As an actor with decades of experience on and off camera, Josh Peck explores how stress has affected his overall health and what patterns he’s broken to improve his lifestyle. I look back.
From an early age, Josh Peck has supported causes close to his heart. Even though his career and personal life continue to thrive, the actor hasn’t forgotten his philanthropic roots.
As a child, Peck went door-to-door in a 16-story apartment building in New York City to raise money for her school. American Heart Association fundraiser. “It was incredibly meaningful to me,” he said in a video interview. variety. Decades later, as an advocate for the organization’s call to action on managing chronic stress, Peck is speaking out about how her mental health impacts her overall physical health.
Peck says being raised by a single mother who worked hard to make ends meet caused a lot of stress during his childhood. However, at that time he could not recognize his feelings as stress. Peck, who started acting at the age of 13, says, “It came through in my ambition and desire to act, whether it was in school or, of course, when I really started working at a very young age.”
As a teenager, he dealt with stress by overeating. “For many people, trying to numb themselves with food is the first step toward escapism,” he says. “It’s something that many of us have access to early on.”
At 21, Peck recalled promoting the film in her career when she was “incredibly proud” when “things were going well.” “But I remember the egocentric stress of, ‘What’s next, how are we going to get over this problem?'” he says.
Instead of dealing with the stress, Peck said he was “drinking too much and going out too much” at the time, adding, “I think there was some effort to get out of my head, so I didn’t have to deal with the stress.” ” added that. ”
The 36-year-old Peck, who has been sober since 2008, says stress causes his heart rate to increase, recurring temporomandibular disorders and waking up suddenly in the middle of the night. “When the world sleeps, I’m here alone in my thoughts,” he says. “Stress, first and foremost, is robbing me of joy and affecting my health.”
The American Heart Association “frankly provides resources, strategies, and solutions for dealing with stress that can negatively impact heart health,” Peck said. The organization believes that managing chronic stress can help keep your mind and heart healthy, and help you maintain healthy habits like eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, but it’s also a rare disease that can be mitigated with education and a variety of treatments,” the actor explains.
A father of two, Peck continues to learn how to deal with stress to better himself and his family. “Life is great. I’m incredibly lucky,” he says. “I have been able to experience such great things in my life because I have been able to gather skills and strategies to deal with stress and depression throughout my life.”
Peck believes exercise and spending quality time with his wife, Paige O’Brien, and young sons, Max and Shy, are sources of joy and comfort. “My children are so distracting. They are wonderful, righteous, poor little humans who need my attention all the time.”
One of his priorities is to develop healthy stress management habits in his children. “I try to stay away from theory and things that are too big for a child’s mind,” Peck said, giving children simple tasks such as deep breathing.
In addition to relying on the support of her family, Peck said she was also influenced positively by her friends. and vice versa. ”
Peck recalls the advice he received. “My best friend once said, ‘I get up every morning and tell myself I’m going to have a good day because today someone is going to have a good day, and maybe that day will be a good day. From ‘So am I.’
“Know that you’re not alone,” Peck advises those coping with stress. Sometimes I feel bad, sometimes I feel like I don’t look like anyone else,” he added. I really understand. But I promise you there are people who can do it. ”
For more tips on managing stress to improve your health, visit: heart.org/stress.
