The central nervous system is the body’s command center for emotion, according to board-certified physician Dr. Rhea Rogers, and that means stress often shows up in your shoulders, your jaw, or your stomach before you ever think the word “stress.” A new episode of Aging Untold explores those physical warning signs and shares practical tools to calm the system down as we age, which matters in a region where so many residents are stretched between caregiving, work, and their own health.
The caregiving numbers are staggering. Roughly one in four U.S. adults, more than 60 million Americans, care for a family member, and Jason Resendez of the National Alliance for Caregiving says high-intensity care is leaving many families without enough support. The episode also features Kathey Dailey, a 59-year-old self-employed business owner who was uninsured when a Project Pink-funded mammogram revealed stage 4 breast cancer in 2023. She says that test saved her life, a reminder that free and low-cost screening programs exist right here in our area. And for retirees looking for purpose, Barbara Daniels, a retired teacher, now leads volunteers at a charity thrift store, showing how community service can become a second act.
Whether you’re the one giving care or the one who needs it, the takeaway is the same: pay attention to what your body is telling you and don’t feel like you’re alone in this. Local resources, from caregiver support groups to free screening programs, are closer than you think. What’s one small step you could take this week for your own health? Tell us in the comments.
