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1-Page Summary of The Upside Of Stress
Overview
This book explores the dark side of emotions and shows how it can be beneficial. The author backs up his claims with scientific studies, which makes this book more credible. This is a must-read for those who want to understand their emotions better and harness them in order to succeed.
We have a lot of things to do every day. We also have problems that we need to solve. Traffic jams, bills, and other issues can be stressful for us. They’re in our lives from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. However, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it is this: all stress is good because it helps you grow as an individual!
Stress is usually thought of as a negative thing, but there’s another side to the story. Our bodies have developed ways to handle stress in more ingenious and complex ways than we realize. It may even help us grow stronger and healthier.
Though we usually think of stress as something negative, there’s another side to the story: through the ages it seems like our bodies have developed ways to handle stress in much more complex and ingenious ways than we realize. It may even help us grow stronger and healthier.
In this article, you’ll learn how to increase your longevity by being positive about stress. You’ll also discover the benefits of holding hands with others and how retirement increases depression risk for some people.
Big Idea #1: Stress is Harmful when you think it to be.
We’ve all heard that stress is bad for us, but we should actually embrace it. Stress is just a reaction to something you care about and can be positive if used properly. For instance, when you’re stuck in traffic or grieving the loss of a loved one, those are stressful situations that help you grow as people.
In a study in the US, researchers discovered that people who believed stress was harmful were more likely to die than those who didn’t. However, this only applied to people who experienced high levels of stress; those who didn’t believe stress was harmful had low risk of death.
A study at Yale University showed that people who have a positive outlook on old age live 7.6 years longer than those who don’t. That’s more than the extra four years you earn by exercising and not smoking!
Positive thinking is a form of belief that can influence your health. It’s usually based on how you see the world and what you think about it, which has an effect on your actions and emotions.
Your attitude toward stress plays a major role in your life choices. If you view stress as harmful, you tend to avoid it at all costs. However, if you view stress as helpful, you are more likely to come up with strategies to cope with the source of stress and seek help from others when needed.
Do you tend to face stress head on? If so, it’s likely that you’re more confident about handling life’s challenges. In this way, the belief that stress is helpful becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But what if stress makes you want to run away? Don’t worry! Here are some key points that will help shift your mindset.
Big Idea #2: A range of stress responses help us to connect and grow.
In the late 1990s, a hospital in Akron, Ohio, conducted an experiment on people who survived traffic accidents. They found that they could predict whether or not those survivors would develop post-traumatic stress disorder by testing their urine samples immediately after the accident.
Forty-six of the 55 patients did not suffer from PTSD, while nine patients did. This suggests that stress hormones may be responsible for a better long term recovery in stressful situations.