Changing the Perception of Stress

Jul 13, 2024

Changing the Perception of Stress

Introduction

  • Speaker: Health Psychologist
  • Main Confession: Teaching that stress is harmful for the past 10 years might have done more harm than good

Initial Survey

  • Audience Poll on Stress Levels
    • Little stress: Few hands raised
    • Moderate stress: Some hands
    • A lot of stress: Majority

The Harmful Belief about Stress

  • Traditional View: Stress increases risk of illness (common cold to cardiovascular disease)
  • Personal realization: Turning stress into the enemy may be wrong

Key Study on Stress and Belief

  • Study: Tracked 30,000 adults in the US for eight years
  • Questions Asked:
    • Amount of stress in the last year?
    • Belief on whether stress harms health?
  • Results from Public Death Records
    • 43% increased risk of dying for those with high stress who believed stress was harmful
    • No increased risk for those with high stress who did not believe it was harmful (lowest death risk)
    • Estimate: 182,000 Americans died prematurely in 8 years due to the belief that stress is harmful
    • Comparison: Belief that stress is harmful could be the 15th largest cause of death in the US

Rethinking Stress

  • Hypothesis: Changing how you think about stress can make you healthier
  • Study at Harvard University
    • Participants: Underwent Social Stress Test
    • Intervention: Reframe stress response as helpful
    • Results: Less anxiety, more confidence, healthier physical stress response (heart and blood vessels)

Biological Changes with Stress Perception

  • Traditional Stress Response: Heart rate increases, blood vessels constrict (bad for chronic stress)
  • Reframed Stress Response: Heart still pounds, but blood vessels relaxed (similar to joy and courage)
  • Long-term Implications: Could mean the difference between early heart attack and longevity

Changing the Mission

  • Shift from eliminating stress to improving stress response
  • Future goal: Making people better at handling stress

The Social Side of Stress

  • Oxytocin: The "cuddle hormone"
    • Neuro-hormone involved in social behaviors
    • Released during stress to encourage social support
    • Enhances empathy, desires for contact, and willingness to help
    • Acts on brain and body: natural anti-inflammatory, helps heart cells regenerate
  • Increased Release: Social contact under stress enhances oxytocin's benefits

Social Connections and Stress Resilience

  • Study on Helping Others
    • Tracked 1,000 adults aged 34-93
    • Questions: Stress experienced and time spent helping others
    • Results: Helping others eliminated stress-related increase in death risk

Conclusion

  • Viewing stress as helpful builds the biology of courage
  • Connecting with others under stress builds resilience
  • Appreciation of stress: Positive access to both compassionate and physical heart
  • Profound Statement: Trust in handling life's challenges, not facing them alone
  • Final Message: Chasing meaning is healthier than avoiding discomfort

Q&A

  • Chris Anderson's Question: Impact of stress level on lifestyle choices
  • Advice: Chasing meaning is better than comfort, trust yourself to handle resulting stress

End of Presentation