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Stanford: Stress is GOOD for you!

I used to puzzle over the adrenaline response, how someone could do a bungee jump and experience euphoria, while another person could suffer from panic and feel dreadful. It is adrenaline rush in both cases. I emailed Dr Schubiner, and he kindly answered...it is all to do with perception. Made sense to me.
I liked the Ted talk by Dr Mcgonigal.
 
IrishSceptic said:
...However, if you have exposure to heat like in a sauna a process called Hormesis takes place. one study recently by a reputable academic showed that 2 hours daily in a sauna for a week(i know thats extreme) boosted Growth horomone levels by 1600%!
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How 'bout hot-tubs?
 
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I'm having a stressful day today, money-related. I thought I would go nertz but did some deep breathing, had a cup of hot milk, did something about the money issue, and feel a lot better now.
 
Thank you all for the many perspectives here.

For me the idea of turning stress into energy and excitement came about quite by accident. You will be surprised how I end up creating this program, but since I did so 5 years ago the benefits to myself and my students have been enormous.

What I like about Kelly's book is the many mindset interventions she gives to help you understand how best to deal with your stressful situation.

Also, I like how she says embrace your symptoms, instead of trying to calm them down. Just know that your body is preparing you to challenge the stressful situation. Once while going through an stressful event I woke up from sleep to heart palpitations. I used to take deep breaths to calm down my heart in such situations. But after I read her book, I decided to embrace my symptom so I smiled and tole myself that my body was preparing me to deal with the stress. Palpitations stopped few seconds later and I went back to sleep.

I guess like TMS, once you acknowledge it, symptoms can go away!
 
FredAmir said:
...I like how she says embrace your symptoms, instead of trying to calm them down.

...Just know that your body is preparing you to challenge the stressful situation.

...I used to take deep breaths to calm down my heart in such situations. But after I read her book, I decided to embrace my symptom so I smiled...

... and told myself that my body was preparing me to deal with the stress. Palpitations stopped few seconds later and I went back to sleep.

...I guess like TMS, once you acknowledge it, symptoms can go away!
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Good stuff! I came across a relevant line on the topic in the sports psychology book I'm currently reading:

"The secret of sustained success...is learning how to become comfortable with being uncomfortable".
Page 56: "LRP", by David Sammel

BTW, watched the Ted Talk You Tube by Dr. Mcgonigal, I'd like to stretch out on her couch at Stanford and have her shrink me--she's hot! (I've marked this last comment as inappropriate and reported myself to Forest so no one else has to.)
 
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FredAmir said:
Lol Tom!

Actually she teaches a class on stress at Stanford's continuing education program,
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Thanks Fred, I might have to sign up for that. It's been a while since I took any classes since graduating from SF State, just up 280 from Stanford. We didn't have a golf course or even a football team by the time I graduated--lots of riots though and Janis Joplin on Fridays.

Maybe Dr. Macgonigal would like to test the stress levels on the tennis courts?. They have some nice courts down there and Stanford was a tennis power house--Johnny Mac went there for a while, but don't know if he attended any classes--maybe art appreciation and anger management.
 
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Hi Fred,
This is what I wrote on the TMS web site. Perhaps some one here has additional views?

Here is a link that gives some support Kelley’s lecture. http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/450-good-stress-bad-stress

It differentiates between good and bad stress. The foundation of her speech is that all stress is good for you, it should be welcomed – embraced and acted upon, very much in line with TMS theory.

My belief is that long term continuing bad stress causes the body to build up excessive negative hormone chemicals that cause long term health issues. She alluded to this in her list, but failed to mention what happens to these chemicals. Instead she focused on one hormone Oxytocin that provides the desire for connection with other people, a sort of “lovey dovey” social benefit and the social sharing of problems.

Do you think her approach also takes care of the negative hormones as well?


Andy .... Just visiting TMS Wiki
Past TMS Experience in 2000, with success.
Charlie Horse on neck for 20 years, is almost gone.
Books:
Healing Back Pain
Unlearn your Pain
The Great Pain Deception
Edited by - andy64tms on 11/25/2015 11:29:10
 
"Do you think her approach also takes care of the negative hormones as well? "

Kelly gives a lot of examples of such cases. So don't be surprised if it does. I know from mine own experience and others who turn stress into excitement that you do not get many TMS-related symptoms because you do not give a chance for the hormonal changes that can occur due to stress.
 
Hi Fred, happy Thanksgiving,

Thank you for your reply, I will definitely give this a try when next stressed, this will be interesting because since retiring 4 years ago I have been undergoing my own stress reduction program, and have done very well. These stress topics range from self imposed, habitual, hobby, environmental and, the worst of all “unexpected stress”.

