One top NYC wellness guru, whose cold plunges are frequented by Kim Kardashian and Drake, has a surprising message to his patients: Stress isn’t bad for you.
Dr. Jonathan Leary, a wellness expert who recently opened a second social wellness club Remedy Place in the city, believes a moderate amount of stress is beneficial to health — and enhances people’s performance.
“Stress is getting a really bad name … and now everyone is pulling away [from stressful situations]. But moderate stress actually enhances your performance and memory.”
He says a city like New York — which can constantly confront residents with one stressor after another in the chaos of daily life — is great for mental acutity, and he he tells his clients embrace it and think of it like a form of exercise, which will only make them stronger.
“I think we need stress in life…. we need resistance at times when people mentally are not the strongest. The way to make them more mentally resilient is through stress.
“You need resistance to grow your muscles. We also need resistance in every other facet of our life,” he adds.
It’s not just stress that Leary tells his clients to re-think, he also tells them to re-evaulate the word ‘pain’ and their relationship to it.
“Pain is just a signal to the brain,” he added.
“If you start telling yourself… I wake up with pain every day, you’re also sending that signal to you body.”
Instead, Dr. Leary recommends saying, “I just need to move better today or just to restore motion.
Changing the way you speak about your health and your body can also help create a new mindset, he adds.
“If you start reprograming the brain… if you start learning how to talk about it and how to phrase it, it also will help make you more mentally strong by actually changing the neurology, neurological connections and circuits in the brain.”
Dr. Leary also paid tribute to New Yorkers, saying their positive attitude and ability to handle situations no matter what stresses and uncertainty the city may may throw their way puts them in good shape.
“It’s spontaneous… You know, you can’t control your life in New York. New York kind of has its own mind and its own plan for you. And I think that is single handedly the reason why people actually are healthy right here.
“New York City sets you up for success.”
This story is part of NYNext, a new editorial series that highlights New York City innovation across industries, as well as the personalities leading the way.
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