How you think about stress matters — perhaps more than the stress itself.
That’s what Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal says in her super-inspiring TED talk, “How to make stress your friend”, which I wish I’d stumbled across well before today.
If you’ve ever suffered from stress — uhm, so, that should be all of you — you NEED to watch the video below.
Consider one of the most common physiological responses to stress: a rapid heartbeat. It’s uncomfortable at the least and downright frightening at the worst — especially for panickers like me.
Do you view your speedy heart as something dangerous? Something frightening? Something you ought to avoid?
Most of us probably do. But McGonigal urges us to re-frame our understanding of these physiological signs — to embrace them, in a way — because the science says it will help us to live longer.
In other words, learn to love your stress symptoms. Learn to use them for courage, energy, and strength.
Watch to find out how you can get started:
Photo: Meg Wills (Flickr)
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