Are you ever stressed? I can be the biggest stress head there is and have had many misunderstandings and reinforced many unhelpful habits related to stress. There has been lots of interesting recent research, which suggests that the health related problems associated with stress are not due to the physiological stress response itself but rather how we think about stress. Stress is activated when we think a thought of separation or worry.
Studies have proven when we experience the physiological stress response signs, like increased breathing and heart rate, it is how we think about them that effects our health and well being. Science has proven that when we change our mind about stress, we can change our body's response to it.
So if we see stress as the enemy and think stress is bad for us we tend to develop some unhelpful habits in order to deal with it. Habits like
- Pushing it away or trying to ignore it or pretend it is not happening
- Medicating it
- Numbing it with alcohol and drugs
- Getting angry with stress for visiting us
- Trying to distract ourselves by watching TV, Facebook
We do these things to avoid FEELING it - because we have told ourselves it is the enemy and bad for us
What if instead we saw stress as our friend who has come to energise us to be in the present and do what needs to be done. We could see the physiological signs as preparing our body to meet the challenge ahead.
A study at Harvard told participants just that. Prior to doing a social stress test they were told to view their stress response as helpful. They were told their pounding heart was preparing for action and their increased breathing rate was getting oxygen to the brain faster. When the participants had this preparation, to view stress as helpful to their performance, they were less stressed out and anxious, more confident and their their heart rate was increased without harmful blood vessel constriction. Blood vessels constriction is associated wit heart disease. The heart was still pumping faster but healthy way, just like when we are joyous or brave. So by changing our mind about stress, we can change our body's response to it.
So how do we put this into practice to reduce the harmful effects of a wrong understanding of our friend stress?. How can we have the courage to FEEL stress and remember it is our helpful friend who has come with a gift for us. A way I like to remember what to do to change past unhelpful habits is 'ABCD'
You might like to give it a go when you are in a situation that elicits the stress response. A situation like just before an exam, picking up your pen after reading time or a job interview.
So here is my ABCD to help us remember what to do when we feel stress - I would love to hear how you go.
Stress also encourages us to connect with others empathetically to offer and receive support. More about that next week in 'Another gift our friend stress brings'.
Thank you subscribers
If anyone you know would benefit from receiving these blogs please ask them to subscribe to pom-melbourne here.
Have a peaceful fun and happy week
Kind regards
Maree xx
Studies have proven when we experience the physiological stress response signs, like increased breathing and heart rate, it is how we think about them that effects our health and well being. Science has proven that when we change our mind about stress, we can change our body's response to it.
So if we see stress as the enemy and think stress is bad for us we tend to develop some unhelpful habits in order to deal with it. Habits like
- Pushing it away or trying to ignore it or pretend it is not happening
- Medicating it
- Numbing it with alcohol and drugs
- Getting angry with stress for visiting us
- Trying to distract ourselves by watching TV, Facebook
We do these things to avoid FEELING it - because we have told ourselves it is the enemy and bad for us
What if instead we saw stress as our friend who has come to energise us to be in the present and do what needs to be done. We could see the physiological signs as preparing our body to meet the challenge ahead.
A study at Harvard told participants just that. Prior to doing a social stress test they were told to view their stress response as helpful. They were told their pounding heart was preparing for action and their increased breathing rate was getting oxygen to the brain faster. When the participants had this preparation, to view stress as helpful to their performance, they were less stressed out and anxious, more confident and their their heart rate was increased without harmful blood vessel constriction. Blood vessels constriction is associated wit heart disease. The heart was still pumping faster but healthy way, just like when we are joyous or brave. So by changing our mind about stress, we can change our body's response to it.
So how do we put this into practice to reduce the harmful effects of a wrong understanding of our friend stress?. How can we have the courage to FEEL stress and remember it is our helpful friend who has come with a gift for us. A way I like to remember what to do to change past unhelpful habits is 'ABCD'
You might like to give it a go when you are in a situation that elicits the stress response. A situation like just before an exam, picking up your pen after reading time or a job interview.
So here is my ABCD to help us remember what to do when we feel stress - I would love to hear how you go.
- Awareness: Feel the stress and remember - My friend stress is here to help me to remember to ......
- Breathe - into the present. Take three mindful breaths into the present. Don't hop on the negative thought train and believe untrue and unkind thoughts like - I am a nervous wreck, I am going to fail??? STOP AND DONT BELIEVE THOSE thoughts and keep BREATHING and
- Connect with yourself and other kindly. Be that kind encouraging friend (connect to help yourself and others - but more about that next week)
- Do your best, to do what presents to do. (Again, connect and do to help yourself and others - but more about that next week)
Stress also encourages us to connect with others empathetically to offer and receive support. More about that next week in 'Another gift our friend stress brings'.
Thank you subscribers
If anyone you know would benefit from receiving these blogs please ask them to subscribe to pom-melbourne here.
Have a peaceful fun and happy week
Kind regards
Maree xx