Realizations Inc

Male-Female

Being under stress appears to increase the differences in how men and women think about risk? When men are under stress, they become even more willing to take risks; when women are stressed, they tend to become more conservative about risk. Mather links this to other research that finds, at difficult times, men are inclined toward fight-or-flight responses, while women try to bond more and improve their relationships. According to Mather, coauthor of an article reported in Current Directions in Psychological Science, it seems likely that how much stress you're experiencing will affect the way in which you make decisions. [Source]

Males

Males seem to react more sensitively to stress than women at every age. Men tend to block out signs of stress (out of touch with their bodies), while women are more aware of them. (Goldberg, Herb, PhD. The Hazards of Being Male. p 111-113. NY: Nash Publishing, 1976.)

Humor builds camaraderie among men and can ease relationship tensions. (Tanenbaum, Joe. Male & Female Realities. p 152-154. NV: Robert Erdmann Publishing, 1990.)

Massage

Studies: massage helped children with autism, diabetes, asthma, cancer, and arthritis. Neuropeptides (e.g., endorphins) released in the brain from touch receptors in the skin, send positive healing messages to the brain. (Perricone, Nicholas, MD. The Perricone Promise. p 6-10. NY: Warner Books, 2004.)

Meditation

The effects of meditation on brain function has been especially well studied: enhances brain-neuron function, decrease blood levels of lactate (associated with anxiety and insomnia), increases levels of DHEA (a marker of brain vitality), and decreases blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. (Guiffre, Kenneth, MD, with Theresa Foy DeGeronimo. The Care and Feeding of Your Brain. p 45, 236. NJ: Career Press, 1999.)

Meditation can boost the immune system and serve as a stress reducer. (Bricklin, Mark, Mark Golin, et al. Positive Living and Health. p 218. PA: Rodale Press, 1990.)

Melatonin

Melatonin is the principal hormone secreted by the Pineal gland in the brain and regulates many neuroendocrine functions. The maximum amount of melatonin released in the bloodstream of the elderly is only half of that in young adults. Rat studies of rats found that is was able to reduce some aspects of stress. (Dean, Ward, M.D., and John Morgenthaler and Steven Wm. Fowkes. Smart Drugs II, Melatonin Chapter. Smart Publications. 2000.)

Melatonin

Refer to Sleep and the Brain for additional information.

Memory

Refer to Memory and the Brain for additional information.

Psychologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have figured out how stress interferes with one’s ability to pay attention, focus, and create working memory. Working memory is both short-term (seconds) and flexible, allowing the brain to hold a large amount of information close at hand to perform complex tasks. Without it, you would have forgotten the first half of this sentence while reading the second half. They watched neurons functioning in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, part of the brain that is vital to working memory. The neurons communicated on a scale of every thousandth of a second. In addition, they knew what they did one second to one-and-a-half seconds ago. In the presence of a stressor, however, while the neurons became even more active, they were reacting to other things and failed to retain information about what they did a second or so ago. The conclusion was that stress-related impairment of this mechanism is believed to contribute to the cognition-impairing actions of stress.(http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1002681)

Studies: stress in children. Long-term family conflict interferes with the development of the hippocampus. A shrunken hippocampus has been linked to memory loss and other cognitive impairments. (Greenwood-Robinson, Maggie, PhD. 20 / 20 Thinking. p 226. NY: Avery, Putnam Special Markets, 2003.)

David Devilbiss, a scientist and lead author on a study published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, there are dangers of stress-related distraction.“The literature tells us that stress plays a role in more than half of all workplace accidents, and a lot of people have to work under what we would consider a great deal of stress,” Devilbiss said. “Air traffic controllers need to concentrate and focus with a lot riding on their actions. People in the military have to carry out these thought processes in conditions that would be very distracting, and now we know that this distraction is happening at the level of individual cells in the brain.” Recent studies have demonstrated that rather than suppressing activity, stress modifies the nature of neuron activity. “Treatments that keep neurons on their self-stimulating task while shutting out distractions may help protect working memory.” (http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-stress-blocks-short-term-memory?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e7af87468f-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email)

Misstress (unrecognized stress)

Research has shown that it’s the daily accumulation of little stresses that take more of atoll on your health than the major stressful events in life. How drained you are from the daily stresses also determines how much resilience you have when a real crisis occurs. Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame. p 8. CA: Planetary Publications, 1994, 1998.

