The study suggests that while digital mindfulness and confidence are important for employee wellbeing, mindfulness is more effective than confidence with technology. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in the workplace, and it can potentially alleviate the adverse consequences of technostress, a concept introduced in psychology. Repeated exposure to stressors may alter the efficiency of optimal stress responses and hinder emotion regulation skills. Consistently, mindfulness helps individuals approach technology-related challenges with a clear and focused mind, enabling them to leverage their technical competence while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has emerged as a form of therapy that focuses on helping individuals develop greater awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Researchers reviewed over 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness can also help reduce job burnout by avoiding multitasking online and establishing clear boundaries around its use, such as only using technology at certain times of the day.
Technology stressors, such as not enough intravenous (IV) pumps, interrupted internet connection during work, medical bed errors, and battery die-outs, can be reduced through mindfulness. Mindful imagery, or visualization, has been shown to be helpful for improving performance of physical tasks and reducing stress. Neurofeedback-assisted meditation using a wearable device can help improve subjective stress reduction compared to non-assisted meditation.
In conclusion, mindfulness can help reduce job burnout through technostress in knowledge workers by incorporating breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind, ultimately leading to a healthier, stress-reduced lifestyle.
📹 Managing Stress: Good for Your Health
Too much stress can have serious consequences—both for you and those around you. Luckily, VA provides a number effective …
What are the three 3 major benefits of practicing mindfulness?
The efficacy of mindfulness-based treatments in reducing anxiety, depression, lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and assisting individuals in coping with pain has been substantiated through empirical evidence. As posited by Dr. Zev Schuman-Olivier of Harvard University, mindfulness meditation has been demonstrated to enhance quality of life and mitigate the impact of mental health symptoms across a spectrum of chronic illnesses. One of the earliest mindfulness-based therapies was developed for the treatment of depression.
How does technology improve our wellbeing?
Technology has provided numerous health and wellness resources, making it easier to practice skills like gratitude, mindfulness, and emotion regulation online. However, technology doesn’t have to be harmful if used correctly. By learning how to use the Internet and social media in the right ways, it can support happiness and health. While there is some truth to the negative impact of technology on our happiness, it’s not the whole story.
How does technology affect mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being explored as a potential treatment for technological addiction, also known as Internet addiction disorder, a form of behavioral addiction. Psychologists agree that using mindfulness can help treat technology addiction by promoting non-judgmental behavior, paying attention to instances of mindless use, reflecting on the device’s usefulness, and noticing the benefits of disconnecting. The three keystones of mindfulness are intention, attention, and action.
Technology interferes with mindfulness by causing forgetting, distracting, and preventing action. The reward system in the mid-brain, which underlies addiction, evolved to reward finding and consuming food, social group information exchange, and mass worldwide communication. Critics argue that mindfulness in technology can lead to technophobia, pacification of workplace grievances, and disconnection from religious roots. Some view the movement as a marketing tactic, while others worry about the secularization of mindfulness, fearing it may dilute traditional Buddhist values.
How to use technology to improve mental health?
Teletherapy is a form of therapy that uses technology to connect patients and mental health professionals virtually. It is accessible and convenient, allowing patients with internet access to receive treatment from anywhere. Teletherapy has proven effective in treating mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Mobile applications, or apps, have also become popular tools for mental health treatment. These apps help patients track their moods, provide coping skills, and connect with mental health professionals.
These apps are particularly beneficial for those who may not have access to traditional therapy or feel uncomfortable seeking it. Overall, teletherapy offers a convenient and accessible alternative to traditional therapy methods.
What is mindfulness and how does it reduce stress?
Mindfulness is a powerful tool that can reduce stress by increasing awareness of thoughts, allowing for a more empathetic response to situations, and reducing the stress response. It involves stepping back from thoughts and taking them more literally, allowing for a more balanced approach to stress. Mindfulness also switches on the “being” mode of mind, which is associated with relaxation, and the “doing” mode of mind, which is associated with action and the stress response.
Mental health is enhanced by increased awareness and sensitivity to body needs, allowing for earlier symptom detection and appropriate action. Emotional intelligence also increases, reducing the likelihood of conflict. A compassionate mind soothes and inhibits the stress response. Mindfulness practice reduces activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls the stress response, effectively reducing the background stress level.
Focusing on well-being and focusing on the “zone” or “flow” can also help reduce stress. Mindfulness also allows for a shift in attitude towards stress, allowing for a more positive outlook on the stress itself.
