Understand and Manage Stress: Causes, Biological Basis, and Increasing Resilience

On this episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson take a deep dive into defining stress, how it functions, how it impacts our lives and bodies, and what we can do to repair from its effects. We discuss how to distinguish stress from effort, the influence of the modern world on how stressed we feel, the various biological mechanisms involved in stress, and the challenges presented by chronic exposure to it. We then consider what we can do to increase resilience, including positively responding to stressors even in the midst of limitations and uncertainty. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:50: What is stress exactly? 3:30: Distinguishing stress from effort 7:25: Circles of concern and what we can actually influence 10:15: Zebras, and different levels of allostatic load 15:30: How the Endocrine System and Nervous System respond to stress 21:45: The amygdala response 23:20: What are the costs of stress? 35:30: The story so far 36:25: How do we positively adapt to stress? 41:35: The influence of basic lifestyle factors 43:50: Questions to ask yourself 45:30: Claiming agency while accepting limitations and uncertainty 51:05: What we can do to repair from the effects of our stress 57:40: Recap Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription. Try Splendid Spoon today and take meal-planning off your plate. Just go to SplendidSpoon.com/BEINGWELL for $50 off your first box Discover your full genetic potential by uploading your existing DNA test results at genomelink.io. No trial period, no credit card, and no hidden fees! Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices