Dr. Robert Epstein is a contributing editor for Scientific American Mind, the former editor in chief of Psychology Today, holds a Ph. D. in psychology from Harvard University, is the founder and Director Emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies in Massachusetts, has written articles featured in Time magazine, the New York Times, and Discover, has written 15 books, etc. The rest of the list is long and impressive making his discoveries and words immediately more valuable than those coming from normal folk, at least to those who would listen at all. This is a synopsis on an article he wrote in the September/October 2011 issue of Scientific American Mind called Fight the Frazzled Mind.
Stress management
Scientists suggest at least four “trainable skill sets” of non-destructive ways of managing stress: “source management” or eliminating the source of the stress, relaxation (meditation or breathing exercises), managing thought or “correcting irrational thinking and interpreting events in ways that don’t hurt you”, and prevention such as planning to avoid stressors. Dr. Epstein’s study looked at the stress managing skills of 3,304 participants of ages 10 to 86 of varying nationalities. To take this test click here.
Top two predictors of happiness and success
Breathing exercises, Yoga, and meditation all have well known health benefits. “Meditation, for example, has been shown to lower blood pressure and also to help people feel ‘immunized’ against stressors. As for thought management, it is perhaps the main thing that therapists and counselors teach their clients.” However, it was prevention and source management that were shown to be respectively the first and second most important stress management “competencies” and predictors of happiness and success.
Best ways to prevent stress.
The results were as follows: 17% of participants had any stress management training, prevention was the third lowest score out of the four categories, and participants scored 55.3% on a simple stress management test (an F should this have been a math test). It is well known how stress damages health and the physiological mechanism is well documented. “…Individuals reap the greatest benefits by fighting stress before it starts”.
A few ways of preventing stress
1. Identify your stress triggers and as best as possible try to eliminate them. Stressed out because you are always running late for work due to traffic? Waking up fifteen minutes early so you can leave a little sooner will make up for the loss of sleep by leaps and bounds.
2. Cope with stress in positive ways. Replace your nightly drink/smoke/argument with a nice walk or a bath. Do it once a week, then twice, and so on.
3. Keep a list. It will free up your mind and then you won’t forget to buy the thing you went out for in the first place.
4. Immunize yourself against stress. Consistent practice of exercise, thought management, and relaxation techniques will increase resistance to stress.
5. Make a plan. Take a few moments each day to plan out the day. Know that you have lots of places to go tomorrow? Plan out your route and save time and energy.
6. Make a long term plan as recommended by B.F. Skinner, making you feel more in control of life. More control over life, less stress.
But as another wise man once said, “I can coach skill, but I can’t coach will.” And then two more sayings: “Knowledge is power” and “Ignorance is bliss”. Which one do you subscribe to?
Larisa Klein - Larisa has been a Yoga and Pilates instructor since 1999. Previous to her career as a self-employed fitness instructor, she worked as a ...
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