Andres Gonzalez’s Stress Breath Practice is a great tool for managing anxiety an
d stress, as it can help pull in energy and store it in the body.
How can I be mindful with technology?
The increasing use of technology in both personal and professional life has led to a lack of time for “just being” without a plethora of stimuli. This is largely due to the accessibility and convenience of technology, which allows individuals to multitask and stay connected. However, this can negatively impact our health and wellness if we do not incorporate breaks from technology. To break from technology, it is essential to put devices away and silence them, choose the right environment, shift attention to sensations, breathe deeply, give ourselves permission to just be, and self-reflect.
By doing so, we can better understand how our high levels of technology utilization may impact our wellbeing and how our internal state and ability to be mindful are impacted by our connection with technology.
What are the pros and cons of mindfulness?
Mindfulness practice has been demonstrated to enhance self- and social awareness, which in turn facilitates mood and emotion regulation. Nevertheless, it necessitates exertion, repetition, and may occasionally result in heightened frustration or criticism.
Does mindfulness reduce anxiety?
A study published in JAMA demonstrated that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an efficacious treatment for adults with anxiety disorders, with outcomes comparable to those achieved with escitalopram.
What can mindfulness help?
Mindfulness practices can help manage stress, cope with illness, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve self-esteem. Studies have shown a link between mindfulness meditation and changes in brain regions involved in memory, learning, and emotion. Mindfulness can also reduce anxiety and hostility among urban youth, leading to reduced stress, fewer fights, and better relationships. It encourages attention to thoughts, actions, and the body, helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Mindful eating involves eating when hungry, focusing on each bite, enjoying food more, and stopping when full. This approach can lead to better relationships, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being.
How can I be mindful on the Internet?
To stay present and manage your online sessions, keep an eye on your computer’s clock and track your progress. Set time limits to keep track of tasks and keep yourself organized. Consider keeping a task list for each online session, with no more than five specific tasks to accomplish, and allocate time for each. For example, updating your Facebook page and replying to your inbox could take 5 minutes.
What is the primary benefit of practicing mindful technology use?
Mindfulness practices can help reduce chronic stress from digital overload, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and boosting immune function. By prioritizing mental well-being, we indirectly support our physical health. Additionally, mindfulness teaches us to pause before reacting, allowing us to assess whether an email requires immediate attention or if a social media post warrants our attention. By cultivating this pause, we can regain control over our digital choices and maintain a healthy mind.
📹 How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal | TED
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public …
This is why when I am stressed about my financial situation, I volunteer at a animal shelter or rescue organization. I can’t describe the joy I feel helping homeless animals get better, and getting them one step closer to a forever home. Volunteering doesn’t change my financial situation, it improves my happiness, and ultimately my life.
I am so glad I watched this article. After I watched this article, its really really changed my perspective about stress. This article is so relevant. I’m sure everyone has been under stress for some time. And now, we may also be stressed. During this time, we must have assumed that stress is our enemy. We only know that stress only makes us sick. When we feel stress, our heart must be pounding, and it’s uncomfortable. But from this article, I got a new knowledge that stress can makes us healthy. Why? When we change our way of thinking about stress, we can change our body’s reaction to stress. In fact, all aspects of our body will respond positively to stress. How? The trick is that we have to get used to looking at negative things positively. Sometimes, we can not change the situation but we can change our mindset to handle the problem well by trying to understand them, approaching them positively, and adjusting our attitude. The point of this article is how we think about something can change the whole situation. After perusal this article, Not only do I love this – but I adopted this advice in my own life. 🙌♥
I can’t believe this article has been available for 10 years and I’m only seeing it now. Thankfully Steven Bartlett referenced this exact TED Talk in his new book. My favourite part was actually Kelly’s response on avoiding or embracing stressful situations: “Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life, and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.”
A little to moderate stress is healthy for your system. But too much, especially chronic, amounts of excessive stress will cause system failure over time. I appreciate her argument in view of little to moderate stress levels, but not in view of chronic, excessive levels that come with traumatic or repeatedly intense experiences.
“how you think and how you act can change your experience of stress. ” ›choose to view your stress response (heart pounding, palm sweaty, etc) as helpful, it’ll bring joy and courage into your life. ›choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience. Literally the whole point is CHANGING OUR VIEW about our stress response, and BUILDING CONNECTION with someone during stress moment, to be happier and healthier also live longer. Good luck everyone!
