"As we age, our immune systems are less efficient, and adding stress to that can lead to disease progression or the onset of disease," says Dr.
such as planning a party—can result in the same physical and emotional burden on health, especially when you're an older adult. "As we age, our immune systems are less efficient, and adding stress to that can lead to disease progression or the onset of disease," says Dr. Ann Webster, a health psychologist at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.