Chap. 5 Flashcards
Is all Stress Bad? Explain.
No, stress response = natural physiological response that preps for “fight and flight.”
What differentiates Positive Stress (Eustress) & Negative Stress (Distress)?
Eustress: helps for optimal performance (react quickly in emergency situations) & typically acute (short-term, ex. 1h, 1day). Supports in staying focus, energized & motivated.
Distress: negative impact on physical & mental health & leads to myriad of health issues (burnout, autoimmune disease, anxiety, depression, heart disease, GI issues, substance use, etc.) Rise of Inflammation.
What are 2 forms of Distress?
Episodic Acute Stress: acute stress on frequent basis due to environment (ex. school & exams).
Chronic Stress: long-term daily stress (ex. taking care of ill relative).
What is the difference between Stress & Burnout?
Stress: adaptive response to any kind of adverse circumstances.
- over-reactive + irritable,
- worried + anxious,
- frantically trying to fix things,
-edgy, amped up, wired + tired, - mind racing,
- insomnia or waking up too early,
Burnout: due to continues exposure to stress, leading to mental, physical + emotional exhaustion. Health disorder.
- disengaged + numb,
- apathetic + cynical,
- discouraged + unmotivated,
- physically + mentally exhausted,
- brain fog, reduced cognitive function,
- excessive sleep, but not refreshed in morning,
What are common signs of Caregiving Burnout?
- Loss of interest in hobbies,
- Anxious or Depressed,
- Forgetful or Foggy,
- Loss of patience,
- Extremely tired,
- Quick to anger,
- Easily flustered or frustrated,
- Loss of appetite,
- Feeling hopeless,
- Loss of empathy,
- Blaming others.
What are signs of Burnout at Work?
- Lack of motivation,
- Always feeling tired,
- Increase in mood swings, withdrawal apathy,
- Increased anxiety, depression symptoms,
- Other physical aliments (unable sleeping, frequent migraines, dizziness or fainting, etc.),
- Poor work performance.
Which professions have highest rate of burnout?
Health care workers & Public services.
What is the Scientific name for our inner voice?
Verbal working memory system.
What does our inner voice (Chatter) help us with?
Keep verbal info active in our heads (allows planning, preparing & SELF CONTROL). “STORIFY” our lives - how experiences shape identity.
How can excessive Chatter negatively affects us?
- Lose FOCUS,
- Create friction in relationships,
- Displaced AGGRESSION,
- Reliving/repeating narrative keeping us in stress mode (affects chronic health: inflammation, CVD, Cancer).
What strategy helps us gain control over chatter?
Creating ROUTINES & RITUALS: control thoughts + not other way around. (More strategies depending on each person).
What are humans wired for in regards of mindset?
Negative Bias (events that have negative outcome have bigger impact vs positive events: advantageous from evolutionary POV: learn from your mistakes to survive).
What is Rumination & what is it linked to?
Rumination: repeating same thoughts,
Rumination w/ self-criticism + self-blame = linked to anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, OCD, phobias, etc.
What are effective strategies in Reframing Mindset?
- Avoid ruminating triggers (sight, sounds, spaces, places),
- Distraction/Redirection,
- Challenging negative thoughts + changing narrative,
- Becoming AWARE of thoughts through journaling, meditation,
- Unplug w/ music, art, exercise, nature,
- Grounding: 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste,
- Partaking in activities enhancing self-esteem + self-worth,
- SELF-COMPASSION,
What is Resilience?
Successful adaptation to challenging life experiences (“springing off” of adversity to higher point than before hardship).
What is building resilience?
Ability to thrive w/in self + community (like trampoline: support that springs you up again.)
What are some Resilience Strategies?
- Connecting deeper w/ sense of cultural identity,
- Nurturing self-compassion, positive affirmations,
- Discovery + expression through art, culture, creativity,
- Establishing strong connections w/ community,
- Spiritual practice,
- Self-care,
- Cognitive behavioural therapy to assert control over thoughts, perceptions, actions,
- Lifestyle behavior change,
- At community level: built-in support systems (ex. urban policies w/ transportation, access to education, etc.)
What is Self-Compassion? How is it different from Self-Esteem?
Self-Compassion: Process of turning compassion inwards.
Self-Esteem: Confidence in one’s own worth or abilities.
What are the 3 components of Self-Compassion?
- Mindfulness (practice of being aware of + anchoring to present moment),
- Common Humanity (practice of acceptance, forgiveness, & seeing how suffering = universal),
- Kindness (practice of soothing & comforting ourselves when faced w/ adversity).
What is Biohacking?
Applying science through self-experimentation to modify physiological process of body (optimize health, wellness & longevity).
What are some strategies for Biohacking?
- Lifestyle changes (nutrition sleep, etc),
- Wearable technology (movement, sleep, water intake, etc),
- Genetic engineering (DNA editing NOT regulated + very controversial),
How does internalized stress & repressed emotions affect our health?
Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology. Related field of Trauma, PTSD, etc.
Ex. Women = 80% more likely to present w/ autoimmune disease (related to emotional suppression, emotional burden/caregiver, peep pleasing, never good enough).
Which hormones correspond to the D.O.S.E. neurotransmitters of Happiness?
Dopamine: “Reward” chemical, enhancing motivation & learning.
Oxytocin: “Love” hormone, promoting social bonding, trust, empathy.
Serotonin: “Mood stabilizing” chemical influencing happiness, self-esteem.
Endorphin: “Euphoric” chemical reducing sensation of pain, & plays central role in anxiety & depression.
What other neurotransmitter is of interest?
GABA (closely linked to diet quality/gut health).
Which neurotransmitter is linked to exposure to natural sunlight?