It is about how you decide to think about it. Like she was saying, you need to change your perception of stress. I remember how when reading psychology still in high school ( University student of psychology these days), my teacher and I got talking about stress and what he said was that ” Stress is a sign that you care about the thing that is stressing you out. ” – that really struck me. By approaching things differently and seeing them in a different light, you can actually rechannel your psyche to limits you were not even aware of. In this it is your whole body from physical to psychological responses readying you to perform a situation that has a lot of stimulus. Stimulus which does not have to be a bad thing if you decide to just relax and let go. This allows you to perform in front of an audience and be yourself without having to worry you make mistakes, because we all do. It is normal and humane, nothing embarrassing to worry about. These days I do not even care if people laugh when I make mistakes, I laugh at it too. In the same way I came to find that bad experiences can be websiteed to be good experiences instead. For example I was diagnosed a lethal case of Chron’s disease in my high school. Even though the experience was really hard because it nearly took my life, now looking back at it the person I was about to become (brat) and the person I am today then I am much rather the person i became trough that experience and with that experience than to be the person I would have been if it never happened to me in the first place.
This just reminds me how important it is to LISTEN to your body. First, I got addicted to counting calories and tracking my vitamin intake for nutrition. But in the end, that just stressed me out a lot. Turns out it’s best to do intuitive eating where you just listen to your body. And now this. I’ve been calling my body stupid when it creates a stress response for non life threatening situations. Because I’ve always been told that it’s just a part of the “reptilian brain.” But then I got from this talk that stress isn’t actually that bad at all. Sometimes the information going around isn’t really accurate. So it’s always good to give trust to one’s body, not just to logic. I learned from someone that not only does your brain has a mind. The rest of your body has too.
Around seven years after seeing this, I’m here retrospectively to say a huge thank you, this has SAVED my life! Starting from a ridiculous, stress-induced medical file, I’ve since been involved in far more stressful projects and situations, but with zero adverse health effects. Stress doesn’t kill but fear of stress might…
4:29 McGonigal: “I want you all to count backwards from 996 by increments of seven” Tokyo Ghoul fans: wait a sec, hold up- 4:33 McGonigal: “You’re going to do this out loud,” The screen behind her: 996-7 The audience: ha ha wow, this sure is gonna be tricky Tokyo Ghoul fans: anxiety levels spike but for an entirely different reason
Okay. Let’s differentiate here between new-age fluff and actual legitimate science. positive-thinking mantra: -I can do anything if I just visualize it, even if I don’t work to it much. -My thoughts directly impact the world. -I can change other things directly and objectively through my perception. Actual, productive thinking: -I will only accomplish as much as I am willing to work for it. -My thoughts impact my perspective of the world. The chips sometimes aren’t in my favor. My thoughts don’t change that–they just let me play another hand. -I can change myself, and thus the world, through my perception of it. When life gives me lemons, I’ll give people lemonade. So, no, for all of those super-cynics who tout their pessimism like a trophy glorifying their oh-so ‘contrarian’ viewpoint: this article is not suggesting that you should act like your stress doesn’t exist. What she’s saying is that we should make the best of it by seeing it as a way to grow. No, not the “If I just visualize stress being gone, I’ll be happy!” lifestyle. More like, “This is what it is. Here’s what I think of it –that’s better. Now I’ll make it into something admirable.”
i have been taking some medicine to feel good in work hour time…but later realise when i am not stressed i am not actually focusing on the work that need my attention…i am just enjoying the moment…but later work progress get hampered…and later i realise that stress is actually good, it motivate us to take action…
Well… i have seriously severe panic attacks and anxiety attacks thanks to years and years of googling my symptoms. Its very unhealthy but in the time of stress or having an anxiety episode, i cannot convince myself that im okay. Its not as easy as some people try to make it out to be. When you’re in that moment you can only freak out and think youre dying just for it to drain you later. I hate it. This article actually helped me ALOT.
Oh WoW wow wow, now that’s a beautiful and wise insight into the whole Anxiety-Depression paradigm! Very simply, and as I understood, the modern ultra-civilized society of today lacks compassion and empathy towards self, let alone for others. It’s also so harsh a critique of everyone else as it lacks, in so many minute ways, true self esteem! Materialism has replaced human Soul.
When talking about harmful effects of stress, it’s important to realize that it is the physiological response of an organism that matters, not some description of an event. Kelly suggested a method for reducing that response. This doesn’t contradict the idea that too much of stress (chronic stress, most of all) is harmful.
