Stress is inevitable, but suffering isn't. 3 experts explain.

"Don't try to eliminate your stress. Instead, take advantage of it. Three experts, Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH, Kelly McGonigal, PhD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD combine their insights on physiology, psychology, and mindfulness to show how stress management can become a superpower. They explain how stress can help you grow, how the body's "challenge response" fuels focus and energy, and how mindfulness can help you see beyond your thoughts."

"KELLY MCGONIGAL: Most people believe that there is one way that the body responds to stress, and everyone's heard the fight-or-flight response. And it turns out that the brain and the body actually have another way of responding to these kinds of high-stakes challenges. That other way of responding to stress is called a challenge response. It's a way for your brain and body to give you maximum focus, attention, and energy. When you have a threat response, it's a way"

Managing stress is a learnable skill that can be practiced and taught to the brain and body. Adaptive stress, such as a new job, promotion, or falling in love, moves life forward by promoting growth and engagement. Unchecked stress becomes maladaptive, causing dysfunction and harm to brain and body. The body has both threat (fight-or-flight) and challenge responses; the challenge response supplies focus, attention, and energy for high-stakes situations. Mindfulness and training can rewire neural and physiological reactions to reduce harmful stress, increase resilience, and allow stress to function as a source of strength.

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