Serotonin.
Which neurotransmitter is linked to completing a task or goal?
Dopamine.
Which neurotransmitter is linked to playing w/ pet?
Oxytocin.
Which neurotransmitter is linked to watching comedy film or creating art?
Endorphin.
What is Sociogenomics?
Affect of our social environment on expression (turning on & off) of our genes. Social connections can = healthy-protective or illness-promoting.
What is stress-buffering hypothesis?
Main hypothesis linking social connection to longevity (mental & physical health).
How does Stress-buffering hypothesis relate social connection to health & longevity?
By having peeps w/ you, stress response = lower since there is a sense of support & teamwork. When alone, stress = higher since you must watch yourself more.
What is a sense of purpose?
Intention to achieve long-term goal that = personally meaningful & makes positive mark on world. Sense of purpose can change several times over lifespan according to world views, life stages, life events.
What does research tell us about importance of sense of purpose to health & longevity?
Peeps who score higher on sense of purpose reported lower levels of functional disability, performed better on cognitive tests (episodic memory & speed of processing) & reported better self-rated health & fewer depressive symptoms, increased probability of survival.
What is social polarization?
Segregation w/in society where there = sharp views + oppositions between 2 (or +) groups. Social media shapes polarization through social, cognitive, & technological processes (message content, platform design & algorithms).
What is the relationship between smart phones and cortisol?
- Peeps feel more stressed than before having smart phones,
- Checking work emails 1st & last thing in day can interfere w/ natural cortisol rhythms (+sleep),
- Nomophobia (no-mobile-phone phobia) = shown to increase cortisol level.
- Social Media can exacerbate stress (info overload, cyber bullying, social comparison…),
How does smart phones affect our cognition, connection to self & environment?
- Impaired memory, information processing due to attention residue,
- Smart Phones not in use but w/in reach can impair cognition (lower score tests for short-term memory & problem solving),
- Weakened social connections (ex. lack ability to process body language/emotions or initiate casual convo, + not help strangers),
- Anxiety & Depression (social media),
- Avoidance of self: thoughts, feelings, relationships,
- Information & communication overload (constant influx of Information),
- Digital Nutrition (maintaining healthier relationship w/ smartphones),
- Conditioned over time to tap into dopamine circuitry,
- Disrupt Sleep Patterns,
How much time should you spend w/out your phone before bed?
Hopefully more than an 1hour, but bare minimum = 15min.
What are the 3 Rs?
RECOGNIZE: what = causing stress in 1st place,
REDIRECT: by moving away or shutting it off for 5min,
RESOLVE: by moving on to whatever = next (reorienting yourself).
Who are more stressed, peeps who keep their work life + personal life separate or those who combine them?
Those who integrate personal & work life = more stressed.
What is Attention Residue?
When switching tasks, attention slightly remains on previous task, reducing potential to Focus & Process Info.
Why is it important to put device on silent & out of sigh/out of reach?
Because you are more productive w/ work.
What are strategies for Mindful Technology Use?
- De-emphasize importance of returning message right away,
- Work offline smart devices & entertainment apps,
- Delete apps during “crunch time,” use of apps to set time limits,
- Scheduled/timed use of apps/devices (digital curfew),
What are benefits to Meditation (8)?
- Decrease Anxiety & Depression,
- Increase Pain Tolerance,
- Rises # of ALPHA links (spreads positivity, love, happiness),
- Decrease Blood Pressure,
- Increase Immune Function,
- Improves self-awareness, memory, goal setting,
- Improves Empathy,
- Decrease Gray Matter,
- Reduce Damage to your DNA,
How does Meditation affect Neuroplasticity?
Shifts neural activity of brain, slows down & calms brain. “Dial back” hyperstimulation superimposed on us (tech. environment, work, relationships…). Helps process our internalized perceptions of self & surroundings. “Turns down” areas of brain that perceive pain + “turn up” areas associated w/ relaxation.
In conjunction w/ other therapies (ex. cognitive behavioural therapy) which out of Exercise, Yoga & Meditation appears to be most successful in improving anxiety & depression?
Exercise.
Yoga appears to be effective on its own or in conjunction w/ other therapies, in treating _______?
Depression.
Mindfulness-Based Meditation appears to be effective on its own or in conjunction w/ other therapies in treating ______, and as adjunctive therapy in treating _______?
- Depression,
- Anxiety.
What are the effects of Breath Control?
- Rise of the Vagal response (+) PNS,
- Decrease of HPA Axis response (-) SNS,
“Circuit breaker” for controlling balance between PNS & SNS. Entry way for “Bottom up” regulation, from body to mind. Decreases level of cortisol & benefits learning/memory & regulating emotions.
Time management is good for productivity and what else?
Self-Care.
What does Time Management take & what are 4 tips for it?
Time management takes PLANNING, STRUCTURE, SELF-ACCOUNTABILITY, & PRACTICE.
4 Tips:
- Single Tasking: improves focus & productivity, reduces stress response (residual effect of changing tasks),
- Time-Blocking: separating logical & creative tasks, different sides of brain,
- Scheduling: when added to schedule, more likely to do,
- Easy vs Hardest task first: easiest builds momentum, hardest builds confidence.
What are the 5 strategies to help w/ over-thinking?
- Put aside Perfectionism: Pareto Principle (80/20, 20% effort = 80% result or 80% amazing = 20% could be better),
- Right-Size problem: 10/10/10 (step aside of situation + put POV on track, does it matter in 10 weeks, months or years?),
- Thin-Slicing: rapid decisions to decrease decision fatigue,
- Decision Fatigue: schedule, routine, delegate, remove yourself from meetings,
- Parkinson’s Law: work expands to time we allow it.