Since I have had M.S. for over 50 years, stress has been part of my life. It’s something a person learns to ‘deal with’. Exercising, eating healthy and napping become part of the daily rituals. Seeing my physicians is part of my life too. At least we have Dr.’s we can see! Keeping a positive attitude helps me. The smile on my face helps me too. When I share treat with everyone I meet, I usually get one in return. Barb
This is true but only if the stress is for short time while you need it for to do what you must do, it means, to do something that requires effort. The trouble shows up when stress is for long, long time due to it activates survival mechanisms which maintained over time, harms our organs because of adrenaline and cortisol.
Hearing about Oxycontin being called the “hug hormone” suddenly explains why I’ve seen two UFC fighters immediately hug and embrace each other right after a brutal and bloody punch up. They’re under immense physical and mental stress during the fight and instantly respond to the hormone the second that final round ends
I saw this in school, but does anyone actually know how to start thinking like this? I mean she said that we need to view it as something helpful, but how do you start? For me, just telling myself that it’s helpful might not be enough to override stress. I don’t get stressed that easily, but this is something I want to get better at.
To bring hope to those who see none is nothing short of amazing. The speaker beautifully illustrates how those drowning in stress can recover from the daily pressure tests they face through a change in outlook. In my opinion the ability to share and care for each other is the most powerful weapon we have against the daily battle of stress. When we share our problems and help each other we find new perspective into our old problems. You can sum up this article in one sentence. Sometimes to live life to the fullest we have to take a leap of faith together past the stress hurdles we face.
This is similar to a strategy I used to stop smoking. When I would get nicotine cravings, instead of dwelling on how uncomfortable I felt, I would get excited. I would think “this is great, I can feel the nicotine leaving my system once and for all” and I would remind myself how glad I was to be a non-smoker. It ended up making those “nic fits” feel great, because when having one, one does get a rush of energy. By redirecting that energy into a positive emotion, it ends up being surprisingly pleasurable. I got that tip from Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking, btw.
There’s a flaw in her conclusion: Correlation does not imply causation: perhaps people who believed stress was harmful could feel stress harming them, that’s why they got that belief. While people who didn’t feel stress harming them didn’t believe it. So the believers were actually harmed and died. So it’s not the belief that killed them, but the stress and their bodies that are harmed by stress. So changing your belief might actually bring you more harm, because if you have a body that is harmed by stress and doesn’t believe stress is harming you, you’ll allow yourself to suffer more stress and die faster
Cortisol and adrenaline are both our stress but only in certain situations. If you see a bus speeding in your direction, these two guys will most likely help you to jump back on the pavement. But if you are a manager of a group of people, a parent or a teacher who has to struggle with constant stress, cortisol and adrenaline can literally kill you…step by step…
This is a great talk but I also fear that it might add pressure to people who already feel very pressured. This is the kind of science that might be an ally for people to control others and increase the already insane workloads we consider “normal”. What about self-care? What if THAT is the true meaning of life. To do less. To just be ok with being who we are. As is.
I’m sure that stress can kill you. I had that much stress before my examination, that black patches appeared on my skin and they started falling off and i was bleeding. It tuned out it was because of an autoimmune disease caused by stress. I got a ointment from a dermatologist. It stopped the bleeding quickly. When i passed the exam with a good grade and i took a week off and go hiking, all my symptoms where gone. Stress in education is a serial killer. At that time i was alone and no one could help me understand the studies i was learning. I had the confidence and i was feeling challenged and encouraged by the fact i’m gonna earn so much respect and money if i can do this exam. Since that happened i still try avoiding stress, but i cannot. And last year i had a small tumor in my thyroid. So i’m pretty sure stress can kill you. Now i try to think of stress in a different way. It cost not that much to try out think differently – maybe it will help me.
The overall result of the new study is still that stress is a killer and disease facilitator. This new study actually supports the older studies. It just expands them to include stressful thoughts about stress itself. Stress is the condition when your heart beat and pressure increases when you have an anxiety creating situation or thoughts. Dying of stress becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because it creates anxiety of itself thus amplifying the effects of your stress. I.e, the stress of knowing you are stressed. So the solution: don’t think of stress anxiously. Think of it positively. This cancels it out. But the stress of other things going on in your life continues. For that, we can do the same thing. Think of everything that happens positively or non-judgmentally. This way we reduce anxiety and stress of everyday events. Namaste
Hmmm…. not sure I’m in agreement here. Of course having a stimulating job and handling the stress involved BETTER – would be good. But stressing over your ability to keep your staff employed, your family fed and avoiding bankruptcy is very different. I know young people who absolutely destroyed their health with irresponsible financial decisions, and the stress involved. Yes, pursue a stimulating career – but NO, don’t think that stress in general is good for you.
