Wellness Archives - The American Institute of Stress

How to Support Mental Health in Times of Financial Uncertainty

William Heckman — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:40:22 +0000

Mental health is not a personal issue confined to off-the-clock hours; it’s a bottom-line business concern, and employers are feeling the heat. Work-related stress costs U.S. businesses up to $300 billion annually, according to The American Institute of Stress.

As economic uncertainty deepens due to tariffs, inflation, and policy shifts, employers are making difficult budget decisions. Raises are being delayed. Teams are shrinking. Benefits are undergoing review. While these moves may be necessary, they risk worsening the conditions driving employee stress.

Why Cuts to Pay and Staffing Could Backfire

SHRM data shows that employees already identify pay and understaffing as leading sources of workplace stress — and these two areas are often hit first during budget cuts. Today’s financial pressures are pushing organizations to freeze hiring, delay raises, or reduce benefits. But these moves, while fiscally motivated, often backfire. By amplifying the very conditions driving burnout and disengagement, they lead to productivity loss and attrition, eroding any short-term gains.

When Cost-Cutting Undermines ROI

Financial pressures have long affected employee well-being, but today’s economic climate is making it worse. Only 47% of U.S. workers feel optimistic about the labor market, according to SHRM’s April Current Events Pulse Survey, down from 61% in January 2025. Nearly half of workers (49%) reported that the current state of the economy has negatively impacted their mental health — placing their retention, engagement, and overall performance at risk.

This drop in confidence is paired with a troubling lack of support. While 92% of company leaders believe they offer the financial tools and guidance employees need to reach their life goals, just 52% of employees agree, according to data from financial wellness provider BrightPlan.

That disconnect already costs businesses billions, and the stakes are only getting higher. Even before this recent wave of financial stress and pessimism, employers lost over seven hours of productivity per employee weekly due to money-related stress. That translates to $183 billion in annual losses.

When workers are anxious about their finances and lack the tools to change their situation, performance declines. Without meaningful support, cost-cutting measures like reduced pay or scaled-back benefits can push stress even higher, turning temporary savings into long-term losses.

Strategies for Protecting ROI and Well-Being

Avoiding short-term cuts and investing in financial wellness is a smart first step — it targets the $183 billion in lost productivity linked to employee financial stress. But that’s just one part of the equation. Employers must further address the mental health challenges affecting retention, engagement, and workplace culture.

Reinforce and Clarify What’s Already Available
Most employers offer core mental health resources, but they’re often misunderstood or underused. With benefits communication still falling short, organizations should consider reintroducing existing offerings through email, team meetings, or a centralized hub to eliminate confusion and improve uptake.
Audit the Culture for Hidden Barriers
Policies designed to support mental health on paper mean little if daily practices discourage their use. Ask: Are employees penalized formally or informally for taking time off? Are workloads adjusted after burnout is flagged? When everyday behavior reinforces official policies, employees are more likely to take full advantage of mental health resources such as paid time off.
Equip Teams with Mental Health Training
Recognizing a mental health concern is one thing; knowing how to respond is another, and most employees aren’t equipped to do either. Only 12% of workers say their employer has someone onsite who has received mental health training, according to the American Psychological Association. Expanding mental health training across roles, not just for HR or leadership, can help build a workplace where people feel safe asking for help — and feel supported when they do.
Close the Gap Between Action and Insight
Many employers believe their mental health initiatives make a positive difference, but few measure whether that’s true. Tracking doesn’t need to be complex or expensive. Monitor benefit usage, absenteeism, and employee sentiment, and calculate turnover to build a base line. Use short pulse surveys or informal check-ins to gather additional context.

Often, small adjustments — such as tweaking benefits timing, delivery formats, or internal messaging — can improve participation and outcomes without adding cost. Building a simple feedback loop allows organizations to learn what’s effective, make changes quickly, and demonstrate impact to leadership, securing investments in future mental health resources.

Mental Health Is a Business Strategy

Employers don’t need to choose between protecting their bottom line and supporting employee well-being; the two are deeply connected, with employers seeing a $4 return for every $1 spent. In times of economic pressure, the most resilient organizations invest in people.

With intentional communication, culture audits, basic training, and ongoing feedback loops, companies can strengthen mental health without increasing spending to preserve performance, engagement, and trust when it matters most.

By Olivia Gebreamlak for SHRM BUSINESS

Image by Kevin Schneider from Pixabay

Focus on taking care of your mental health: 7 tips to manage stress | Mark Mahoney

William Heckman — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:06:21 +0000

National Stress Awareness Month has been observed since April 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern-day stress epidemic. It’s a timely reminder to pay attention to our stress levels and how they impact our health and well-being. Having a dedicated month for stress awareness allows opportunities for open conversation on the impact of stress in our daily lives.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. However, ignoring stress can lead to a variety of mental and physical health problems.

What is stress?

Stress is a natural response to the demands and pressures of everyday life, stemming from work, relationships, financial concerns, health issues, and more. While some stress can be motivating, chronic or intense stress can take a toll on our bodies and minds.

Chronic stress can contribute to conditions like anxiety and depression, and it can even manifest in physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and muscle tension. Unchecked stress can lead to elevated blood pressure, digestive problems, and increase the risk of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Why taking care of your mental health is important

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Good mental health can help you cope with the challenges of daily life, maintain healthy relationships, and achieve your goals. However, poor mental health can lead to a variety of problems, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and even suicide.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point.

Stress is one of the leading causes of poor mental health. When stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that trigger the “fight or flight” response. This response can be helpful in dangerous situations, but chronic stress can lead to a range of health problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive issues and even more serious conditions.

Steps you can take to manage stress

If you’re feeling stressed, there are several steps you can take to manage it effectively. Here are some tips for managing stress:

1. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, which can help you manage stress more effectively. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation, deep breathing, and yoga.

