IT’S THE BELIEF THAT STRESS IS BAD FOR YOU THAT’S BAD FOR YOU

In a great TED talk, Kelly McGonigal of Stanford University revealed a new finding about stress. We used to think that too much stress could be very bad for you. In fact, people with high levels of stress have a 43% higher probability of dying than those with lower levels of stress. That sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it?

But it turns out that it’s not the stress itself that’ll kill you. Those with high levels of stress who believed that stress is bad for you indeed have a 43% higher probability of dying than those with lower levels of stress, but those with just as high levels of stress who believed that stress was a normal and healthy response of their body to the challenges of life were actually healthier than those with lower levels of stress.

In other words, it’s not stress, but the belief that stress is bad for you that will kill you.

In fact, the belief that stress is bad for you is the 15^th highest cause of death in America. Not stress, but the belief that stress is bad for you!

When a person believes that stress is bad for them, that is when their arteries constrict and tighten. When a person believes that the stress is just a natural part of a life well lived, their arteries are relaxed, and are actually in the same state as they are when we experience joy.

That is an extremely powerful effect, and it shows us just how important our beliefs can be!

We know the power of placebo, but most people inaccurately think that placebo just means phony. But in fact, placebo is just another way of saying that a belief affected us in a way that we can’t yet explain.

There is also the effect of nocebo – which is a negative effect from a belief, like the one that McGonigal describes here.

We also know how powerful an optimistic stance toward life can be, potentially adding an average of 8 years to our lives, and improving health, happiness, and success. Our belief about our abilities, whether we believe that they are traits (inborn, and fixed) or a function of growth and learning and effort, can literally change our lives.

I have written about all of these effects here at TTP, but the belief about stress is such a crucial one, and has such a powerful impact, that I wanted to emphasize it here. I’m making this week’s column short and sweet, so you can put this information to work for you right away:

When you’re feeling stress, if you’re worrying about the potential negative impact of that stress, stop what you’re doing.

Instead, know that you are facing some challenges, and your heart, your nervous system, your lungs and organs, your muscles, and your brain, are all working on your behalf to help you to meet and triumph over whatever your challenge may be. What your body is doing is a good thing, a healthy thing, and the right thing for it to do to get you through life’s challenges.

Your body’s stress response is what allows you to lean into life, and by embracing that stress, you are actively and successfully turning it into a positive experience for yourself. Simply knowing and believing this can turn stress from an extremely negative experience, into a positive, healthy one.

For the next week I am offering Life Coaching packages at a lower rate: $1,250 for 11 hours, $600 for 5 hours, only for my readers at TTP and on my personal list. These rates will be about $200 higher after that. If you’ve been considering working with me, now’s the time to lock in these rates! Just click here to sign up today!