How To Make Stress Your Friend When Kelly McGonigal (psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University) first told her audience that a belief in the harmful effects of stress — and not stress itself — was a serious health risk, many people laughed. But by the end of her talk, most of them were willing to accept that a change in their perception of stress rather than the elimination of it could save them from a premature death. Her presentation, “How To Make Stress Your Friend,” draws on three recent studies that reveal how stress is a natural reaction to adversity, and if you stop becoming anxious about your stress, the body can naturally cope in a healthy way. ———– #stressmanagement #tedtalk
There is a lot of truth in what you say. Yes people die less from stress, when they don‘t believe its harmful to them and when they help their neighbors out. But: How is causality here? You cannot tell from your studies. Who believes stress does not harm them, probably does so, because he experienced this in his life. And thus he is more likely to be someone of a healthy constituion and with a healthy surrounding. And who believes stress harms him, probably does so because he experienced this in his life. Probably he has an unhealthy constitution and surrounding. Now when people of the first kind die less when under stress, this comes from their constitution and surroundings and not from their belief that stress is not harmful. Maybe from their belief as well but certainly not mainly from it. When stressed people that help their neighbors die less, its the same: In most cases it would be because they have a better constituion and surrounding in their life that they, despite of their stress, help other people. And then it would also rather be their better constitution and surrounding that explains their diying less from stress rather than their helping other people explaining it.
This sounds very compelling, but it strikes me as a very privileged position. The findings and her hypothesis are very lovely to hear, but working among a population that faces chronic, systemic stress makes me skeptical whether her hypothesis can be generalized. Try telling someone who grew up with complex PTSD and lifelong poverty and disenfranchisement that they should see their stress as a helpful nudge – I’m not about to tell my clients that, not when the stress is the threat of gun violence on their doorstep or the final notice on rent they cannot pay. I heartily agree with her that human connection is a huge protective factor. But life is a lot more complex than that.
She should definitely clarify that this only applies to short term stress. Having short term stress to turn in a paper and do an assignment is very helpful. But as a person with anxiety, long sustained stress that can happen for what seems like no reason is not beneficial for your health at all. Anxiety can often lead to depression which is not something that “helps you connect with people to receive help” it actually really does effect you and you most of the time cannot just ‘control it’. It’s important that this argument doesn’t invalidate people who have mental illness.
I can so understand what she has done. I did that a long time ago when i realized that it seemed I would live in steess a lot of my lifetime. So as bad as it was,I decided to embrace it and mentally use it as a stepping stone towards building more character. As a character test so to speak. This is a control issue and when you realize some things you just absolutely have no control over, but you can control how you react.
Honestly I don’t believe this as much as I did 3 years ago. I lost all my meaning and purpose in life, so being stressed out made me suffered. This only works when you have a clear goal and purpose. I used to be like this, my goal in school was to be the top students and get good grades, so this let me step on stress and achieve stuff. After swimming in the dreadful world of work, I lost all meanings, my goals and my dreams.
Ms. McGonigal has been telling people for 10 years that stress is bad, now she has changed her mind. Wow. Then she talks about oxytocin and we’re supposed to understand how that affects our body. My, my. But we live in a powerfully induced stressful society so how do you handle all the stressful people and situations in your life? Especially since so many think stress is bad for you, this is quite a conundrum.
I feel like she might be interpreting the data incorrectly for that first study… Or maybe the researchers were the ones to do that. Because those who didn’t see stress as harmful… Well, it probably wasn’t harming them. Those who did see it as harmful… It was probably harming them. So the ones unharmed from stress had a lower rate of death, and the ones harmed from stress had a higher rate of stress. Unharmed dying less, harmed dying more. What a revelation /s. I just think that maybe they should look at what’s right in front of them before jumping to conclusions, y’know? And for the one about stress and caring for others… Wow! People with people who are there as support groups have a lower rate of death, and don’t have any stress-related death effects? Wildin’ /s. Anyways, I mean no offense to this psychologist, but it just feels… like advice for a very certain group of lower-stress folks.
oh well, so stress has a bad influence on us, of course, but if we can take stress as a motivation that makes we can not only reduce the harmful impact on our life but also help us healthier. Moreover, if we have been through a stressful situation and we can take the experience to share it with other people and once again, we can feel empathy with other people. So that maybe stress seems very bad but we can change that by changing our point of view about it and the way we face it.