2. Exercise regularly

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. It can help you release tension, boost your mood, and improve your overall health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential for good mental health. Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, poor concentration, and other problems that can make stress worse. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you manage stress by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. Aim to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

5. Connect with others

Social support is important for good mental health. Make time for friends and family, or consider joining a support group to connect with others who are going through similar experiences.

Check out former Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy’s Advisory report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation at hhs.gov.

6. Practice self-care

Self-care is essential for managing stress. Take time for yourself to do things you enjoy, whether it’s reading a book, taking a bath, or going for a walk.

7. Seek professional help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, it’s important to seek professional help. A mental health professional can help you develop a personalized plan for managing stress and improving your mental health.

Final thoughts

Stress can have a significant impact on your mental health, but there are steps you can take to manage it effectively. By practicing mindfulness, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, connecting with others, practicing self-care, and seeking professional help when needed, you can take control of your mental health and live a happier, healthier life. Remember, taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health, so make your health a priority this Stress Awareness Month and beyond.

If you would like to discuss options for managing your stress, contact your healthcare provider or a qualified mental health specialist to help you achieve your health and wellness goals.

Additional information

A short blog from the Florida Association of Community Health Centers on paying attention to our stress levels can be accessed at fachc.org.

Check out the following resource from The American Institute on Stress entitled “How to Know Your Signs of Stress “The 7 Warning Signs of Stress” at stress.org.

By Mark Mahoney has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for almost 40 years and completed graduate studies in Public Health at Columbia University. He is also a graduate of this past year’s Tallahassee Active Lifelong Leaders class and can be reached at: marqos69@hotmail.com.

Original post.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Photo by cottonbro studio

Traffic Jams on the Number Two Express

William Heckman — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:53:43 +0000

From The Spring edition of Contentment magazine.

By Lewis Coleman, MD, FAIS

This article presents a fresh hypothesis based on stress theory that explains the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (which afflicts the colon), regional enteritis (which afflicts the small intestine), interstitial cystitis (which causes intense urinary bladder pain), and the sensitivity of bowel and kidney function to surgical stress, which manifests as postoperative nausea, vomiting, acute renal failure, and “bowel ileus” that renders patients unable to digest food in the aftermath of surgical stress. All these conditions are commonplace and defy explanation by conventional medical theory.

Stress theory has always promised to revolutionize medicine by providing simple, safe, comfortable, and inexpensive treatments directed at the underlying cause of disease. In this case, it indicates that these conditions are all caused by excessive sympathetic nervous hyperactivity that inhibits microvascular perfusion and causes painful oxygen starvation in afflicted bowel and bladder tissues. These conditions can all be controlled and cured using synergistic combinations of narcotics that inhibit sympathetic nervous activity and carbon dioxide that releases oxygen from the blood into tissues. In most cases, breathing small concentrations of carbon dioxide mixed with room air is all that is needed.

Ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis are painful inflammatory conditions that promote cancer and cause bowel ulcerations and chronic bloody diarrhea. Nowadays, they are regarded as the same disease. Surgery is counterproductive because the disease inexplicably reappears in previously healthy bowels after the afflicted bowel is removed. These inflammatory bowel diseases are closely associated with amyloidosis and rheumatoid disease, which is unsurprising because amyloid protein is a subunit of collagen, which is generated for tissue repair.1

Interstitial cystitis (IC) causes severe bladder pain that necessitates frequent painful urination, but it seldom causes visible changes in bladder tissue. Amyloidosis of the bladder is rare and rarely present in IC, which is consistent with the absence of tissue damage. The source of the pain is mysterious, and there is no known treatment for the condition.

My curiosity about these maladies was piqued by coincidence. While I was in medical school, my mother nearly died of “toxic megacolon” that necessitated emergency colon resection and an ileostomy after a long history of ulcerative colitis. My surgical internship group included a female intern who had been the “Littlest Mouseketeer” on the Disney television show.2 She married one of my friends in the internship group and became a rare lady urologist. She openly regarded medicine as “show business,” proclaimed herself to be an expert in interstitial cystitis, published books on the subject, was interviewed on national television, became embroiled in malpractice lawsuits, and lost her license. This mysterious illness also plagued several of my friends and relatives.

Orthodox medical theory cannot explain these conditions or why they disproportionately afflict women. No causative viruses or bacteria are involved. Many suspect that they are caused by emotional adversity. Still, until now, there has been no mechanism that explains how emotions affect disease, and without a testable explanation, the idea seems weak. Medical consensus does not categorize these conditions as rheumatoid diseases, although they are often associated with rheumatoid disease that is regarded to be secondary. However, the close association of rheumatoid diseases with bowel and bladder disease is consistent with stress theory, which postulates that the same mechanism causes all forms of the disease.

The bowel and the bladder are intensely innervated compared to most other tissues. In late 1700, Dr. Marie-Francois-Xavier Bichat, who is remembered as the” Father of Histology” (the study of body tissues), was so impressed by the quantity of nervous tissue surrounding the bowel and bladder that he speculated that it functions as a “secondary brain.”

During the 1800’s Dr. Claude Bernard demonstrated that blood perfusion determines organ function.3 Early in the 20th century, Dr. Christian Bohr discovered the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve, which enabled an understanding of the mechanism of oxygen transport and delivery, which captures oxygen from the atmosphere and delivers it to cells deep within the body.4 Soon thereafter, Dr. George Washington Crile discovered that morphine supplementation during general anesthesia improves surgical outcomes by preventing harmful nervous hyperactivity.5 During the same era, a German researcher, J. Tannenbaum, proposed that a submicroscopic, molecular level “capillary gate mechanism” regulates microvascular blood flow,6 based on his reasoning that capillary surface area was vastly greater than the sum total of all larger vessels combined and that relatively low pressures, flows, and turbulence prevails in capillaries as compared to larger vessels. During the same era, Dr. Yandell Henderson discovered that carbon dioxide improves all aspects of oxygen transport and delivery and has powerful therapeutic properties.