Motivation

Under conditions of continuous stress, internal motivation becomes more and more difficult to generate as people see themselves as fulfilling only goals formed by others. (Howard, Pierce J., PhD. The Owner’s Manual for the Brain. p 656-659. 745. GA:Bard Press, 2000

Music

Refer to Music and the Brain for additional information.

The link between music and athletic performance is just one example of the amazing power that music has over mind and body. Music can reduce pain and stress, strengthen the brain, and alter how one experiences life. Generally speaking, loud upbeat music has a stimulating effect and slow music reduces arousal. (Lloyd, Robert. Understanding the Power of Music. Science shows that music really does kill pain and reduce stress.)

Nutrition

Stress increases the body’s need for at least Vitamin A, Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and protein (research continues). (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 70-72. MA:Allyn & Bacon, 1996.)

Perception

The amount of stress you feel is based more on your perception of a person, place, or event than on the event itself (sometimes referred to as the 20:80 Rule). Counting to 10 may cool you down for a moment but doesn’t necessarily change your perception of the person or situation. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame - One Minute Stress Management. P 7. CA:Planetary Publications, 1999.)

According to Marcus Aurelius, if you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. This is sometimes referred to as the 20:80 Rule. (Robbins, Anthony. Awaken the Giant Within. P 59-61. NY:Fireside, 1991.)

Prayer

Refer to Spirituality and the Brain for additional information.

Pregnancy

Study: Females had 6 times the chance of birthing a gay son if the mothers experienced severe stress during early pregnancy. Stress, sickness, and some medications tend to suppress testosterone levels. (Pease, Barbara and Allan. Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps. p 181-186. NY: Broadway Books, 1998.)

Sleep

Studies: when people get less than eight hours of sleep concentration is only 70% of what it is on days when they are well rested (e.g., may be caused by the depletion of two neurotransmitters necessary for sharp, clear thinking—norepinephrine and serotonin). Chronic stress-like syndrome from sleep deprivation raises brain cortisol levels and can cause cell death. (Giuffre, Kenneth, MD, with Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. The Care and Feeding of Your Brain. p 43. NJ: Career Press, 1999.)

Senses

When the body becomes stressed and activates a stress response, all five senses become acute. If stress is chronic the senses are constantly on red alert and sensory burnout can result. As a result sight, hearing, taste, smell, and sense of touch actually become less efficient over time. (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 47-48. MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.)

Falsification of Type (Adaption)

A term used by C. J. Jung to describe a person who was using his/her brain in energy-exhausting ways. Education, understanding, empathy, emotional support, and reframing of one’s individual experience are powerful psychological tools. In the face of Falsifying Type, however, they are basically powerless because the individual spends hours and hours each day in activities that require his brain to work up to 100 times harder, and the living of life throws his body systems into distress. The only thing that can make a difference is the individual’s reowning of innate preference. (Benziger, Katherine I, PhD. Thriving in Mind. p 236. TX:KBA Publishing, 2000.)

Immune System

The immune system may be affected by any kind of emotion, negative or positive. In happiness and intense sadness, there was an increase in killer cells within 20 minutes. Response to long-term sadness and stress has a different profile. (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 6. MA: Simon & Schuster, 1996.)

Excess adrenaline and cortisol released during stress can cause the immune system to shut down. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame. p 2-3. CA: Planetary Publications, 1994, 1998.)

Laughter

Refer to Laughter and the Brain for additional information.

The more stressful a situation is, the more important it is to laugh at it. (Beck, Martha, PhD. The Joy Diet. p 154-156. NY: Crown Publishers, 2003.)

Learning

Studies of 64 college students: the way people learn to respond to stress can influence whether they will have high blood pressure, just like mom or dad. In stressful situations, students with a family history of hypertension had an increase in blood pressure, tended to roll their eyes, sigh, and make more disagreeing statements than the control group. (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology as reported in Vibrant Life. p 5. MD:Review and Herald Publishing Association, Sept/Oct, 2002.)

Threat pervades most educational settings but that is in direct opposition to cerebral learning. The concept of downshifting appears to fit with both what is now known about the triune nature of the human brain, and what can continually be seen happening in instructional settings and in daily living. A brain shut down by threat equals learning failure. The neocortex functions fully only when one feels secure. (Hart, Leslie A. Human Brain and Human Learning. p 110. NY: Longman Inc, 1983.)

Longevity

Ignoring who you authentically are can kill you. Forcing yourself to be someone you are not is incredibly taxing. It will shorten your life by years and years (e.g., fourteen years can be subtracted from your expectancy by living this type of prolonged stress). (McGraw, Phillip C, PhD. Self Matters. p 17-18. NY:Simon & Schuster Source, 2001.)

