6: Self-Talk for Wellbeing

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In Today's Issue:

• Quick Takes: Ethan Kross' strategies to quiet the "chatter" and use our inner voice to find more joy, and less stress this holiday season
• Community Buzz: Spreading the word on why Muscle Matters, an article on body composition metrics, a powerful ad campaign on maintaining health, plus water bottle gift ideas.
• Member Spotlight: Karen is prioritizing her health to keep up with her grandkids. With targeted goals, she's seeing improvement!

Kaitlin & Nancy's takeaways from recent content we've discovered

Self-Talk for Wellbeing

As the holidays approach, many of us are under more stress than usual. We’re attending events, making preparations, and often feeling pressure to make everything just right. This may result in less productive self-talk, and negative thought spirals. Even when we recognize their corrosive effect, controlling those thoughts can be another matter.

Ethan Kross, an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Michigan has made a study of “the silent conversations we have with ourselves.” While we may gain insight and even courage from affirming self-talk, it can also devolve into cyclical negative thoughts and emotions that hinder our performance, relationships, and health - in Kross’s terminology: “chatter".

In his 2021 book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It,

Highlights from Benchmark's community forum

Muscle Matters 🏋️

Kaitlin's taken her "Muscle Matters" talk on tour, sharing the importance of muscle mass, strength, and power for nearly every aspect of our health as we age. She spoke at CSGNA’s annual gastroenterology conference, presented to the enthusiastic community of The Proactive Athlete, and joined an event organized by Tania Clancy of Straight to Fit, bringing together women getting proactive about their health! 💪

For a quick primer on the topic, revisit our July newsletter featuring Andy Galpin's podcast. For a deeper-dive, this American Heart Association article

Featured members and their health journeys

Karen Dobson

Karen is investing in her health to keep up with her grandkids! She always found it hard to carve out time for exercise, but now she is making her health a top priority. Since her Benchmark, she’s been intensifying her workouts, building strength, and approaching her diet with new awareness. She’s already seeing the rewards…more

NOTE: This newsletter is informational only; it is not medical advice. We have no stake in the products or brands we highlight here.