Dr. Hans Selye7 proposed that a single mechanism explains all forms of disease. Dr. George Washington Crile observed that narcotics prevent sympathetic nervous hyperactivity, a significant factor in all forms of what was then called “shock.” Unfortunately, the simplistic concept that nervous control of “vasoconstriction” and “vasodilation” of arteries and arterioles controls blood flow resistance. Most of the evidence that supports this idea is derived from “in vitro” studies that are irrelevant to “in vivo” circumstances, and the idea is incompatible with numerous observations. Still, it has prevailed in the absence of a testable capillary gate mechanism. Furthermore, much of this important knowledge has been confused and promoted for nearly 100 years by what I call the “Leake/Waters” hoax that serves corrupt commercial interests.11,12

Today, with the help of advancing research technology, we can describe the capillary gate mechanism that clarifies the nature of hemodynamic physiology, including cardiac output, blood flow, oxygen delivery, blood pressure, and pulse rate by regulating microvascular flow resistance in accord with autonomic balance (subconscious nervous activity) in capillaries, as Tannenbaum anticipated.6,13

Narcotics prevent harmful sympathetic nervous hyperactivity that “closes” the capillary gate, increases microvascular flow resistance, elevates blood pressure, reduces tissue perfusion, undermines tissue oxygenation, and invites hypoxic organ damage. Parasympathetic nervous activity releases nitric oxide from capillaries, which opens the capillary gate, reduces microvascular flow resistance, lowers blood pressure, increases cardiac output, and optimizes organ perfusion, oxygenation and organ protection.

Carbon dioxide is the primary regulator of the capillary gate. It directly releases nitric oxide from capillaries and opens the capillary gate in accord with organ and muscle activity.

Hypercarbia also releases oxygen from blood into tissues to elevate tissue oxygenation, which enhances organ protection and function. Furthermore, hypercarbia counteracts narcotic respiratory depression and accelerates narcotic metabolism and clearance from the body.14 Thus, hypercarbia and narcotics go together like love and marriage to promote tissue perfusion and oxygenation and protect organs.

Last, but not least, we know that tissue hypoxia is extremely painful. For example, cardiac ischemia causes “angina” pain. Chronic tissue hypoxia also promotes harmful collagen production in tissues. For example, chronic hypoxia induces harmful collagen deposition in heart tissues that undermines contractility and causes heart failure.15-17 Myocardial infarction (heart attack) halts oxygen delivery to heart muscle, causing severe hypoxia pain. Strokes, however, are pain free because brain tissue lacks pain sensors.

During my anesthesiology residency I was brainwashed to employ mechanical hyperventilation during general anesthesia to “rid the body” of carbon dioxide, which was regarded as “toxic waste, like urine.” However, I suspected from the start that this was nonsense because I knew that every cell in the body continuously produces carbon dioxide and water as the result of the intracellular “Krebs Cycle” that converts food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that serves as a universal source of cellular energy. If carbon dioxide were toxic, then we would all be dead. If it had narcotic properties, then we would all be drunk. So, when critical care clinical research re-discovered the therapeutic safety and benefits of carbon dioxide in the late 1980’s and capnography (which measures exhaled CO2) and pulse oximetry (which reflects arterial blood oxygenation) became available, I learned to supplement general anesthesia with modern synthetic narcotics and hypercarbia to improve surgical outcome. I was gratified to observe that this technique preserved postoperative respiratory drive and minimized postoperative pain, fever, tachycardia, hypertension, dysrhythmias dementia, delirium, laryngospasm, nausea, vomiting, and bowel ileus. My patients emerged from anesthesia promptly and clear-headed, calm, and comfortable. I was surprised that nausea, vomiting, and bowel ileus were also rare with this technique, because the prevailing consensus held that narcotics cause nausea and vomiting. I soon realized that the real problem was uncontrolled surgical stimulation and mechanical hyperventilation which undermined bowel and brain perfusion and oxygenation during surgery. My suspicions were confirmed by research literature.14,18-30 I thought I had discovered something significant, but I didn’t realize until years later that I had merely re-invented the wheel. The principle of “pre-emptive analgesia” using narcotics and CO2 supplementation had been understood since the earliest days of modern anesthesia.5,11,31

My previously published paper titled, The Mammalian Stress Mechanism Explains Covid, Long Covid and Sudden Death, was inspired by the experience of a friend named Susan D, a 76 year old lady in excellent health who collapsed after her fifth COVID jab and was subsequently discovered to have suffered an unexplained decrease in her blood hemoglobin level to 6.1 (normal is 12-15).32 Susan had a long history of significant emotional adversity, and had suffered severe interstitial cystitis pain for most of her adult life. She had consulted several doctors and undergone various treatments, all to no avail. By this time, I had published my book that described the mammalian stress mechanism,33 and her story inspired me to hypothesize that her emotional angst activated sympathetic nervous hyperactivity, which caused hypoxic pain in her urinary bladder by selectively activating the capillary gate mechanism in her bladder tissues. Based on this hypothesis I suggested that she breathe small amounts of carbon dioxide mixed with room air whenever she perceived a fresh onset of bladder pain. I explained how she could obtain a small tank of carbon dioxide and fit it to a flow meter and an oxygen mask. She soon discovered that it promptly relieved the bladder pain. Furthermore, by consistently treating herself with CO2, she reduced the frequency and severity of the pain attacks.

Of course, one sparrow does not make a spring, and this single report of treatment success is unconvincing. However, it is consistent with known science, and I believe that it should be tested in more patients. The implications extend beyond merely relieving bladder pain. It may be that breathing small amounts of carbon dioxide could relieve the attacks of abdominal pain suffered by victims of ulcerative colitis and regional ileitis, and perhaps other forms of unexplained pain. It might even prevent the inflammatory bowel damage caused by these horrible illnesses, and perhaps even cure them.