Stress-induced illness comes only from the things that stress YOU, even if they don’t seem to be the things that stress other people. Reducing stress in your life can give back thirty of the thirty-two years that major life events can take away. The relationship between stress and aging is marked. The faster you rev your body, the more quickly you age. Chronic stress alters immune responses. (Rozen, Michael F, MD. Real Age. p 259-260. NY: Cliff Street Books, 2000.)

Limbic System

The limbic system is an open-loop system and depends largely on connections with other people for its own emotional stability. Research in ICUs: the comforting presence of another person lowers BP and slows secretion of fatty acids that block arteries. (Goleman, Daniel, PhD, with Richard Boyatzis, and Annie Mckee. Primal Leadership. p 6-8. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.)

Meditation

Meditation, by allowing long-buried thoughts and feelings to surface, is a way of getting the peptides flowing again, returning the body, and the emotions, to health. (Pert, Candace, PhD. Molecules of Emotion. p 242-243. NY: Scribner, 1997.)

Male-Female Differences

Our culture (American) causes a great deal of stress on males during mid-life. (Conway, Jim. Men in Midlife Crisis. p 27, 45. IL: David C. Cook Publishing, 1978, 1980.)

Levels of stress hormones are higher in males who are at the lower end of the pecking order. This may not be as true for females. (Gurian, Michael, PhD, and Patricia Henley, with Terry Trueman. Boys and Girls Learn Differently! p 48-50. CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.

Males tend to relieve internal stress by disengaging the brain and thinking about something else (e.g., go for a drink with another man where they don’t have to talk much or talk about sports and cars). (Pease, Barbara and Allan. Why Men Don’t Have a clue and Women Always Need More Shoes. p 112-114. NY: Broadway Books, 2004.)

There is evidence that, following a traumatic experience or period of serious stress, the male brain doesn’t return to stability and learning readiness as quickly as does the female brain. (Gurian, Michael, PhD, and Patricia Henley, with Terry Trueman. Boys and Girls Learn Differently! p 80-82. CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.)

Memories

Unconscious memories are particularly likely to be formed during stressful events because the hormones and neurotransmitters released at such times make the amygdalae more excitable. They also affect the processing of conscious memories. (Carter, Rita, Ed. Mapping the Mind. p 95. CA: University of California Press, 1998.)

Menopause

A major emotional stress of “Who am I?” tends to occur in the lives of women during their forties. A second major stress in a woman’s life is menopause, around ages 48-53. (Conway, Jim. Men in Midlife Crisis. p 159-166. IL: David C. Cook Publishing, 1978, 1980.)

Multitasking

Studies: having to shift concepts, intention, and focus to many different tasks, many times an hour, creates more stress than any other stressor. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 51. CA: Harper SF, 1999.

Music

Refer to Music and the Brain for additional information.

Studies: listening to music can improve mood and reduce stress levels. For surgeons, listening to music can reduce fatigue and increase concentration, speed, and accuracy. (Edell, Dean, MD. Eat, Drink & Be Merry. p 128-129. NY: HarperCollins, 1999.)

Negative Thinking, Pessimism

Negative thinking and pessimism affect the body just as stress does. Pessimism triggers a fall in catecholamines, which triggers endorphins, which suppresses immune system function. (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 502-504. MA: Simon & Schuster, 1996.)

Neurons

Stanford studies: chronic stress can cause neurons to lose their dendritic branches and eventually die off completely with symptoms such as poor memory, fuzzy thinking, and lack of creativity. ( Diamond, Marian, PhD, and Janet Hopson. Magic Trees of the Mind. p 80-82. NY: A Dutton Book 1998.)

Neutrality

Becoming more “neutral” may be the best you can do if the situation is extremely stressful and emotionally charged. “Hang loose in neutral” until the fog clears and you can see more clearly. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 79-81. CA:Harper SF, 1999.

Noradrenaline

Prenatal experience plays a role in shaping the internal guidance system’s neurochemistry. Baby monkeys, whose mothers are exposed to a major stress while pregnant, showed an inhibited temperament reflected in altered levels of noradrenaline and dopamine. (Quartz, Steven, R., PhD and Terrence J. Sejnowski PhD. Liars, Lovers, and Heroes. p 126. NY:HarperCollins, 2002.)

High levels of childhood stress alter levels of noradrenaline, a finding that has ominous overtones. (Brynie, Faith Hickman. 101 Questions Your Brain Has Asked About Itself But Couldn’t Answer, Until Now. p 125-126. CT: Millbrook Press, 1998.)

