The most important lesson nobody taught you:
Weβve always been told that stress is bad.
It increases our risk of diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Stress is enemy #1.
Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal used to preach this very message, but now she sings a different song.
Here's why:
It increases our risk of diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Stress is enemy #1.
Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal used to preach this very message, but now she sings a different song.
Here's why:
McGonigal completed a study tracking 30k adults in the US for eight years.
It asked participants how much stress they'd experienced in the last year.
It included a question, "Do you believe that stress harms your health?"
It asked participants how much stress they'd experienced in the last year.
It included a question, "Do you believe that stress harms your health?"
They supplemented the study with public death records to determine who died.
They found that people who experienced high stress had a 43% increased risk of dying.
But, and it's a big "but,"
this was only true for people who believed that stress was harmful to their health.
They found that people who experienced high stress had a 43% increased risk of dying.
But, and it's a big "but,"
this was only true for people who believed that stress was harmful to their health.
Stress was not associated with higher mortality rates among people who did not think it was harmful.
Moreover, they had the lowest death rate of anyone in the study.
This suggested that people werenβt dying from stress.
They were dying from the belief that stress was bad.
Moreover, they had the lowest death rate of anyone in the study.
This suggested that people werenβt dying from stress.
They were dying from the belief that stress was bad.
This made McGonigal ask the question,
"Can changing how you think about stress make you healthier?"
Science says yes!
When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body's response to stress.
Let's look at how this works practically:
"Can changing how you think about stress make you healthier?"
Science says yes!
When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body's response to stress.
Let's look at how this works practically:
When we get stressed, our bodies have certain physical responses:
We start to sweat
Our heart rate picks up
We begin to breathe heavy
Normally we interpret these physical changes as anxiety or a poor ability to cope with the pressure.
We start to sweat
Our heart rate picks up
We begin to breathe heavy
Normally we interpret these physical changes as anxiety or a poor ability to cope with the pressure.
A Harvard study asked participants to interpret these signs as their bodies preparing them for action.
They were taught to rethink their stress response as helpful and positive instead of negative and limiting.
The people who were able to do this had a surprising response.
They were taught to rethink their stress response as helpful and positive instead of negative and limiting.
The people who were able to do this had a surprising response.
They were:
Less anxious
Less stressed
More confident
And performed better
But the benefits weren't just in those areas.
Their physical stress response changed.
In a normal stress response, your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict.
Less anxious
Less stressed
More confident
And performed better
But the benefits weren't just in those areas.
Their physical stress response changed.
In a normal stress response, your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict.
Here, their heart rates went up, but their blood vessels didn't constrict.
That response is similar to how the body responds to joy and courage, not stress.
That one change can be the difference between a stress-induced heart attack in your 50s versus living into your 90s.
That response is similar to how the body responds to joy and courage, not stress.
That one change can be the difference between a stress-induced heart attack in your 50s versus living into your 90s.
According to McGonigal, recent research on stress reveals this:
The way you think about stress matters more than the amount of stress you experience.
This understanding changes everything.
Instead of trying to avoid stress, your goal is to think about stress differently.
The way you think about stress matters more than the amount of stress you experience.
This understanding changes everything.
Instead of trying to avoid stress, your goal is to think about stress differently.
Whenever you experience a stress response, consider it a positive.
Breathing heavy? More oxygen to your brain.
Heart pounding? More blood to your muscles.
Starting to sweat? The body is cooling for efficient work.
Your body is preparing for action, not stress.
Breathing heavy? More oxygen to your brain.
Heart pounding? More blood to your muscles.
Starting to sweat? The body is cooling for efficient work.
Your body is preparing for action, not stress.
Follow me @_alexbrogan for more thought-provoking content to help you get better at the game of life.
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