The mammalian stress mechanism, which is described in my book, 50 Years Lost in Medical Advance: The discovery of Hans Selye’s stress mechanism, explains how emotional adversity induces sympathetic nervous activity in detail, and I believe I have identified a new category of diseases caused exclusively by harmful sympathetic nervous hyperactivity that can be treated and controlled by breathing small amounts of carbon dioxide, much like “mountain sickness.”34 Perhaps the most dramatic example of this phenomenon is “sudden death syndrome” where people are literally frightened to death in the presence of terrifying circumstances. My favorite example is the studies of Kario et al who documented the results of the horrific 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in Kobe, Japan, where the incidence of sudden death in the absence of injury was directly related to distance from the earthquake epicenter. The Kario study also documented elevations of von Willebrand Factor, blood coagulability, and other blood abnormalities in earthquake survivors.35-42

Conclusion

Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale. Medicine, as a social science, as the science of human beings, has the obligation to point out problems and to attempt their theoretical solution: the politician, the practical anthropologist, must find the means for their actual solution. The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and social problems fall to a large extent within their jurisdiction.

– Rudolf Virchow

“Medical education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community.”

– Rudolf Virchow

Thousands of patients needlessly suffer and die from the ravages of bowel disease. It is time for medicine to emerge from the “Dark Ages.” We sneer at past practitioners who employed bloodletting and leeches, and smeared feces in wounds, even as we embrace ignorant habits like mechanical hyperventilation that is inherently dangerous and confers no benefits, and illogically treating cancer with toxic chemicals, radiation, and mutilating surgery that are known causes of cancer. For too long medicine has functioned as an art based on experiment embellished by cowardly consensus that mocks science and enables corrupt corporations to manipulate medicine into a deceitful racket. Our patients deserve better.

Now, for the first time in medical history, the discovery of the mammalian stress mechanism provides a theory that enables physicians to direct their treatments at the actual cause of disease, as opposed to guessing based on fickle symptoms. This paves the path for genuine reform and revolution, and should be embraced with excitement and even celebration, for it promises the prospect of freedom from the eternal curse of disease and premature death.

It is time for the stress mechanism to be independently tested to enable its confirmation and refine its treatments. It is being shunned and ignored by corrupt medical publications. Politics is the underlying cause of this problem, and only politics can fix it. Must its blessings await the arrival of our great-great grandchildren? Why not us? Why not now?

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Kario, K., McEwen, B. S. & Pickering, T. G. Disasters and the heart: a review of the effects of earthquake-induced stress on cardiovascular disease. Hypertens Res 26, 355-367, 2003. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=12887126
Matsuo, T., Kobayashi, H., Kario, K., Suzuki, S. & Matsuo, M. [Role of biochemical and fibrinolytic parameters on cardiac events associated with Hanshin-Awaji earthquake-induced stress]. Rinsho Byori 46, 593-598, 1998. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=9691769
Matsuo, T., Suzuki, S., Kario, K. & Kobayashi, H. [Acute myocardial infarction in the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake]. Rinsho Byori Suppl 104, 133-141, 1997. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=9128374
Matsuo, T., Suzuki, S., Kodama, K. & Kario, K. Hemostatic activation and cardiac events after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. Int J Hematol 67, 123-129, 1998. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=9631578

Lewis Coleman, MD, FAIS is a board-certified anesthesiologist who completed his BS degree in biology at Ohio State University, earned his MD degree from New York Medical College, and completed his surgical internship and anesthesiology residency at UCLA, followed by 40 years in private practice. Coleman’s basic sciences instruction at NYMC miraculously coincided with the two-year sojourn of Dr. Johannes Rhodin, a famous Swedish pioneer of electron microscopy who was retained by the school to upgrade its curriculum. Dr. Rhodin was an expert on the stress theory of Hans Selye. His stress theory lectures devastated the dogma of classical physiology and convinced Coleman that stress theory represented the future of medicine. Many years later, these lectures miraculously enabled Coleman to identify Selye’s long-sought stress mechanism. Thus identified, the stress mechanism enables Selye’s “Unified Theory of Medicine” that promises a new era of health, longevity, and freedom from the eternal curse of disease. Its implications exceed the bounds of medicine and confer a “unified theory of biology” that explains embryology, extinction, evolution, ethology, intelligence, anatomy, taxonomy, the Cambrian explosion, and dinosaurs, and resolves the disparities of Darwin, Lamarck, Baldwin, and saltation. Its distant implications reside in the realm of science fiction. His website http://www.stressmechanism.com is dedicated to stress theory and offers relevant materials free of charge. His book, 50 Years Lost in Medical Advance: The Discovery of Hans Selye’s Stress Mechanism, is available on Amazon.

Create Forward, Heal Forward

William Heckman — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:04:31 +0000

From the Spring edition of Contentment Magazine

By Frank Forencich, PhD

Life is the Art of Drawing Without an Eraser

– John W. Gardner

I’ve always been a bit of a contrarian, and I enjoy the process of pushing back. As a teacher and coach, my goal is to nurture high-functioning individuals and help them overcome the stresses and traumas they face. In doing so, I’ve familiarized myself with the literature on therapy, counseling, and wellness that has emerged in recent decades, keeping track of the commonly used language. Throughout this journey, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the concept of resilience, especially as it is portrayed in popular health and wellness media.

As I see it, we’re looking in the wrong direction. Stresses, big and small, come into our lives, and we long to regain the sense of control, predictability, and wholeness that we experienced in days gone by. We bravely declare that we will rebuild and bounce back. We tell our friends that we will get back in shape as we dream about returning to our former youthful vigor and exuberance. Likewise, we imagine degraded ecosystems returning to their original, old-growth glory after being raped by strip-mining, clear-cutting, and development. It’s no wonder we see a growing industry of resilience training in education, business, community settings, and leadership. It seems like everyone wants to go back.

