Stress is harmful. Right?
Not really. In The Upside Of Stress, Kelly McGonigal – Ph.D., a research psychologist, and an award-winning science writer – argues why stress is actually good. If you let it be. Her arguments and research is based mainly on scientific research and experiments.
The main trick is a mindset change. Viewing stress as helpful creates a different biological reality. Specifically, the hormone DHEA (responsible for growth) increases, while the hormone Cortisol stays the same. The increase of DHEA sets the ratio to a healthier state.
The effect you expect is the effect you get.
What is stress?
Stress is what arises when something you care about is at stake. Stress and meaning are inextricably linked in your life.
The latest science states that stress can make you smarter, stronger, leading a meaningful life.
Adopting a new positive view of stress and developing a different, better relationship with stress can reduce “Stress problems” and enable you to thrive under high-level stress situations. To do that first:
- Accept it – feel its reality
- Plan a strategy
- Seek information and advice
- Use it as an opportunity
To do that, you also need a mindset shift. They seem too good to be true, yet little changes can cause exceptional results.
For mindset Intervention:
- Learn a new point of view
- Exercise
- Share it with others
Mindsets are like filters that color every experience.
The stress response is very crucial. Focus on how you want to respond can shift your biology to help you.
Examples of responses:
- Fight
- Flight
- Connect – Stress releases the hormone Oxticyn that increases social connections. Increase courage and caregiving.
- Challenge and learning – Increase self-confidence, motivate action. After a stressful event, your brain starts to rewire itself and learn from the experience. Focus on resources (to trigger this response) – The resources are already within you.
- Engage
Some techniques to transform stress:
- Turn self-focus into bigger than self-goals – increase resilience
- Increase awareness about others suffering – And be open about yours. Genuine empathy towards others suffering – feel their distress. Pity is a barrier to absorb their energy and strength.
- Turn Isolation into common humanity- acknowledge the underlying pain of others
- Perceive stress as energy your body is giving you
Stress is harmful especially if you perceive that way. Also:
- You feel inadequate
- It Isolates you
- Feels meaningless and against your will
You can mold stress using mindset change.