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KellyMcGonigal:Howtomakestressyourfriend.Ihaveaconfessiontomake,Butfirst,Iwantyoutomakealittleconfessiontome.Inthepastyear,Iwantyoutojustraiseyourhandifyou’veexperiencedrelativelylittlestress.Anyone?Howaboutamoderateamountofstress?Whohasexperiencedalotofstress?Metoo.Butthatisnotmyconfession.Myconfessionisthis:Iamahealthpsychologistandmymissionistohelppeoplebehappierandhealthier.ButIfearthatsomethingI’vebeenteachingforthelast10yearsisdoingmoreharmthangood,andithastodowithstress.ForyearsI’vebeenteachingpeople,stressmakesyousick.Itincreasestheriskofeverythingfromthecommoncoldtocardiovasclardisease.Basically,I’veturnedstressintotheenemy.ButIhavechangedmymindaboutstress,andtoday,Iwanttochangeyours.Letmestartwiththestudythatmademerethinkmywholeapproachtostress.Thisstudytracked30,000adultsintheUnitedStatesforeightyears,andtheystartedbyaskingpeople,“Howmuchstresshaveyouexperiencedinthelastyear?”Theyalsoasked,“Doyoubelievethatstressisharmfulforyourhealth?”Andthentheyusedpublicdeathrecordstofindoutwhodied.Okay!SomebadnewsfirstPeoplewhoexperiencedalotofstressinthepreviousyearhada43percentincreasedriskofdying.Butthatwasonlytrueforthepeoplewhoalsobelievedthatstressisharmfulforyourhealth.Peoplewhoexperiencedalotofstressbutdidnotviewstressasharmfulwerenomorelikelytodie.Infact,theyhadthelowestriskofdyingofanyoneinthestudyincludingpeoplewhohadrelativelylittlestress.Nowtheresearchersestimatedthatovertheeightyearstheyweretrackingdeaths182,000Americansdiedprematurely,notfromstress,butfromthebeliefthatstressisbadforyou.Thatisover20,000deathsayear.Now,ifthatestimateiscorrect,thatwouldmakebelievingstressisbadforyouthe15thlargestcauseofdeathintheUnitedStateslastyear,killingmorepeoplethanskincancer,HIV/AIDSandhomicide.Youcanseewhythisstudyfreakedmeout.HereI’vebeenspendingsomuchenergytellingpeoplestressisbadforyourhealth.Sothisstudygotmewondering:Canchanginghowyouthinkaboutstressmakeyouhealthier?Andherethesciencesaysyes.Whenyouchangeyourmindaboutstress,youcanchangeyourbody’sresponsetostress.Nowtoexplainhowthisworks,Iwantyoualltopretendthatyouareparticipantsinastudydesignedtostressyouout.It’scalledthesocialstresstest.Youcomeintothelaboratory,andyou’retoldyouhavetogiveafive-minuteimpromptuspeechonyourpersonalweaknessestoapanelofexpertevaluatorssittingrightinfrontofyou,andtomakesureyoufeelthepressure,therearebrightlightsandacamerainyourface,kindoflikethis.Andtheevaluatorshavebeentrainedtogiveyoudiscouraging,non-verbalfeedbacklikethis.Nowthatyou’resufficientlydemoralized,timeforparttwoamathtest.Andunbeknownsttoyou,theexperimenterhasbeentrainedtoharassyouduringit.Nowwe’regoingtoalldothistogether.It’sgoingtobefun.Forme.Okay.Iwantyoualltocountbackwardsfrom996inincrementsofseven.You’regoingtodothisoutloudasfastasyoucan,startingwith996.Go!Gofaster.Fasterplease.You’regoingtooslow.Stop,stop,stop,stop.Thatguymadeamistake.Wearegoingtohavetostartalloveragain.You’renotverygoodatthis,areyou?Okay,soyougettheidea.Now,ifyouwereactuallyinthisstudy,you’dprobablybealittlestressedout.Yourheartmightbepounding,youmightbebreathingfaster,maybebreakingoutintoasweat.Andnormally,weinterpretthesephysicalchangesasanxietyorsignsthatwearen’tcopingverywellwiththepressure.Butwhatifyouviewedtheminsteadassignsthatyourbodywasenergizedwaspreparingyoutomeetthischallenge?NowthatisexactlywhatparticipantsweretoldinastudyconductedatHarvardUniversity.Beforetheywentthroughthesocialstresstest,theyweretaughttorethinktheirstressresponseashelpful.Thatpoundingheartispreparingyouforaction.Ifyou’rebreathingfaster,it’snoproblem.It’sgettingmoreoxygentoyourbrain.Andparticipantswholearnedtoviewthestressresponseashelpfulfortheirperformance,well,theywerelessstressedout,lessanxious,moreconfident,butthemostfascinatingfindingtomewashowtheirphysicalstressresponsechanged.Now,inatypicalstressresponse,yourheartrategoesupandyourbloodvesselsconstrictlikethis.Andthisisoneofthereasonsthatchronicstressissometimesassociatedwithcardiovasculardisease.It’snotreallyhealthytobeinthisstateallthetime.Butinthestudy,whenparticipantsviewedtheirstressresponseashelpfultheirbloodvesselsstayedrelaxedlikethis.Theirheartwasstillpounding,butthisisamuchhealthiercardiovascularprofile.Itactuallylooksalotlikewhathappensinmomentsofjoyandcourage.Overalifetimeofstressfulexperiences,thisonebiologicalchangecouldbethedifferencebetweenastressinducedheartattackatage50andlivingwellintoyour90s.Andthisisreallywhatthenewscienceofstressrevealsthathowyouthinkaboutstressmatters.Somygoalasahealthpsychologisthaschanged.Inolongerwanttogetridofyourstress.Iwanttomakeyoubetterasstress.Andwejustdidalittleintervention.Ifyouraisedyourhandandsaidyou’dhadalotofstressinthelastyear,wecouldhavesavedyoulife,becausehopefullythenexttimeyourheartispoundingfromstressyou’regoingtorememberthistalkandyou’regoingtothinktoyourselfthisismybodyhelpingmerisetothischallenge.Andwhenyouviewstressinthatway,yourbodybelievesyouandyourstressresponsebecomeshealthier.NowIsaidIhaveoveradecadeofdemonizingstresstoredeemmyselffrom,sowearegoingtodoonemoreintervention.Iwanttotelly