I would like to point out I do not want to get too good at managing my stress for fear of ending up like Dean Potter. I once saw him on a TV program where he said that when he is climbing he is really alive in the face of death.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/us/yosemite-base-jumpers-dean-potter-graham-hunt-deaths/

However last year I missed a really good windsurfing session, I was frightened, it was 6.30 am, it was very cold and the conditions extreme. On that day I kept thinking of all the things that could go wrong, my perception was very negative. I was belittled when three hours later a girl ½ my size said what a great session she had had. This won’t happen again!

Thanks
 
FredAmir said:
Hello everyone,

I have good news: Stress is good for you. It can make you stronger, resilient, and creative!

As it turns out all the medical advice about stress and its harms to humans have been based on animal studies. For studies on the effects of stress rats were put under severe stress, such as repeated near drowning experiences, electric shocks, etc. Then the effects of such cruel and inhumane treatments on their bodies were used to conclude that stress is bad for our health. However, not only majority of people never experience such severe forms of stress, we, as humans, have much better coping mechanisms than animals.

In fact, according to Stanford health psychologist and author of The Upside of Stress, Dr. Kelly McGonigal, our ability as humans to change our perception of stress can mean the difference between life and death. Research has shown that some 20,000 people die each year in the United States simply because they believe that stress is bad for their health.

The Upside of Stress reviews the relevant research and gives practical steps on how to make stress your friend. In fact, just believing that stress is good for you can not only protect your health under stressful situations but also make you stronger, physically and mentally.

My favorite part of her book is when she talks about getting excited in the face of stress. I have found getting excited in the face of stressful situations, daily annoyances, and life challenges can transform lives from feeling a victim of circumstances to feeling in control and confident. The same situations that used lead to sorrow, dismay, or anger are now sources of excitement, energy, creativity and achievement.

So how do you turn stress, fears, worries, anxieties, and everyday annoyances into sources of energy and excitement so that you can avoid back pain, anxiety, and depression and enjoy better health? Join me on Saturday, December 5 at 9am for a free workshop titled, "Turn Stress into Energy and Excitement in 3 Easy Steps!" Learn more at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/turn-s...xcitement-in-3-easy-steps-tickets-19565864026

Here’s a TED talk by Dr. McGinigal on how to make stress your friend

http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend

Stay informed. Stay well.
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I watched her TED talk recently, but am confused a bit about something that seems contrary to what Dr. Sarno teaches. Dr. McGonigal talks a lot about helping out others and reaching out to others and how that benefits us. Where as Dr. Sarno seems to teach that doing those things is what causes us more inner rage. I'm not saying we should all stop helping one another, not at all, but I am just a bit confused about that single difference of opinions between Sarno and McGonigal. Are we to believe that doing those helpful acts that can cause inner rage as long as we think that it will help us won't cause any inner rage or anger? I hope that all makes sense (I'm typing this on my junk windows operated phone).
 
giantsfan said:
I watched her TED talk recently, but am confused a bit about something that seems contrary to what Dr. Sarno teaches. Dr. McGonigal talks a lot about helping out others and reaching out to others and how that benefits us. Where as Dr. Sarno seems to teach that doing those things is what causes us more inner rage. I'm not saying we should all stop helping one another, not at all, but I am just a bit confused about that single difference of opinions between Sarno and McGonigal. Are we to believe that doing those helpful acts that can cause inner rage as long as we think that it will help us won't cause any inner rage or anger? I hope that all makes sense (I'm typing this on my junk windows operated phone).
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I think that's an interesting question and one that doesn't have a simple answer.

Yes, our helping others, or being people pleasers can be the source of inner rage.

However, Kelly's point is that we can become better at improving our relationship with our inner critic by practicing various techniques such as mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation etc which are known to help increase empathy, sympathy, compassion and social connection. Practicing compassion can increase ones generous behavior as well as the brains responses to human suffering.

Please see my post on the benefits of loving kindness meditation.

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/thread...to-practice-loving-kindness-meditation.11250/

This is another great article:

http://self-compassion.org/why-we-need-to-have-compassion-for-our-inner-critic

Some free meditations

http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises

I hope that answers your question :)
 
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TT to answer that, yes Hottubs can produce desired effect acc to same person but I'd avoid as they are bad for men and our Crown Jewels .

Also to add another caveat to the idea of stress being good, I'd recommend checking out Nassim Talebs "Antifragile" where he talks about this concept
 
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