But our thinking is fundamentally flawed. The river of ecosystem function, human physiology, and mental health only flows forward, and as Heraclitus taught us, it’s never the same river twice. Strictly speaking, there can be no bouncing back for any living systems, whether they be habitats, human bodies, or spirits. Healing does occur, but when it does, it’s always a transformation to some new state of integration. The thing we call “resilience” is better described as a creative process of moving forward.

Suppose you suffer an athletic injury. With rest and treatment, you’ll probably get over it and resume your favorite sports; you might even conclude that you are back to normal. But the tissue in question is different than before. Your body has engineered some microscopic workarounds and compensations. There is some new scar tissue, some thickening of fibers, and maybe some new sensory-motor activity in your brain and neuromuscular system. Your body works well enough now, and it no longer gives you pain, but in essence, it’s really a different body. You haven’t bounced back; you’ve bounced forward.

The same holds true for habitats and bioregions. When a forest ecosystem burns or is clear-cut, it eventually transforms to a new state of function and health. We might say that it “heals,” but conditions are not precisely the same. Some species have disappeared, and new ones have taken hold. Given enough time, the forest grows again and may even appear to have recovered, but subtle new relationships between plants, animals, and microorganisms exist. In a sense, it’s really a new forest.

As for the human mind and spirit, our misplaced belief in resilience is all part of what we might call Golden Age psychology, the belief that the present moment is intrinsically inferior to the utopian perfection of the past. Things were better in the good old days, so we believe. For those in the Paleo health and fitness movement, the golden age for the human species was our indigenous ancestors’ hunting and gathering, pre-agricultural era. For Islamic fundamentalists, it was the 12th century. For modern political-cultural conservatives, it was the 1950s. And for most of us in our senior years, it was the days of our youth when hormones ran wild and the world was ripe for adventure; if only we could return to the glory days of our 20s, all would be well. But in the end, all this romantic wishfulness is a delusion and a distraction from the matters at hand.

The problem with our popular image of resilience is that it offers a false hope of return. All our modern “re” words suffer a similar flaw: return, restore, rebound, rebuild, rewild, regenerate, recuperate. The belief is seductive: with good luck, the right attitude, and hard work, we can take our broken lives and bodies, put them back into their original order, and everything will be as good as new or as nature intended. But this belief in backward-facing resilience can blind us to the very actions and attitudes we need to move forward. Even worse, it can leave us feeling hopeless—if going back fails, nothing is left but to suffer in frustration. In short, our popular belief in resilience can break our hearts and leave us empty-handed.

All of which speaks to the present moment in history. The chaos and stress burden confronting us today escalates with terrifying speed and intensity. Climate and ecological breakdown are underway, and now, with the advent of a new administration in Washington, some people are forecasting catastrophic economic and social turmoil, while others are recovering from that fear that they have experienced over the past four years. Likewise, for the people of Los Angeles and North Carolina whose lives have been ravaged by hurricanes and wildfires, there can be no putting tragedy back in the bottle; whatever the challenge, we must move forward.

Writing about the adversities of the modern world, author Naomi Klein has advocated for resistance but famously advised, in a book by the same name, that “No is not enough.” In other words, we’ve got to do more than push back against our circumstances, whether they be personal or political. In other words, there’s got to be a creation and a future-oriented “Yes.” The time has come to take the broken pieces of our lives and assemble them into something new, something functional, maybe even something beautiful. In this, our efforts must be less like restoring an old artwork and more like bricolage, the improvisational, do-it-yourself art of working with whatever you’ve got. Assess your resources, whatever they might be, and start looking for something that works together. For every no, look for a yes.

This orientation towards healing forward and creating forward might sound like a strategy for occasional use, especially in the wake of trauma, injury, disease, or social chaos. But when we take the lesson to heart, we start looking at our lives from a new perspective. In this, creating and healing forward become fundamental personal life skills in their own right. This is not just something we do in the aftermath of adverse events; it’s an orientation we can practice every day, always working with what we’ve got on hand, continuously putting together new combinations that move us ahead. In this practice, healing and creating forward are muscles that get stronger with use; the more we practice bouncing forward, the more skillful we become.

STRESS.ORG

Frank Forencich, PhD, explores the forward-looking theme in his article Create Forward, Heal Forward. He philosophically describes a helpful perspective: We are not recovering from something but building something new in our lives. In that sense, we are not bouncing back from anything but creating something new. This gives birth to the idea of healing forward.

How stress can be good for your health (if you follow these rules)

William Heckman — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:47:00 +0000

Research shows that exposing ourselves to short, sharp forms of stress can be good for our health — as long as it’s the right kind of stress. Giulia Crouch reports.

How often do you get stressed? Maybe it’s time to up the frequency. This may sound counterintuitive but there’s a growing body of research that says that exposing ourselves to short, sharp bouts of stress is good for our health. It increases our resilience, can protect us against disease and can even help us live longer, healthier lives. It’s a biological phenomenon known as hormesis or hormetic stress and, simply put, is the principle that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… up to a point.

That’s because there’s a sweet spot: too much of the stressor and it’s negative but just the right amount will stimulate a protective or beneficial response and your body will adapt to the new challenge.

It’s things like cold plunges, hot saunas, high-intensity work-outs (read about London’s toughest workouts here), intermittent fasting and even eating foods that are high in natural plant chemicals. These things put the body under stress but when done for just the right amount of time, help us to grow stronger – in the same way that getting a flu jab does.

What makes hormesis so remarkable is that the adaptation doesn’t just ready you for the particular stressor, e.g. cold water swimming, it prepares you, both mentally and physically, for other stressful events – even things like heart attacks.

