Everyone has stress in their lives, but not all of us know how to handle or cope with stress in a healthy way. Here are two ways to de-stress: Change how you think about stress, and connect with people.
In the TED Talk "How to make stress you friend" (see link below), health psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains two interesting points: (1) viewing stress as helpful can improve our body's response to it; and (2) human connection improves our stress resilience.
First, did you know that we can change the negative effects of stress by viewing it as helpful instead of harmful? For example, it can be beneficial to believe that when your heart is pounding and body is pumping with adrenaline, stress is actually helping you rise to the challenge at hand. Stress can provide energy and focus, enabling us to get through difficult times.
Second, the "cuddle hormone" oxytocin is released when you're stressed. It's anti-inflammatory and strengthens your heart. It's also what makes you want to be around loved ones. And it's enhanced by social contact and social support; by reaching out to others to seek or give help, we release more of this hormone. By seeking and giving care to others we are also helping ourselves de-stress.
My favorite insight from this TED Talk is that caring about other people improves our stress resilience!
Watch the video here: TED Talk "How to make stress your friend".
-Nhien
No comments:
Post a Comment