We all have stress. And many people go to great lengths to avoid stress. But one expert found the secret to living well with stress.
Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist, admits she had been preaching for many years that stress was the “enemy” and it should be avoided at all costs. But after reading a recent study she came to the conclusion she was wrong! The study showed that adults who experienced a lot of stress but didn’t believe stress to be all that harmful, outlived those who experienced stress and believed it to be harmful to one’s health. In other words, McGonigal says the best way to handle stress and live longer is to “make stress your friend”.
The best way to handle stress and the physical responses that come with it is to rethink how we feel about stress and anxiety. In other words, if during a stressful situation you feel like your heart is beating too fast, simply tell yourself “it’s okay” and that your “brain needs more oxygen to better handle the situation”. Rethinking your stress symptoms will help extend your life. So will helping others.
McGonigal reviewed research that indicated for every major life stressor, including family stress, the chance someone could die from that stress rose by 30 percent. But for people who were actively helping others, even though they, too, were going through major life stressors, their chance of sudden death remained unchanged. In other words, if you want to live longer, think of your body’s response to stress as your friend, and help others even when you don’t believe you have the energy to do so.
Dealing with stressful situations by sheltering in place and bracing for impact, may cost you your life. Get up, face the stressful situation and go help someone else. You’ll live longer if you do.
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