스트레스로 인해 심장이 빨리뛰고 식은땀이 날 때, 스트레스를 극복하기 위한 신체반응 이라고 긍정적으로 이해하는 것이 신체를 좋게 변화시킨다는 연구결과가 아주 놀랍네요. 정말 모든것은 마음에 있었다라는 것을 이번연구로 알 수 있었어요. 스트레스로인한 신체변화를 긍정적으로 받아들인다면, 옥시토신이 더 많이 분비된대요. 이때 혈관이 오히려 평소때보다 더 이완되어 있고, 심장에서 옥시토신을 수용하면 데미지도 회복하는 물리적인 변화까지 한다고 해요. 너무 놀라운 일~ 그뿐만 아니라 이런변화는 사회적인 역활도 한다고해요. 주변을 자신을 지지해주는 사람들로 둘러쌓이려는 욕구를 자극시킨다네요. 사람들에게 더 다가가고 이해해주려고 할수록 더 많은 옥시토신을 가질수 있다고합니다. 스트레스받고 있는 누군가를 보살피고 소통하는 사람들의 사망률이 더 낮아다고 해요. 위기의 순간에 나를 믿고 긍정적으로 용기를 느낄수 있다면 건강하게 잘살수 있을것 같습니다. 또한 위기에 처한 누군가를 보살피는 마음을 갖는것이 스스로를 구하는 일이었네요. 최근에 들은 연구중에 너무 감명 깊었어요. .
Not gonna lie, at the first statement (that if you don’t believe stress, it’s not bad for you, based on that one study) I rolled my eyes and started to discount the value of this TED talk, and I paused it, and walked away … A day later, after pondering where she might be going with this, I went back to finish perusal it. Absolutely right about Oxytocin. Oddly, it also tends to increase jealousy. I particularly found the closing statement most intriguing; packed with meaning! I have already made it a practice to change my perspective on a stressful situation by viewing it as an adventure. Just that shift in perspective allows me to apply myself more fully to the situation, rather than gritting my teeth through it.
Change your thought that ”stress is harmfull for your health” is replace by ”stress make you healthier”. This can change the way your body’s respone to stress. It challenges your heart that make your heart stronger. Your blood vessels stay relaxed and remain stable and your heart is still pounding strongner that is a much healthier cardiovascular profile. Your heart has receptors for stress hormone, and oxytocin helps heart calls regenerate and heal from any stress-induced damage. This stress hormone strengthens your heart.
According to this woman’s claim sress could be beneficial if you change your perspective on stress. I disagree with that. Stress has detrimental effect on body, mind and spirit. It lowers your immune system, causes cancer and other chronic diseases. It lowers your mental faculties and you spiritually feel empty and purposeless if you are stressed out regardless of how you associate stress with human well-being.
I’ll have to review this vs. the research of dr. Sopolsky. He is a professor at Stanford, with a documentary called… Stress: the Portrait of a Killer. He is an old dude with beard and long hair, your typical biologist. Psychology hmmm is a difficulty science, as in difficult to proof something. As many point out there can be flaws in the way you interpret data. Personally I think anybody who quotes scientific research should also provide the statistical basis and experiment setup. Else it can be a very dangerous road to “truth” akin to religious dogmas.
Here are two knowledge objects extracted from the transcript: ### Title: Believing stress is harmful increases health risks – Fact: The body responds to stress physically and psychologically. – Situation: Many people believe stress is bad for your health. – Cause: Viewing stress as harmful can produce a more negative physical response. – Approach: Reframing stress as helpful can improve cardiovascular health. Viewing stress as energizing creates a healthier biological response. ### Title: Social connection builds resilience to stress – Fact: Oxytocin is released as part of the biological stress response. – Situation: Stress takes a physical and emotional toll on people. – Cause: Isolation and lack of social support during stress leaves people vulnerable. – Approach: Seeking social connections under stress releases oxytocin, protecting cardiovascular health. Caring for others creates resilience and offsets the harmful effects of stress.
