Effective at Managing Stress

Picture a challenging work meeting where questions intensify, and your answers fall short. You palms get sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy (CC: Marshall Mathers). We all have been taught to despise this feeling, labeling it as negative for our health. However, the narrative is more complex, revealing that not all stress is detrimental. Explore below the positive aspects of stress and learn how to leverage its benefits effectively.

Effective at Managing Stress

Our body's response to stress is not entirely under our control. In "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers," Robert Sapolsky explores our ability to handle short-term stress but highlights the challenges posed by persistent modern stress. The metaphorical title highlights how zebras rapidly eliminate stress, contrasting with humans who often hold on to it, leading to chronic stress that impacts our overall health. A study in the National Bureau of Economic Research linked higher student stress and cortisol levels to poverty and crime, revealing cultural factors can also influence our body's reaction to stress.

Stress comes in two forms, (Di)stress and (Eu)stress. Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff notes that (Di)stress can harm mental health and impact productivity, while (Eu)stress acts as a positive force, propelling us towards peak performance and facilitating a state of flow. To understand (Eu)stress, think about the type of stress we like (and even voluntarily pay money to experience) such as roller coaster rides or scary movies. We enjoy that type of stress because it is transitory and safe. We are under control at all times, feeling excited as opposed to anxious.

Believing that stress has harmful effects significantly influences its impact on health. A 2012 study monitoring 28,000 US adults for 8 years found that those perceiving stress as negative and then experiencing higher levels of stress, increased their risk of premature death by 43%. Conversely, individuals with equally high stress levels but a positive perception did not experience any impact on their mortality rates. A Harvard Stress Test further revealed that re-framing stress cues as positive can alter the body's response, preventing blood vessels to contract, thus avoiding cardiovascular impact.

Case study: Patrick Mahomes. In the Super Bowl overtime, it surprised me how calmed Mahomes looked, especially considering how anxious I was without even following the sport at all. Well, insights from his Whoop health monitor revealed a pattern: his heart rate peaks when watching his teammates defend, but significantly lowers when he takes charge as the Quarterback. This shift from experiencing (di)stress as a spectator to (eu)stress when in control of the outcome, reflects his effective stress management.

How to effectively manage stress?

1. Balance is key: Living a completely stress-free life can lead to missed opportunities for growth and an overall sense of emptiness or lack of purpose. Find your balanced stress dose for optimal well-being.

2. Embrace (Eu)stress:

   • Link to goals: You will view stress more positively if you are directly linking it to one of your goals. For instance, connect a challenging time with your kid to your goal of coming a better parent.

   • Cultivate a growth mindset: Seek for feedback after a stressful situation. Embrace the stress as a learning opportunity.

3. Deal with (Di)stress:

   • Detect and prevent: Identify distress sources, and create a prevention plan. This can lead to "saying no" or developing new skills for next time around.

   • Build Supportive relationships: Share concerns with a trusted peer (using them as a sounding board), or seek a coach/mentor to hear you out.

   • Practice mindfulness and gratitude. Regulate your balance more easily and avoid chronic stress. Remember a deep breath can be a simple yet effective way to regulate stress.

If you fear that the feeling of (di)stress is starting to be chronic, please seek professional support.

Just keep breathin and breathin and breathin,

Jorge Luis Pando

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." - Jon Kabat-Zinn