How-to-make-stress-your-friend(from-TED)

Ihaveaconfessiontomake,butfirst,Iwantyoutomakealittleconfessiontome.Inthepastyear,Iwantyoutojustraiseyourhandifyou'veexperiencedrelativelylittlestress.Anyone?Howaboutamoderateamountofstress?Whohasexperiencedalotofstress?Yeah.Metoo.Butthatisnotmyconfession.Myconfessionisthis:Iamahealthpsychologist,andmymissionistohelppeoplebehappierandhealthier.ButIfearthatsomethingI'vebeenteachingforthelast10yearsisdoingmoreharmthangood,andithastodowithstress.ForyearsI'vebeentellingpeople,stressmakesyousick.Itincreasestheriskofeverythingfromthecommoncoldtocardiovasculardisease.Basically,I'veturnedstressintotheenemy.ButIhavechangedmymindaboutstress,andtoday,Iwanttochangeyours.Letmestartwiththestudythatmademerethinkmywholeapproachtostress.Thisstudytracked30,000adultsintheUnitedStatesforeightyears,andtheystartedbyaskingpeople,Howmuchstresshaveyouexperiencedinthelastyear?Theyalsoasked,Doyoubelievethatstressisharmfulforyourhealth?Andthentheyusedpublicdeathrecordstofindoutwhodied.(Laughter)Okay.Somebadnewsfirst.Peoplewhoexperiencedalotofstressinthepreviousyearhada43percentincreasedriskofdying.Butthatwasonlytrueforthepeoplewhoalsobelievedthatstressisharmfulforyourhealth.(Laughter)Peoplewhoexperiencedalotofstressbutdidnotviewstressasharmfulwerenomorelikelytodie.Infact,theyhadthelowestriskofdyingofanyoneinthestudy,includingpeoplewhohadrelativelylittlestress.Nowtheresearchersestimatedthatovertheeightyearstheyweretrackingdeaths,182,000Americansdiedprematurely,notfromstress,butfromthebeliefthatstressisbadforyou.(Laughter)Thatisover20,000deathsayear.Now,ifthatestimateiscorrect,thatwouldmakebelievingstressisbadforyouthe15thlargestcauseofdeathintheUnitedStateslastyear,killingmorepeoplethanskincancer,HIV/AIDSandhomicide.(Laughter)Youcanseewhythisstudyfreakedmeout.HereI'vebeenspendingsomuchenergytellingpeoplestressisbadforyourhealth.Sothisstudygotmewondering:Canchanginghowyouthinkaboutstressmakeyouhealthier?Andherethesciencesaysyes.Whenyouchangeyourmindaboutstress,youcanchangeyourbody'sresponsetostress.Nowtoexplainhowthisworks,Iwantyoualltopretendthatyouareparticipantsinastudydesignedtostressyouout.It'scalledthesocialstresstest.Youcomeintothelaboratory,andyou'retoldyouhavetogiveafive-minuteimpromptuspeechonyourpersonalweaknessestoapanelofexpertevaluatorssittingrightinfrontofyou,andtomakesureyoufeelthepressure,therearebrightlightsandacamerainyourface,kindoflikethis.Andtheevaluatorshavebeentrainedtogiveyoudiscouraging,non-verbalfeedbacklikethis.(Laughter)Nowthatyou'resufficientlydemoralized,timeforparttwo:amathtest.Andunbeknownsttoyou,theexperimenterhasbeentrainedtoharassyouduringit.Nowwe'regoingtoalldothistogether.It'sgoingtobefun.Forme.Okay.Iwantyoualltocountbackwardsfrom996inincrementsofseven.You'regoingtodothisoutloudasfastasyoucan,startingwith996.Go!Audience:(Counting)Gofaster.Fasterplease.You'regoingtooslow.Stop.Stop,stop,stop.Thatguymadeamistake.Wearegoingtohavetostartalloveragain.(Laughter)You'renotverygoodatthis,areyou?Okay,soyougettheidea.Now,ifyouwereactuallyinthisstudy,you'dprobablybealittlestressedout.Yourheartmightbepounding,youmightbebreathingfaster,maybebreakingoutintoasweat.Andnormally,weinterpretthesephysicalchangesasanxietyorsignsthatwearen'tcopingverywellwiththepressure.Butwhatifyouviewedtheminsteadassignsthatyourbodywasenergized,waspreparingyoutomeetthischallenge?NowthatisexactlywhatparticipantsweretoldinastudyconductedatHarvardUniversity.Beforetheywentthroughthesocialstresstest,theyweretaughttorethinktheirstressresponseashelpful.Thatpoundingheartispreparingyouforaction.Ifyou'rebreathingfaster,it'snoproblem.It'sgettingmoreoxygentoyourbrain.Andparticipantswholearnedtoviewthestressresponseashelpfulfortheirperformance,well,theywerelessstressedout,lessanxious,moreconfident,butthemostfascinatingfindingtomewashowtheirphysicalstressresponsechanged.Now,inatypicalstressresponse,yourheartrategoesup,andyourbloodvesselsconstrictlikethis.Andthisisoneofthereasonsthatchronicstressissometimesassociatedwithcardiovasculardisease.It'snotreallyhealthytobeinthisstateallthetime.Butinthestudy,whenparticipantsviewedtheirstressresponseashelpful,theirbloodvesselsstayedrelaxedlikethis.Theirheartwasstillpounding,butthisisamuchhealthiercardiovascularprofile.Itactuallylooksalotlikewhathappensinmomentsofjoyandcourage.Overalifetimeofstressfulexperiences,thisonebiologicalchangecouldbethedifferencebetweenastress-inducedheartattackatage50andlivingwellintoyour90s.Andthisisreallywhatthenewscienceofstressreveals,thathowyouthinkaboutstressmatters.Somygoalasahealthpsychologisthaschanged.Inolongerwanttogetridofyourstress.Iwanttomakeyoubetteratstress.Andwejustdidalittleintervention.Ifyouraisedyourhandandsaidyou'dhadalotofstressinthelastyear,wecouldhavesavedyourlife,becausehopefullythenexttimeyourheartispoundingfromstress,you'regoingtorememberthistalkandyou'regoingtothinktoyourself,thisismybodyhelpingmerisetothischallenge.Andwhenyouviewstressinthatway,yourbodybelievesyou,andyourstressresponsebecomeshealthier.NowIsaidIhaveoveradecadeofdemonizingstresstoredeemmyself