization.

The resulting change is multifold: by shifting your perspectives you will be inspired to think in new ways, break old habits, be more creative, and enjoy increased productivity.

Participants move from being a negative, or indifferent, contributor to a positive contributor within the new culture via first developing awareness, then practice, and finally, mastery of the neuroscience model for personal change. Integrating scientific evidence with the needs of organizations this translates into successful team and organizational change.

As you learn to shed the old self and the subconscious programs that no longer serve you, you find it possible to become the extraordinary version of yourself you always believed existed.

This program teaches individuals to understand and unfold their true potential to expand and to achieve their personal and professional goals and the goals of the organization.

Program highlights

NeuroChangeSolutions’s Change Your Mind … Create New Results program brings Dr. Dispenza’s work and teachings to your organization. It engages and involves the participants through a dynamic use of science using engaging lectures, multimedia tools, direct application for all key learning and innovative interactive exercises.

This program provides individuals and their respective teams with the knowledge, process, and tools to evoke their own transformation from THINKING to DOING to BEING a positive contributor toward the new, value-driven culture.

Participants in this program will:

• Experience a shift from UNCONSCIOUS to CONSCIOUS! Stuck to thriving! Stress to creativity! Frustration, negativity, distrust and fear to kindness, caring, compassion, and trust!
• Identify a change they want to make in their lives
• Identify a habit they’d like to change or improve
• Learn how the brain works and why this understanding is important for change
• Learn a new model of change based on neuroscience to move out of 95% of automatic subconscious programs to conscious creation
• Experience how to mentally rewire their brain to be more creative and trusting, less rigid and fearful
• Discover what it means to “live in survival or creation”
• Incorporate all of the lessons to activate the neurological process for change becoming: more open to new ideas, less stuck in the past, less distracted
• Practice four tools for change that efficiently break the resistance to transformation and create the “shift” toward the participants’ desired, new future state
• Set themselves up for success with a 30-day journal to track their behaviors

This program enables business to truly transform from the inside out.

The format:

• 8 hours of workshop content, delivered through multimedia, engaging exercises, activities, and customized examples
• Optimal group size of 10-20
• 30 Days to Genius journal and post-workshop exercises
• Optional follow-on group and/or individual coaching

This material is cutting edge. It’s game changing. And it’s time for our greatness to bloom.

Are you in?

What you organization should expect

When leaders and employees think, act, and feel in different ways they will confidently demonstrate:

• Increased engagement and productivity
• Greater ability to accept and adapt to changes within the organization
• Decreased stress
• Increased flexibility, adaptability and resilience
• A positive impact on teamwork, creativity, results, and the bottom line
• Openness to new ideas
• Better relationships with colleagues

Find out how your business can benefit from cutting-edge training, grounded in neuroscience, to help employees think and behave differently.

Bring this fun, interactive, and innovative training program to your organization today!

About Dr. Joe Dispenza

NY Times bestselling author and one of the most thought leading speakers today Dr. Joe Dispenza is a renowned researcher and lecturer to sold out audiences worldwide in his characteristic engaging style about the role and function of the human brain and its ability to rewire itself.

He is driven by conviction that every individual has the potential for greatness and unlimited abilities and uses the latest scientific findings to help people enjoy a happy and more fulfilled life.

Dr. Joe has worked closely with master trainers and curriculum designers to create a program that integrates his teachings with the needs of organizations and businesses.

II. 101 EXECUTIVE COACHING

One person’s reaction to a particular workplace pressure is likely to be very different from another person’s reaction to the same pressure. One person may handle a given pressure with ease and even enjoyment; whereas another person, perhaps already anxious or depressed about other matters could be tipped into a very serious depression by the same apparently ‘safe’ pressure.

My Executive Coaching is both one-on-one and a personalized approach.

What ‘m offering:

• A competent, trained, and dedicated coach
• Minimum 3 months engagement
• Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions
• Goal setting and measurement process
• In depth discovery session
• Coaching based on a neuroscience model to shift attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions
• Defining action items
• In between session follow up support
• Results measurement at interim and end of engagement

III. PRACTICAL TIPS

Quick stress reduction techniques

Please note that these ideas are for stress before it becomes more serious depression.

While these ideas can certainly be beneficial for serious levels of depression, serious depression warrants much more serious attention and remedial actions.

So please bear that in mind – we are initially addressing stress before it becomes clinical depression.