Panic

Humans sometimes fail under pressure (witness the unexpected catastrophes in the Olympic trials and in almost any high-stakes sports event) although the reasons may be worlds apart. In “The Art of Failure,” Malcom Gladwell described the difference between panic (too little thinking and reverting to instinct) and choking (thinking too much and a loss of instinct). Although most people get nervous at times, not everyone chokes. A team of neuroscientist in London used fMRI studies to gain insight into choking. They found that activity in the ventral striatum (a subcortical brain region dense with dopamine neurons) tended to increase as people got more excited about potential rewards. In some, however, striatum activity was inversely related to the magnitude of the reward. Translated, this may mean that some individuals fall apart (choke) under the pressure of the moment because they care too much. The pleasure of the activity has vanished. What remains is the fear of losing, a fear of failure, which can trigger choking.(http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/frontal-cortex/2012/06/the-new-neuroscience-of-choking.html and http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2000/08/21/2000_08_21_
084_TNY_LIBRY_000021523)

Perception

There is no stress in any situation until the person feels strain, and this is different for every brain. The distress felt is related to the person’s own perception of what is happening. (Siebert, Al, PhD. The Survivor Personality. p 100-103. NY:A Perigee Book, 1996.)

Stress and stress managements begin with your perception. Management success lies in how you perceive the stressors. It’s not the event itself that causes stress, it’s how you perceive the event. You can even learn how to lower cortisol levels by changing your perceptions and emotions. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 61-63, 203-204. CA: Harper SF, 1999.)

The Yerkes-Dodson Law (a century old) describes the relationsip between stress and performance. Showing three main states (disengagement, flow, and frazzle, it actually describes the HPA axis, the circuitry that secretes stress hormones when the amhygdala gets triggered. Disengagement triggers too little hormone and performance lags; overwhelm triggers too much that can lead to burnout and hampered performance; motivation and engagement can result in flow and good performance. (Goleman, David. The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights. P 45-57. MA:More Than Sound, 2011)

Physical Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise helps to dissipate cortisol released during stress. But high levels of stress appear to nullify some of the effects of aerobic exercise. It can be helpful to exercise after the most stressful part of the day is over and/or exercise again after a stressful episode. (Howard, Pierce J., PhD. The Owner’s Manual for The Brain. p 193-200. GA: Bard Press, 1994, 2000.)

Play

Play is nature’s own stress reducer. It is virtually impossible to hold stress and playfulness in the same bodymind at the same moment. (Pert, Candace, PhD. Your Body is Your Subconscious Mind. Candace Pert, PhD. (Audio Cassettes) CO: Sounds True, 2000.)

Positive Stress

Refer to Eustress for additional information.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

In PTSA, fear is expressed through an increased sensitivity to stimuli reminiscent of an original traumatic event, and include flashbacks and increased startle response. The prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and anygdala appear to be altered in some way. (LeDoux, Joseph. Synaptic Self. p 293-296. NY:Penguin Books, 2002.)

Individuals (regular soldiers) with PTDS have low levels of neuropeptide Y. Special Forces soldiers have higher levels of this substance in the CNS that appears to make them resistant to PTSD. (Perricone, Nicholas, MD. The Perricone Promise. p 28-30. NY: Warner Books, 2004.)

Until recently, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder has been labeled a “soft disorder” — one without an objective biological path to diagnosis. Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center have announced that using a brain imaging method called magnetoencephalography (MEG), which measures how the brain processes information, they have identified a distinct pattern of brain activity among individuals diagnosed with PTSD. Researchers scanned the brains of 74 U.S. veterans with PTSD, and 250 civilians without the disorder. By spotting specific brain biomarkers, they said they were able to accurately diagnose PTSD sufferers with 90 percent accuracy. (Drummond, Katie. Neuroscientists Say Brain Scans Can Spot PTSD.)

Prayer

Refer to Spirituality and the Brain for additional information.

Pregnancy

Stress experienced by a pregnant woman has definite physiological effects on her unborn baby…can cause a number or problems even into later childhood. The most tremendous stress an infant faces is its own birth. (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 54-56. MA: Simon & Schuster, 1996.)

Study: Pregnant women who experience stress tend to have babies who are unable to deal with stressful situations. (Pease, Barbara and Allan. Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps. p 181-186. NY: Broadway Books, 1998.)

