Is Stress Our Enemy?

In my opinion, stress has gotten a bad rep. Ask almost anyone whether stress is bad for us and after the strange look you get, the answer will likely be, “Of course it is!!!”

Look up the term “stress” online and you will encounter countless pages of studies revealing numerous emotional and physical disorders that are linked to it, including depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances, viral linked disorders including certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, plus rashes, hives, atopic dermatitis, GERD, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, insomnia and degenerative neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease. No laughing matter!

Websites and magazines are full of tips for reducing stress. Many office desks display a “stress ball”, and the current popularity of the term “mindfulness” in part comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn‘s pioneering program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

What Does the Research Say?

Is stress really always that bad? Research at University of Wisconsin-Madison on 29,000 people over 8 years discovered that our view of stress impacts our health far more than the stress itself. I often state that we do not react to what happens around us, but to what we think about what happens around us. The research disclosed that if we believe stress is always bad for us, then our prediction will likely come true. But, if we think stress is a good thing, then it can challenge, energize, and actually get us moving. People with a positive view of stress live many years longer than those with a negative view of stress!

The Payoff

Studies show that short-term stress has the following potential benefits:

• Boosts our immune system
• Makes us more social
• Stimulates learning
• Improves memory

It is vitally important to emphasize that I mean short-term stress – chronic stress is clearly a health risk. A perfect example is exercise, which is great as long as we do not overdo it. More is not always better. Stress is fine on occasion, as long as we know how to let go of it, and mindfulness meditation is one terrific way to achieve that.

How Does Mindfulness Help?

Mindfulness allows us to spot not only when our stress level is rising, but what our reaction to that stress is. Hans Selye, the renowned researcher who discovered the dangers of stress response, coined the terms “eustress and distress”. Eustress is a positive experience, what we might feel zooming down a zip line in Costa Rica. Distress may show up if a cop pulls us over on the highway when we are already running late. The same scenario might elicit either eustress and distress, depending on how we view it. A public speaking appearance can be either exhilarating or debilitating, depending on how prepared we might be, or who the audience is. The Buddha often pointed out that suffering begins in our mind.

What You Can Do

Here’s a simple, short exercise to help you to re-frame your stress next time your heart begins to race.

• In a comfortable seated position, close your eyes.
• Feel your feet on the floor, your bottom and back against the chair, hands in your lap, lips touching, and other places you are aware of contact.
• Repeat the sequence, finding a comfortable rhythm, noting each touch point silently.
• Notice areas of your body that are uncomfortable – tension in your body, heart racing, uneven breath, tingling in your stomach or fingers, etc.
• Affirm to yourself with a smile, “There is a positive side to stress.”

Stress is a natural feeling to have from time to time. This combination of mental re-framing and a smile can help change our point of reference, how we view stress, and transform it into a more positive experience.