If you are stressed, do one or all of these things, in whatever order that takes your fancy.

The key to de-stressing in the moment is getting away from or removing yourself from the stressor. Developing new habits which regularly remove you and distract you from stressors and stressful situations and pressures is essentially how to manage stress on a more permanent basis.

In this modern world it is difficult if not impossible to change stressful situations. What we can do however is change and reduce our exposure to those stressful situations.

These stress reduction ideas and techniques are based on that simple principle. These tips won’t change the situation causing the stress, but they will, more importantly, enable you to change your reaction and relationship to the stressful situations.

And in keeping with the tone of this stress tips section, and since color is regarded by many as a factor in affecting mood, the calming shade of green is used for the headings.

Stress reduction idea 1 –  Humor

• Humor is one of the greatest and quickest devices for reducing stress.
• Humor works because laughter produces helpful chemicals in the brain.
• Humor also gets your brain thinking and working in a different way – it distracts you from having a stressed mindset. Distraction is a simple effective de-stressor – it takes your thoughts away from the stress, and thereby diffuses the stressful feelings.
• Therefore most people will feel quite different and notice a change in mindset after laughing and being distracted by something humorous.
• Go read something funny. As you start to smile and chuckle the stress begins to dissipate.
• If this material fails to make you laugh then find something which does.
• Keep taking the laughter medicine until you feel suitably relaxed and re-charged.

Stress reduction idea 2 – Brisk Walk and Self-talk

• Go for a short quick really brisk walk outside.
• Yes, actually leave the building.
• Change your environment.
• Breathe in some fresh air and smell the atmosphere…
• Trees, rain, flowers, traffic fumes – doesn’t matter – stimulate your senses with new things.
• On your way out keep saying to yourself out loud (and to anyone else you see, in that daft way people say “Elvis has left the building..”):
• “(your name) is leaving the building.. “
• And when you are outside and free say:
• “(your name) has left the building.. “
• You can extend the exercise by going to a park and jogging a little.
• Or do a few star-jumps – something energetic to get your body moving and relaxing.
• Or stroke a dog, or pick up some litter, or kick a kid’s football.
• You can of course use other mantras or chants, depending on what you want to do and how far you want to get away from the stress causes, for example:
• “(your name) is doing star-jumps/picking up litter/looking for a small non-threatening dog..” or
• “(your name) is leaving/has left the industrial park/district/city/company/country..” etc, etc.
• Of course this is daft, but the daftness reduces the stress by removing you from the stress in mind and body.
• Doing something daft and physical – and reinforcing it with some daft chanting – opens up the world again.

Stress reduction idea 3 – Rehydrate

• Go get a big cup or a bottle of water.
• Here’s why…
• Most of us fail to drink enough water – that’s water – not tea, coffee, coke, ‘sports’ drinks, Red Bull or fruit juice…
• All of your organs, including your brain, are strongly dependent on water to function properly. It’s how we are built.
• If you starve your body of water you will function below your best – and you will get stressed. Physically and mentally.
• Offices and workplaces commonly have a very dry atmosphere due to air conditioning, etc., which increases people’s susceptibility to de-hydration.
• This is why you must keep your body properly hydrated by regularly drinking water (most people need 4-8 glasses of water a day).
• You will drink more water if you keep some on your desk at all times – it’s human nature to drink it if it’s there – so go get some now.
• When you drink water you need to pee. This gives you a bit of a break and a bit of exercise now and then, which also reduces stress.
• When you pee you can see if your body is properly hydrated (your pee will be clear or near clear – if it’s yellow you are not taking enough water).
• This will also prompt some amusing discussion and chuckling with your colleagues (“Nature calls – I’m off to the bog again…”) which is also good for reducing stress.
• You do not need to buy expensive mineral water. Tap water is fine.
• If you do not like the taste of tap water it’s probably because of the chlorine (aquarium fish don’t like it either), however the chlorine dissipates quite naturally after a few hours – even through a plastic bottle – so keep some ordinary tap water in the fridge for 2-3 hours and try it then.
• If you want to be really exotic add a slice of lemon or lime. Kiwi and Sharon fruit are nice too…
• So now you are fully watered and guffawing and exercised up to the max, read on for ideas for how to prevent stress as well as reduce and manage it.