The fact that Ms McGonigal didn’t touch on Cortisol makes me doubt the veracity of her talk. She also didn’t talk about the level of stress related to the question of, is it constant and unending or periodic with adequate recovery periods. I’ve also never heard oxytocin being discussed as a result of stress. I worked in a bank environment for about 15 years (for one company) where the amount of work expected was ever-increasing, the rewards were slowly withdrawn over time, the ability to interact with colleagues was dimished year-over-year and the systems we used became worse and worse consistently increasing the knowledge base we had to acquire to perform our work. I do not seriously believe that my attitude being more positive would have helped me all that much so I’m not exactly impressed with this “just keep a good attitude” nonsense. I agree that a person’s general outlook on life would help when positive and that interacting with others is generally positive as well; however, I become evermore skeptical when someone tries to shove a mittful of daisies in my face that were grown in manure. I don’t mind others who disagree and found this talk helpful; however, I didn’t find it particularly encouraging. Ms McGonigal does seem like a nice person and well-educated as well so please don’t come at me with that argument if you decide to engage. I don’t have an issue with her; I have an issue with the culture that seems to continually find new ways to increase society’s stress levels.
Loved this! Thank you so much for giving us the belief and mindset to be better at managing stress. One question for Kelly McGonial: If stress makes you more social, how does it impact people who naturally get more stressed by being in social situations? Would the stress acting/pushing them to be more social help them or hurt them?
I have a confession to make. But first, I want you to make a little confession to me. In the past year, I want you to just raise your hand if you’ve experienced relatively little stress. Anyone? 00:20 How about a moderate amount of stress? 00:23 Who has experienced a lot of stress? Yeah. Me too. 00:28 But that is not my confession. My confession is this: I am a health psychologist, and my mission is to help people be happier and healthier. But I fear that something I’ve been teaching for the last 10 years is doing more harm than good, and it has to do with stress. For years I’ve been telling people, stress makes you sick. It increases the risk of everything from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours. 01:09 Let me start with the study that made me rethink my whole approach to stress. This study tracked 30,000 adults in the United States for eight years, and they started by asking people, “How much stress have you experienced in the last year?” They also asked, “Do you believe that stress is harmful for your health?” And then they used public death records to find out who died. 01:37 Okay. Some bad news first. People who experienced a lot of stress in the previous year had a 43 percent increased risk of dying. But that was only true for the people who also believed that stress is harmful for your health.
Deep and insightful speech, Kelly! You are poised and your answer is profound! Her advice is @13:59 “Chasing meaning is better for your health than avoiding discomfort. That is the best way to make decision is go after what it is that creates meaning in your life. Then, trust yourself to handle the stress that follows!” Thank you! I took notes and definitely watch again.
I am so sorry you went through this! I had a horribly traumatic birth story with my first baby! I had him in the hospital as well. The doctor had told me when I was 6 months pregnant that I would not be able to have a big baby. 8 pounds would be the biggest. And even though my first child was only 7 pounds 12 ounces, I had problems and the baby had problems. So much so that I didn’t know if I would have another baby! My second pregnancy was a surprise not planned at all and it was then that I decided I would take it into my own hands and research everything that had happened. I wouldn’t leave it to the professionals as they had done a horrible job of keeping me and my baby safe! Something I found as I researched what had happened to me was that everything that had happened to both me and our baby was preventable!!! That was when I chose to read as many books on natural childbirth outside of a hospital setting. Then I chose a midwife! Long story short my second baby was 10 pounds and I had him with just the midwife and my husband! It restored my faith in my body and beauty and how God had made us able to do such an amazing feat! When I approached my midwife about the first birth trauma and how I had been treated she said yes of course. She had delivered over 350 babies by the time she saw me and said that most women have had some kind of trauma story with hospitals. Because they have you on their time table! There is more to my story but I just want you to know that you too will heal and you will see it differently in time!
I was in a lot of stress trying to figure out my life, my education and how i could help my family. This helped me realize a lot of things in life. Things i could share that could help other people. So that’s what i did, i became the friend you always talk to when you have a problem and that made me happy, it made me excited that i was helping and the joy after knowing how things turned out for them after you’ve helped them, it’s amazing. What i did wrong though was i made it a distraction, i was hit by the saying, “that’s why you always try to fix others, coz you can’t fix yourself” right now i am trying to find myself, trying to help myself, to become better. So i could my family, my friends, and other people in need.