“We know that folk who have been exposed to hormetic stress and have adapted do better when it comes to any kind of extreme cardiac stress,” says Dr Jack Kreindler, founder of WellFounded, a company that researches resilience and longevity and offers health programmes.

“Instead of panicking and producing things that are bad for the body, they’re much more resilient and have better outcomes. Another example is adapting to altitude. When these people have an operation where their oxygen levels go down they fare better.

“There are real world advantages to being adapted or being fit. A tree doesn’t grow strong and resilient until it’s pushed about by the wind.”

You can rewire your brain to cope better with stress

Being “fit” or “fitting to the environment” is a key way to think about this concept, says Dr Kreindler. “Exercise is stressful on your muscles, hearts and lungs and creates a drop in oxygen,” he says. “But this stress helps to condition your muscles and your cells to work more efficiently – to fit to the new stressful environment.”

The same thing applies to the brain and cognitive tasks. “If you take up a challenge like learning the piano or a new language that stress will literally cause a rewiring of the brain to be able to fit to the new environment,” says Dr Kreindler.

Can certain foods help us cope with stress?

Interestingly, even the food we eat can give us this kind of “good stress”. “Specific dietary components play a critical role in triggering hormetic responses,” says Dr Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE and Nutrition Lead at Imperial College London.

“Phytochemicals — compounds found in plant-based foods — such as sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables, curcumin from turmeric, allicin from garlic, capsaicin from chili peppers, and resveratrol from grapes” can all support cellular repair and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, Dr Amati explains.

“Similarly, xenohormetic compounds, like resveratrol, have been shown to activate sirtuins (proteins linked to longevity) — thereby mitigating age-related decline and enhancing stress adaptation.”

Vitamins and minerals also exhibit hormetic effects and are bound by a sweet spot.

“Optimal levels are beneficial but excessive intake can become harmful,” says Dr Amati. “This underscores the importance of balanced nutrition rather than over-supplementation. Additionally, certain low doses of compounds like alcohol and even some natural pesticides can elicit mild stress responses that fortify cellular resilience. However, these should be approached with caution, as the threshold between beneficial and harmful exposure is delicate.”

How intermittent fasting can help

One of the best researched areas of dietary hormesis is caloric restriction and fasting. Multiple studies have shown that eating less, while still getting the required nutrients, extends the lifespan of many different types of animals.

Human studies have also shown protective benefits and reduced risk of age-related diseases. “This is largely due to the activation of stress response pathways that enhance cellular resilience,” says Dr Amati. “Dietary restriction serves as a mild stressor, prompting the body to bolster its defenses against more severe challenges, thereby promoting longevity and metabolic health.”

How do we know where the sweet spot is when it comes to “good stress”?

It may be time to turn the heating down

One of the challenges is that modern life is very comfortable, says Dr Kreindler. “Our homes are warm, we can get around without having to actually move much and we have plenty of food – maybe too much of it at times.”

This means we’re not exposed to much hormetic stress on a day to day basis and we’ve lost the innate ability to know where the line is. However, really listening to your body is the best place to start. “It’s easy to really overdo it,” says Dr Kreindler. “To run too fast and bust your ligaments or go into super cold ice plunges when you’re not ready for it yet. The best thing is to build things up gradually and try to connect with how you really feel.”

Plus, as Dr Ran Crooke, a GP and colleague of Dr Kreindler’s points out, it varies from stressor to stressor and, of course, from person to person.

In experiments done in the Antarctic, Dr Kreindler and Dr Crooke found that women are more resilient to periods in which there are prolonged stressors, such as cold and altitude. “Male physiology seems to lend itself better to the sprint,” says Dr Kreidler. “The more explosive type, picking up rocks and fighting things whereas female physiology lends itself better to preserving energy stores and endurance.”

Research has found that women are more resilient to periods in which there are prolonged stressors, such as cold and altitude

So, do we all need to start taking cold plunges, learning Mandarin and doing daily hill sprints?

No. “The best way to introduce some healthy stress into our lives is to get out and walk,” says Dr Crooke. “If you live quite a sedentary lifestyle then just doing 10-15 minutes of activity a day is going to have a huge impact.”

If you can walk up a hill, even better, and if you can do some form of weights, even if that’s just standing up from a sitting position on the floor, that is shown to have great benefits. “In the Japanese blue zone (a longevity hotspot) they don’t have sofas and chairs so they end up doing loads of squats a day by getting up and down from the floor,” says Dr Kreidler.

If you do want to experiment with temperature-related hormesis, turning your shower to cold at the end is an easy way to access it.

“The other thing which I think is really important as a hormetic stress is doing meaningful work,” he says. “Your brain is a very, very important muscle and you want to keep it working with tasks that you can achieve. This can be anything from walking the dog to washing the car. These sound so simple but they work.” Food wise, eating a diet rich in a variety of plants will ensure you’re eating plenty of phytonutrients – plant chemicals that stress you out in a good way.

So, you heard the experts – it’s time for a healthy dose of stress in our lives.

To learn more about stress go to stress.org.

Original Post The Standard.

By Giulia Crouch

Photo by NIck Bulanov

Stress buffering effects of physical activity in adolescents: the moderating role of physical activity attitudes

William Heckman — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:15:48 +0000

Abstract

Background

Adolescents may experience stressful life events and associated physical and psychological symptoms of stress. Physical activity has a buffering effect on stress. However, whether physical activity attitudes modulate stress, and the relationship between physical activity attitudes, physical activity, and stress symptoms is unclear. The present study focuses on whether adolescent stress events predict stress symptoms, whether physical activity buffers stress, and whether this stress-buffering effect is enhanced when attitudes toward physical activity are positive.

Methods

A stratified and cluster sampling method was used to select 2420 junior high school students from nine provinces from each of the three economic zones (with high GDP level, medium GDP level, and low GPD level) of eastern, western, and central China and the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory, the Physical Activity Rating Scale, and the behavioral attitude dimension of the Physical Activity Attitude Scale were used to investigate adolescent stress events, stress symptoms, physical activity, and physical activity attitudes respectively. There are 1,190 boys and 1,230 girls from seventh to ninth grade 12–15 years old.