Stress reduction technique 4 – Catnap or Powernap

(Not so easy but still perfectly possible)

• Take a quick nap. It is nature’s way of recharging and re-energizing.
• A quick 10-30 minutes’ sleep is very helpful to reduce stress.
• It’s obviously essential if you are driving while tired, but a quick sleep is a powerful de-stressor too.
• A lunchtime snooze is very practical for home-workers – it just requires the realization that doing so is acceptable and beneficial (when we are conditioned unfortunately to think that sleeping during the day is lazy, rather than healthy).
• At some stage conventional Western industry will ‘wake up’ to the realization that many people derive enormous benefit from a midday nap. Sounds ridiculous? Tell that to the many millions in the Mediterranean countries who thrive on a mid-day siesta.
• People in the Mediterranean and Central Americas take a siesta every working day, and this is almost certainly related to longer life expectancy and lower levels of heart disease.
• If your work situation is not quite ready to tolerate the concept of a daytime nap then practice a short session of self-hypnosis, combined with deep breathing, which you can do at your desk, or even in the loo. It works wonders.
• In the summer of course you can go to the nearest park and try it alfresco (that’s from the Italian incidentally, al fresco, meaning in the fresh air – which is another good thing for stress reduction).

Stress reduction technique 5 – Make a Cuppa

• Any tea will do, but a flavored cup of tea is even better.
• Experiment with different natural flavorings using herbs and spices and fruit.
• Fresh mint is wonderful, and excellent for the digestive system. Nettles are fantastic and contain natural relaxants. Orange zest is super (use one of those nifty little zester gadgets). Ginger root is brilliant. Many herbs, spices, fruits and edible plants make great flavored tea, and many herbs and spices have real therapeutic properties.
• Use a ‘base’ of green tea leaves – about half a spoonful per serving – plus the natural flavoring(s) of your choice, and freshly boiled water. Be bold – use lots of leaves – experiment until you find a blend that you really enjoy. Sugar or honey bring out the taste. Best without milk, but milk is fine if you prefer it.
• Making the tea and preparing the ingredients take your mind off your problems, and then smelling and drinking the tea also relaxes you. There is something wonderful about natural plants and fruits which you can’t buy in a packet. Use a tea-pot, or if you are happy with a bit of foliage in your drink actually brew it in a big mug or heatproof tumbler.

Fresh mint and ginger tea recipe:

Put all this into a teapot and add boiling water for 2-3 cups. Allow to brew for a minute or two, stir and serve. (This is enough for 2-3 mug-sized servings):

• 1-1½ heaped teaspoons of green tea leaves
• 2-4 sprigs of fresh mint (a very generous handful of leaves with or without the stems – more than you might imagine)
• 3-6 zest scrapes of an orange
  half a teaspoon of chopped ginger root
• 2-4 teaspoons of sugar or 1-2 teaspoons of honey – more or less to taste

Alter the amounts to your own taste. The recipe also works very well without the orange and ginger, which is effectively the mint tea drink that is hugely popular in Morocco and other parts of North Africa. Dried mint can be substituted for fresh mint. Experiment. The Moroccan tradition is to use small glass tumblers, and somehow seeing the fine color of the tea adds to the experience.

Stress reduction technique 6 – Crying

• Not much is known about the physiology of crying and tears, although many find that crying – weeping proper tears – has a powerful helpful effect on stress levels. Whatever the science behind crying, a good bout of sobbing and weeping does seem to release tension and stress for many people.
• Of course how and where you choose to submit to this most basic of emotional impulses is up to you. The middle of the boardroom during an important presentation to a top client is probably not a great idea, but there are more private situations and you should feel free to try it from time to time if the urge takes you.
• It is a shame that attitudes towards crying and tears prevent many people from crying, and it’s a sad reflection on our unforgiving society that some people who might benefit from a good cry feel that they shouldn’t do it ever – even in complete privacy. Unfortunately most of us – especially boys – are told as children that crying is bad or shameful or childish, which of course is utter nonsense. Arguably only the bravest cry unashamedly – the rest of us would rather suffer than appear weak, which is daft, but nevertheless real.
• Whatever, shedding a few tears can be a very good thing now and then, and if you’ve yet to discover its benefits then give it a try. You might be surprised.

Most of us spend close to 1/3 of our lives at work. If we’re sitting around crunching our posture, drinking coffee, eating sugar, and compounding stress, then getting to the gym isn’t going to do it. The math simply doesn’t pencil. You can’t spend 8 hours a day digging yourself in a hole and expecting an hour at the gym to cancel it out. That’s why I encourage people to stay active at work. There are lots of ways to do that.