La charla de Kelly McGonigal sobre cómo convertir al estrés en tu amigo es una invitación poderosa a reconsiderar nuestra percepción del estrés y sus efectos en nuestras vidas. McGonigal desafía la noción convencional de que el estrés es inherentemente perjudicial, presentando evidencia que sugiere que nuestra actitud hacia el estrés puede influir en cómo afecta nuestra salud y bienestar. Este enfoque inspirador y perspicaz ofrece una nueva forma de pensar sobre el estrés, presentándolo como una oportunidad para crecer, aprender y fortalecernos, en lugar de algo que debemos evitar a toda costa.
The US capitalistic society and corporations use employee stress as a tool to maximize productivity and minimize resource costs. Stress over losing your job, stress over losing your healthcare which is tied to your employment, stress over low/no pay raises, etc. Many workers put in large amounts of free overtime as a result, and are expected to do so. Employees, their health, and their families suffer greatly as a result. But profits must be kept high for shareholders.
Again, amazing talk, but stress might be also addictive. So, it’s a really good and useful ted talk, but we should still be very careful. I’m writing this currently in sick-leave, due to? overwork/stress. As a scholar, all the professional told me, this is very common in your profession. So, let’s remain very careful and indeed when you have to face a stressful situation, those are great advice
I wonder why Muslims have no stress, even we are not familiar with term. Despite of having economic, social, and financial issues we Muslims are as happy as if there is no issues in their life. I believe that peace and comfort in life comes through the connection between you and God. The more you are connected to Allah the better peace and blessings you get. So, invert to Islam and throw away the stress.
Sorry, but in my experience this is total bullshit. I didn’t wanted to be in a stressful situation neither I was thinking negatively about it. I was just exposed to it for a decade … I was ALWAYS very corageous and I’ve coped with the situation. I went for what is was meaningful to me. I never gave up and also now I am positively orientated toward my future. But as the result of all the stress I get disease whitch I am coping with still now. So people… an briefly exposure to stress it could be constructive and positive, also thinking positively about the stress is a way to avoid the consequence of it, but once you’ve coped with so many stress, believe me, you just want to be smoother and genle with yourself! A lab experiment or a social study is far from real life! God bless all of you ❤️
You have stress because you don’t follow Jesus the right way. You will have the right job with happiness. And Happiness will make you do things successfully. Stress comes from the devil. There is no positive or negative stress, all stress is negative. The same way, there are no positive or negative evils, evils are just negative. Take things with happiness and confidence and done ! Faith is not related to stress, Faith is more than that. So this presentation may be important for non-believers. But if you are a believer, consider my opinion.
I understand stress can be a positive motivator. But I don’t think my body is making me any more ready to do litterally anything today by creating so much stress I can barely move. Maybe this was a fair case when facing a predator. But I don’t feel any more prepared to start drivers Ed when I’m so stressed out I’m going to absolutely collapse
Or it could be that people who are prone to mental issues like anxiety or depression are more likely to die, and therefore they think more about stress killing you…. While she has a plausible theory, there’s more than one way to look at that, and it’s more than just how people view stress. If people can learn to cope with anxiety and depression, they will more likely to live longer. What she described above is a paradigm shift about stress only, not anxiety or depression. It’s a good place to start though.
Osho would likely discuss the dangers of external validation and the importance of inner peace when addressing dependency on others and its effects on an individual’s self-esteem, confidence, and serotonin levels. He would emphasize that personal happiness and value must be found independently of others’ approval, as reliance on external validation can risk losing one’s inner worth and authenticity. Desiring approval and validation from others can be natural, but Osho would point out that depending on others is not a healthy way to build self-esteem and confidence. He would stress the importance of turning to one’s inner resources, self-sufficiency, working on oneself, and finding inner happiness. In this process, meditation and mindfulness practices can help an individual overcome their dependency on external approval and lead a more independent, free, and joyful life. According to Osho, dependency on others may have a temporary and external effect on serotonin levels and overall happiness, but true and lasting happiness comes from an individual’s own inner strength, love, and acceptance. Therefore, finding one’s inner peace and happiness is more critical than the effort to please others.
Coming back to this because my oldest sibling disagreed about how I viewed stress, but I decided to come back and review this article again. I’ve always thought stress was somewhat meaningful and a part of life as long as I don’t overthink it. Facing my stresses, without believing stress is bad for my health, can lead growing as a person as long as I figure out how to handle them (sort of like reactive coping, but with positivity). Glad to back to this article again!