Results

Adolescents’ stress events and stress symptoms showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.479, P < 0.01). The more stressful events adolescents have, the more pronounced stress symptoms become. The interaction term between the total amount of physical activity and stress events was not influential on stress symptoms (P = 0.461), and neither was the distinction between high and moderate physical activity levels (P_h = 0.248, P_m = 0.245). There was a moderating effect of physical activity attitudes on stress buffering for moderate physical activity levels (P < 0.01). The moderating effect was stronger when adolescents had positive attitudes toward physical activity.

Conclusions

Adolescent physical activity can buffer the effects of stress events on stress symptoms when physical activity attitudes are positive, revealing that stimulating adolescents’ physical activity initiative can promote physical activity to buffer stress.

Full article BioMed

For more information about stress-related issues go to stress.org

By Pingping Liu

BMC Public Health volume 25, Article number: 463 (2025) Cite this article

Photo by Rui Dias

Scientists Uncover Key Stress Pathway Driving Migraines

William Heckman — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:10:05 +0000

Research uncovers how stress triggers migraines via PACAP38, highlighting a new therapeutic target for migraine relief.

Migraines are more than just bad headaches; they stem from a genetic neurological disease that causes suffering for one in seven people. Those who experience migraines can have a myriad of debilitating symptoms, including pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and visual disturbances that prevent them from participating in work and family life. Pain is one way our body warns us something is wrong, but what do we do when this alarm system prevents us from living life fully?

A scientist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has discovered a pathway triggered in the brain during stressful situations. Halting this process at an early stage could prevent the domino effect that leads to migraines.

A study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, led by Yu Shin Kim, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, UT Health San Antonio, shows how stress causes an increase in levels of a potent neuropeptide called pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38). This neuropeptide couples with a certain mast cell receptor (MrgprB2), causing cells to release inflammatory substances. Mast cells work like a sort of speaker system, amplifying incoming messages. This series of effects lead to increased sensitivity in the trigeminovascular system of the dura, a thin membrane of connective tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord, leading to headaches and/or migraine pain.

Photo by David Garrison

For more information about stress-related issues go to stress.org

OP-Technology Networks

Newly Discovered Brain Circuit Predicts Response to Stress

William Heckman — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:31:34 +0000

Summary: Researchers identified a brain circuit involving the amygdala and hippocampus that predicts resilience to stress in mice. Mice with disrupted neural communication in this circuit struggled to seek rewards, but activating the neurons restored resilience and improved decision-making.

Using chemogenetics, the team stimulated brain activity in less resilient mice, which then displayed normal behavior and sought sweetened water. This breakthrough suggests potential new, non-invasive treatments for chronic stress and depression in humans, with researchers now exploring similar patterns in human brains.

Key Facts:

A disrupted amygdala-hippocampus circuit impairs resilience to stress.
Stimulating this circuit in mice restored normal behavior and reward-seeking.
The findings could lead to novel treatments for depression and stress disorders.

Source: UCSF

Some people bounce back from trauma, but others get caught in depressive loops that sap the joy from their lives.

Now, scientists at UC San Francisco are learning how the brain creates these divergent experiences. They hope it will help them find a way to treat those who struggle with long-lasting symptoms of stress.

The researchers found that stress changes activity in a brain circuit in mice, and these changes distinguish the mice that will recover from the ones that won’t.

The scientists stimulated some of the neurons in the less resilient mice to make the neurons fire more often. The mice stopped ruminating and sought out pleasure in the form of sugar-sweetened water.

“Seeing that we can set these brain signals back on course in mice suggests that doing the same in humans could act as an antidepressant,” said Mazen Kheirbek, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry and senior author of the study, which appears Dec. 4 in Nature.

The stress of indecision

Kheirbek, a member of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, set out to find the neural signature with a team that included Frances Xia, PhD, an associate specialist in psychiatry at UCSF, and two scientists from Columbia University, Valeria Fascianelli, PhD, and Stefano Fusi, PhD.

The researchers looked at a brain region called the amygdala, which helps evaluate how risky it may be to seek a reward.

First, they observed brain activity while the mice were resting. Stress had changed the activity in the amygdala of the less resilient mice much more than it had in the resilient ones.

When the researchers gave the mice a choice between plain and sugar-sweetened water, the resilient mice easily chose the sugar water.

But the less resilient mice became obsessed and often opted for the plain water.

Xia looked at brain recordings of the mice who chose the sweet water. Their amygdala was communicating with a nearby brain region called the hippocampus that remembers and predicts.

She saw a different pattern in the mice that could not decide whether to drink the plain or sweetened water. In those mice, the conversation between the two brain areas sputtered.

Connecting the dots

Xia thought she could stop the mice from ruminating and improve their decision making if she could get the neurons that connect these two regions to fire more often.

She used a technique called chemogenetics, which employs artificial molecules that interact inside the body.

The team attached one of the molecules, a receptor, to the surface of neurons in the hippocampus to make them fire.

Then, Xia injected the less resilient mice with a second molecule that bound to the receptor and made the neurons fire.

When the team once again gave the rumination-prone mice a choice of water, they took the sweet treat. The mice’s brain activity also looked resilient.

“The whole thing seemed like such a wild idea that I almost couldn’t believe it worked,” Xia said. “The process actually wiped out the whole state of indecision and turned these guys into resilient mice.”

The team plans to look at human brain data to see if they can find similar signatures.

Kheirbek is working with researchers at the Dolby Family Center for Mood Disorders to explore different ways of changing these brain patterns.

“There’s considerable interest in finding out how we can we translate these discoveries to an approach that will work in people,” he said. “If we can do that, we’ll have a new, non-invasive way of treating depression.”

