A 7-Day Stress Prescription (The Science of Happiness…

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IIs there a good stress? Our guest learns to welcome her stress by understanding how it can really help her, as well as tips and tricks to not feel too much.

Summary of the episode:

Like many of us, our guest Yana Leventon has faced quite a bit of stress in her life. But after living through the COVID-19 pandemic and battling the ongoing war in Ukraine (with relatives on both sides of the border), Yana’s stress level hit a new high. This week’s episode is about how we can reframe our relationship with stress. Yana spent a week trying a new practice every day. The 7 practices aimed to manage different aspects of stress, from the physical metabolization of one’s stress to exercise, visualization and breathing techniques. These exercises have helped her regain a sense of clarity about what is really not under her control, and an ability to act on what is. She began to see stress as a normal and necessary part of life that can actually be beneficial in the right amount. Later, we hear about the psychologist who developed this stress management tool, Elissa Epel. She discusses the importance of developing a positive relationship with stress and how we can use stress to feel a sense of empowerment.

Convenient:

Day 1. Embrace uncertainty: release embodied stress

Day 2. Let go of what you can’t control: stress inventory

Day 3. Find Excitement in Challenges: Stress Shield

Day 4. Metabolizing body stress: hormetic stress

Day 5. Immerse yourself in nature: sensory absorption

Day 6. Experience Deep Rest: Breath for Restoration

Day 7. Create Bliss bookends: start and end full of joy

For more information on each of the daily practices, see Elissa Epel’s book, The anti-stress prescription.
Guests of the day:

He’s in Leventon was a refugee in Austria and Italy before migrating to the United States from the former USSR at the age of 10.
Elissa Epel is a psychologist specializing in stress, aging and well-being. She has developed self-care practices rooted in scientific research to improve the way we deal with stress.

Learn more about Elisa and her work: https://www.elissaepel.com/

Read Elissa’s book, The anti-stress prescription: https://tinyurl.com/yt66t3b3

Follow Elissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Epel

Follow Elissa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelomereEffect
Greater Good Science Center Resources:

How to turn stress into courage and connection: https://tinyurl.com/n49fzhf7

Seven ways to have a healthier relationship with stress: https://tinyurl.com/mr3yy6b5

Does stress make you withdraw from others? https://tinyurl.com/4kkesr7s

Could stress help you find your purpose in life? https://tinyurl.com/2ssz7mck

The surprising benefits of stress: https://tinyurl.com/3uynfkf2
More stress management resources:

National Institute of Mental Health – I’m so stressed! Fact sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4hr3eawc

TED – How to make stress your friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5bsj3ks

Harvard Business Review – Turning stress into strength: https://tinyurl.com/3fdzfx3v

Johns Hopkins – Sleepless nights? Try stress relief techniques: https://tinyurl.com/mw6jxbvz
Do you have trouble managing your stress level? What is your favorite stress management tool? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Transcript to come.