QUICK SELF-TEST

Source: Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn

It assesses your underlying sources of stress reactivity and stress resilience, some of which have been linked to telomere length.

Think of a situation that bothers you a great deal and that is ongoing in your life. (If you cannot think of a current situation, think of your most recent difficult problem.) Circle your numerical response to each question.

1. When you think about dealing with this situation, how much do you feel hope and confidence vs. feelings of fear and anxiety?

 

0                           1                      2                      3                      4

 

hopeful,                                  same amount                                   fearful,

confident                                     of each                                     anxious

 

2. Do you feel you have whatever it takes to cope effectively with this situation?

 

4                           3                      2                      1                      0

not at all                                     somewhat                                 extremely

 

3. How much are you caught up in repetitive thoughts about this situation?

 

0                           1                      2                      3                      4

not at all                                     somewhat                                   extremely

 

How much do you avoid thinking about the situation or try not to express negative emotions?

 

0                           1                      2                      3                      4

not at all                                     somewhat                                   extremely

 

4. How much does this situation make you feel bad about yourself?

 

0                           1                      2                      3                      4

not at all                                     somewhat                                   extremely

 

5. How much do you think about this situation in a positive way, seeing some good that could come from it, or telling yourself statements that feel comforting or helpful, such as that you are doing the best you can?

 

4                           3                      2                      1                      0

not at all                                     somewhat                                 extremely

 

TOTAL SCORE (Add up the numbers; notice questions 2 and 6 are positive responses so the scale is reversed.)

Total score of 11 or under: Your stress style tends to be healthy. Instead of feeling threatened by stress, you tend to feel challenged by it, and you limit the degree to which the situation spills over into the rest of your life. You recover quickly after an event. This stress resilience is positive news for your telomeres.

Total score of 12 or over: You’re like most of us. When you’re in a stressful situation, the power of that threat is magnified by your own habits of thinking. Those habits are linked, either directly or indirectly, to shorter telomeres. We’ll show you how to change those habits or soften their effects.

The point of this informal test is to raise awareness of your own tendencies to respond in a certain way to chronic stress. Also know that if you’re dealing with a severe situation, your response style score will naturally shift to be higher.

Here’s a closer look at the habits of mind associated with each question:

Questions 1 and 2: These questions gauge how threatened you feel by stress. High fear combined with low coping resources turn on a strong hormonal and inflammatory stress response. Threat stress involves a set of mental and physiological responses that can, over time, endanger your telomeres. Fortunately, there are ways to convert threat stress into a feeling of challenge, which is healthier and more productive.

Question 3: This item assesses your level of rumination. Rumination is a loop of repetitive, unproductive thoughts about something that’s bothering you. If you’re not sure how often you ruminate, now you can start to notice. Most stress triggers are short-lived, but we humans have the remarkable ability to give them a vivid and extended life in the mind, letting them fill our headspace long after the event has passed. Rumination, also known as brooding, can slip into a more serious state known as depressive rumination, which includes negative thoughts about oneself and one’s future. Those thoughts can be toxic.

Question 4: This one’s about avoidance and emotion suppression. Do you avoid thinking about the stressful situation or avoid sharing feelings about it? Is it so emotionally loaded that the thought of it makes your stomach clench? It’s natural to try to push difficult feelings away, but although this strategy may work in the short term, it doesn’t tend to help when the situation is chronic.

Question 5: This question addresses “ego threat.” Does it feel as if your pride and personal identity could be damaged if the stressful situation doesn’t go well? Does the stress trigger negative thoughts about yourself, even to the extent that you feel worthless? It’s normal to have these self-critical thoughts sometimes, but when they are frequent, they throw the body into an overly sensitive, reactive state characterized by high levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Question 6: This question asks whether you’re able to engage in positive reappraisal, which is the ability to rethink stressful situations in a positive light. Positive reappraisal lets you take a less than ideal situation and turn it to your benefit or at least take the sting out of it. This question also measures whether you tend to offer yourself some healthy self-compassion.

If the assessment revealed that you struggle with your stress responses, take heart. It’s not always possible to change your automatic response, but most of us can learn to change our responses to our responses—and that’s the secret sauce of stress resilience.

Now let’s get to work understanding how stress affects your telomeres and cells, and how you can make changes that will help protect them.

People who respond to stress by feeling overly threatened have shorter telomeres than people who face stress with a rousing sense of challenge.