Authors: Other authors include: Nina Vishwakarma, Frances Grace Ghinger, Andrew Kwon, Mark M. Gergues and Lahin K. Lalani of UCSF.

Funding: The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (F31 MH130127, DSPAN F99/K00 NS130927, R01 MH108623, R01 MH111754, R01 MH117961, R01 MH125515 and R01 DC019813), Neuronex (NSF1707398), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Scholarship, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund, the Simons Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (GAT3708), the Kavli Foundation the Swartz Foundation, the One Mind Rising Star Award and the Human Frontier Science Program (RGY0072/2019), the Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the McKnight Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award.

Photo by meo

To learn more about stress, go to stress.org

Alone Time Helps Reduce Holiday Stress

William Heckman — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:34:35 +0000

Summary: 46% of Americans don’t get enough alone time during the holiday season, even though 56% say it’s crucial for their mental health. Taking brief moments alone can help the nervous system settle, reducing stress and improving well-being during this busy time.

Experts suggest simple strategies, like leaving your phone in another room or pausing in your car for a few minutes, to recharge. Prioritizing alone time, even in small doses, can make the holidays more enjoyable without sacrificing social connections.

Key Facts:

46% of Americans report lacking alone time during the holidays.
56% say alone time is essential for their mental health.
Brief breaks alone help reduce stress and support mental and physical health.

Source: Ohio State University

Some say the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. But for others, the hectic holiday season may be the most stressful.

A new national survey of 1,000 Americans commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine shows that 46% of Americans say they don’t get the alone time they need during the holidays.

In addition, 56% of survey respondents say that it’s very important to their mental health to have adequate alone time.

Sophie Lazarus, PhD, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State, says in a world that glorifies staying busy, taking a brief break alone can be rewarding both mentally and physically.

A few minutes to yourself can reduce the stress of the season and help your mental health, she said.

“By taking a brief pause alone, our nervous system can settle, our mind can settle, our body can settle. And I think that can be important. We know that chronic stress is not good for us,” said Lazarus.

It’s important to make yourself a priority, and this can be accomplished by adding something simple to your routine that doesn’t require a large chunk of time or effort, Lazarus said.

Lazarus, who focuses on mindfulness-based interventions, mood and anxiety disorders, has a few suggestions to help stressed out people stay present throughout the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

“Try putting your phone in a totally different room when you decide you’re going to spend alone time, knowing how hard it is to resist picking it up, the pulls on our attention and on our priorities,” Lazarus said.

“Or take two or three minutes in the car before you go pick your kids up or before you go back into the house after work to just be alone.”

Lazarus says to take what works best for you into consideration when making these changes to your routine.

“One size doesn’t fit everyone. Being flexible and finding a balance is best,” Lazarus said.

Lazarus reminds patients it’s okay to take alone time.

“I think it’s important to remember that just because you’re prioritizing yourself at this moment doesn’t mean that you’re selfish and doesn’t mean that you always make the choice to prioritize yourself over others,” Lazarus said.

Alone time doesn’t have to be solo, either.

“Some people might experience alone time from going to a movie by themselves or going to a park where there’s a lot of people, or going to a coffee shop,” Lazarus said. “It can also be this absence of having to perform or interact socially in a more direct way.”

For more information about stress and related issues go to stress.org

About this psychology research news

Author: Ben Roselieb
Source: Ohio State University
Contact: Ben Roselieb – Ohio State University
Image: The image is credited to Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev

The benefits of owning an animal during the school year

William Heckman — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:11:06 +0000

The transition from being at home to going to college can be a lot for some students and having a pet can help that transition. “I think it helps a lot of people out,” Nalanie Pecora, senior English professional and creative writing, wine studies and psychology major and staff reporter at The Observer said. “I think, it [pets] definitely gives people the emotional support in themselves, and because college, for students who haven’t been doing it as long as I have, it’s really a struggle.”

According to The American Institute of Stress, 45% of American college students experience “more than average stress.” A survey done by beyondthetreat.com showed that 90% of college-student respondents found their stress levels lowered thanks to their furry friend.

Pecora, brought their dog, Apricity, to campus. “Apricity is a miniature Australian shepherd, and she’s deaf and has a little bit of sight issues,” Pecora said. “The word itself means warm sun on a winter day. So she meets all the requirements for the name.”

Many students at CWU have pets and rely on them in all different ways. “I got her as an ESA, so more or less she helps me,” Pecora said. “Being able to take care of her helps me realize that I need to take care of myself.” For some students, having a pet that they take care of can help remind them of the importance of their own personal well-being.

Although having a pet at school can be nice for the emotional support and the transition to college, it can be difficult to balance the workload of school and caring for an animal, especially a deaf animal. “It’s a little bit of a struggle, she definitely… knows when she can read body language really well, but she also struggles to tell us when she needs to use the restroom,” Pecora said. “There is the issue of she can’t hear us, so we have to bang on the floor or wait to get the vibration to hit her or turn the lights off and on, and that’s when she turns around, and she’s like oh there you are, and she’ll come running over.”

The Students at CWU own a wide variety of animals, Another CWU student Rayen King, sophomore social services major, brought with them a two year old Crested Gecko, who they call Cobalt. “Crested Geckos have a pretty simple routine… which makes them… great starter reptiles for most people,” King said. “They are from the New Caledonians and are arboreal, so they need tall tanks, so they can climb and jump about high up.”

Geckos are special pets and require a different routine and different forms of care. “They primarily eat fruit and small insects so I feed her a mix of both every couple days in a dish placed high up,” King said. “Cresties do best on their own and aren’t too keen on being handled but some tolerate it if it is done properly.”

To learn more about stress go to stress.org

By Hayley James, Staff Reporter for The Observer

Photo by Svetozar Milashevich

Photo by Simon Reza