Stress research updates

1. Short-Term Stress Enhances Anti-Tumor Activity

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that, at least in laboratory mice, bouts of relatively short-term stress can boost the immune system and protect against one type of cancer. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of this occasional angst seem to last for weeks after the stressful situation has ended.short-lived stress may enhance anti-tumor activity. But chronic stress has the opposite effect taxing the immune system and increasing susceptibility to disease.

more details of the study please follow the link below

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134650.htm

2. Partner Relationship As A Buffer Against Stress

"The relationship reduces the negative effects of this kind of stress on our health. But poor relationships will amplify the negative effects,"

The body needs to recover

After having been exposed to stress, the body must recover and recharge itself. If there is no opportunity to recover because the work doesn't allow for breaks and lunches, the body's reserves are emptied, and poor health ensues. The same principle applies when a person takes work home, frequently works overtime or has recurring quarrels and problems in his or her relationship.

The effects of the sometimes small but recurring stress situations of everyday life sneak up on a person, who at first does not even notice them. The person under stress adapts and tries to accommodate the demands and changes he or she face, until one day, there is such a great imbalance, that massive efforts are needed just to manage everyday life.

"The risk is that we don't realize things are not right until we get to that point. Our work and required social interactions demand much too much of us. Our relationship is strained to the breaking point, and we've used the last drop of the energy reserves we once had." According to Ann-Christine Andersson Arntén, not taking time to recover can lead to impaired physical and mental health and cognitive and concentration problems, which reduce performance and problem-solving ability.

more details of the study please follow the link below

  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090711.htm

Build your resources to manage stress

"If you cannot do great things yourself, remember that you may do small things in a great way."-- Swamy Chinmayananda

Resources empower individuals to cope more effectively with the stress. Many people enter into the dangerous situation without proper understanding, knowledge and skills to handle their stressful life events. Research evidence has shown that personal resources are key determinant in one’s appraisal of the events and coping.

Some of the personal resources are,

Health and energy

Physical characteristics

Intelligence

Self-esteem

Optimism

Hope

Sense of control

Sense of humor

Supportive family and friends

Money, job security

Social status

Education

Occupation

Some of the facts are,

1.      People with greater personal resources are less vulnerable to stress.

2.      People with weak resources are least successful under high stressful conditions.

3.      People approach a situation and appraises as challenges are depends on the amount of personal resources they have.

4.      People who have more personal resources are likely to experience more positive outcomes after stressful encounter.

5.      Resource loss is more stressful than the gaining resources. In order to prevent resource loss one must invest time and effort etc. to gain more resources.

6.      When we fail to have or gain resources may lead to stress.

7.      Personal resources that can be cultivated and acquired

8.      So, we should strive to obtain, retain, protect and foster our personal resources that assure progress and quality of functioning.

No Pain, No Gain-A new research findings

No Pain, No Gain: Mastering A Skill Makes Us Stressed In The Moment, Happy Long Term

No pain, no gain applies to happiness, too, according to new research. People who work hard at improving a skill or ability may experience stress in the moment, but experience greater happiness on a daily basis and longer term, the study suggests. 

"No pain, no gain is the rule when it comes to gaining happiness from increasing our competence at something," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. "People often give up their goals because they are stressful, but we found that there is benefit at the end of the day from learning to do something well. And what's striking is that you don't have to reach your goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being."

Contrary to previous research, the study found that people who engage in behaviors that increase competency, for example at work, school or the gym, experience decreased happiness in the moment, lower levels of enjoyment and higher levels of momentary stress. Despite the negative effects felt on an hourly basis, participants reported that these same activities made them feel happy and satisfied when they looked back on their day as a whole. This surprising find suggests that in the process of becoming proficient at something, individuals may need to endure temporary stress to reap the happiness benefits associated with increased competency.

The study examined whether people who spend time on activities that fulfill certain psychological needs, believed to be necessary for growth and well-being, experience greater happiness. In addition to the need to be competent, the study focused on the need to feel connected to others and to be autonomous or self-directed, and it examined how fulfilling these three needs affects a person's happiness moment by moment within a day.

For two days, participants reported how they spent each hour, the enjoyment and stress experienced in that hour, and whether the activity met their need for competency, connectedness to others or autonomy. A second group of participants completed a similar survey, but reported on the day as a whole.

While behaviors that increase competency were associated with decreased happiness in the moment, people who spent time on activities that met the need for autonomy or feeling connected to others experienced increased happiness both an hourly and daily basis. The greatest increase in momentary happiness was experienced by participants who engaged in something that met their need for autonomy -- any behavior that a person feels they have chosen, rather than ought to do, and that helps them further their interests and goals.

The authors suggest that shifting the balance of needs met in a day could help people find ways to cope with short term stress in the workplace. "Our results suggest that you can decrease the momentary stress associated with improving your skill or ability by ensuring you are also meeting the need for autonomy and connectedness, for example performing the activity alongside other people or making sure it is something you have chosen to do and is true to who you are," Howell said.

Relating these momentary gains in happiness to people's long term life satisfaction, the study found that those who are already satisfied with their life in the long term stand to gain most from the momentary happiness that is derived from feeling connected to others and a sense of autonomy.

"Like a wine connoisseur whose experience means they can appreciate a fine wine more than a novice, people who are already satisfied with their life may have learned how to glean the satisfaction of these needs from their daily activities," Howell said.

Adapted from materials provided by San Francisco State University.

Journal reference:

Howell et al. Momentary Happiness: The Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2009; DOI: 10.1007/s10902-009-9166-1

Ref.

ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 14, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/10/091029120900.htm