Contrary to popular opinion, stress may not kill you, but your BELIEFS about it might. CHANGING how you think about stress can affect how your body reacts to stressful situations and actually make you healthier. Changing your mind about stress, you can change your body’s response to stress. It really is “Mind over Matter”.
Kelly McGonigal discusses how to make stress your friend in this intriguing Ted Talks. It reminds me of a book I read many years ago called “The Joy of Stress” by Peter Hanson.
Socially stressful situations, such discouraging non-verbal feedback, harassment, irritation, aggravation, etc., may trigger a pounding heart, sweating, fast breathing. Generally we view these physical reactions as signals that we are anxious or “stressed” and “not coping particularly well”. Change your thoughts and view these symptoms simply as your body response to a challenge, and it is becoming ENERGIZED and preparing you to meet this challenge. Your pounding heart is preparing you for ACTION. Breathing heavier is getting more oxygen to your brain, and enhances THINKING. When this response is viewed as being a benefit or helpful, it changes the body’s actual physical response. The view of stress response as a POSITIVE physical preparation to the event(s), affects your cardiovascular response and the science shows a similar physiological response as we have to happiness.
Oxytocin, aka “the cuddle hormone”, is a neuro hormone that fine tunes your brain’s social instincts and primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships. It enhances your EMPATHY and makes you crave PHYSICAL CONTACT. It also makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about. Oxytocin is also a stress hormone and it also gets pumped out in the stress response, in turn motivating you to seek support. Caring creates resilience. It also protects your body during times of stress by protecting your cardiovascular system causing heart cell regeneration (the heart has specific receptors for this hormone). Oxytocin is also a natural anti-inflamatory. Your stress response has a built in mechanism to build resilience to stress through this hormone.
How you THINK and ACT about stress, determines your personal strength, energy, self trust, connection and interactions with others and determines how your physiology reacts to it. So focus on the positive effects of stress, hug someone, get or give support, and stress is something that may have no effects but good ones.
For a humorous look at stress listen to Loretta LaRoche, a world-renowned expert in the field of stress management, and her special brand of optimistic psychology. With an irreverent humor and an innate sense of the absurd, she helps people see how needlessly complex and stressful our lives can become. Her wit, wisdom and humor are grounded in a common-sense view of life that leaves audiences inspired, motivated and roaring with laughter. Watch it here http://bit.ly/1jyn9Ef
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