Studies: Sustained stress during the first months of pregnancy may correlated with the development of hyperactivity in the child after birth. (Healy, Jane M., PhD. Endangered Minds. p 62. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1990.)

Prevention

As you learn to prevent stressful reactions, you save a tremendous amount of energy—energy that can be used to develop creative projects, build fulfilling relationships, solve family problems, make more effective decisions, and have more fun. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame. p Xvi. CA: Planetary Publications, 1994, 1998.)

Psychological

Study: Exposure to perceived (how the person who is experiencing the stress perceives it) high psychological stress for prolonged periods of time may accelerate one’s biological age by as many as 17 years. (Treadwell, Benjamin V., PhD. The Brain: Can We Tweak it? p 16-17. CA:Juvenon Health Journal, Vol 4, No. , February 2005.)

Rating Scale

Scale for ranking stressful events from U of Washington School of Medicine. The higher the score accumulated in the previous year, the higher the risk for a serious illness in the immediate future. (Padus, Emrika, et al. The Complete Guide to Your Emotions & Your Health. p 4-6. PA: Rodale Press, 1992.)

Studies: happy events (e.g., marriage) may involve higher levels of stress than some that are listed as unhappy. Includes an assessment to rate your stress quotient. (Bricklin, Mark, et al. Positive Living and Health. p 210-212. PA: Rodale Press, 1990.)

Relationships

Incompatibility in marriage / relationships may have more to do with factors that are causing differences to surface or at any given time. All differences stand out more at times of stress. (Friedman, Edwin H. Generation to Generation. p 67-70. NY: The Guilford Press, 1985.)

Relaxation

Relaxation Response: two steps to achieving this response. Studies have shown it to be a powerful stress reducer. Contributes to a state of hypometabolism (decreased consumption of oxygen) and breaks pattern of everyday thought. (Benson, Herbert, MD, with Marg Stark. Timeless Healing. p 125-147. NY: Scribner, 1996.)

The relaxation response can be beneficial in the healing process. (Cousins, Norman, MD (honorary). Head First. p 234-236. NY: Penguin Books, 1989.)

Study: 25% of those questioned about using the Relaxation Response reported that they felt “more spiritual” as a result and experienced the presence of an energy, a force/power beyond themselves. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 216-217. CA: Harper SF, 1999.)

The six-second Quieting Reflex or QR involves recognizing tension quickly and responding appropriately. There are five easy steps:

• Smile inwardly with eyes and mouth
• Tell yourself to be alert and amused
• Breathe deeply and easily
• Exhale and let muscles go limp
• Resume normal activity

(Stroebel, Charles F., MD. QT – The Quieting Reflex. p 110-112. NY:Berkley Books, 1967.)

Repetition

With each exposure to stress, the brain likely developed increased susceptibility or sensitivity to the next stress episode. NIMH researcher Robert Post labels this “kindling.” (Lombard, Jay, Dr., and Dr. Christian Renna. Balance Your Brain, Balance Your life. p 94-96. NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2004.)

The first body system to recognize a stressor is the brain. It instructs the body how to adjust, and continues to do so for up to 72 hours post traumatic incident (e.g., repeated stress and the brain directs a chronic stress response). (Hafen, Brent Q., et al. Mind/Body Health. p 60-62. MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1996.)

Road Rage

Road rage (anger) likely represents low emotional intelligence. Drivers likely inherit the seeds of aggressiveness and territoriality from parents and the media. Provides strategies for drivers who want to learn to raise their EQ. (James, Leon, and Diane Nahl. Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. NY:Prometheus Books, 2000.)

Same-Day Health

According to a ten-year study by Penn State Researchers, a person’s reaction to daily stressors is predictive of future chronic health conditions. The study of 435 participants included saliva tests to measure levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Results showed that emotional reactivity to daily stressors was associated with an increased risk that the study participant would report a chronic physical health condition ten (10) years later. It was also associated with adverse same-day health (e.g., sore throat, fatigue, backache, headache, fatigue). A key finding: It’s not the daily hassles as much as the distress they can trigger and the person’s reaction to them that makes the difference. http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=16916&Section=Aging&utm_source=DailyHealthBulletin&utm_medium
=email&utm_term=Aging&utm_content=Body+ContinueReading&utm_campaign
=DHB_121123

Self-Esteem

At times of stress it is easy for a woman with low self-esteem to adjust her behavior and speech in relating to others but more difficult to change her feelings. (Gray, John, PhD. Men, Women and Relationships. P 112. OR:Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., 1990-1993.)

Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer has been touted as a great stress-management technique, when it is “lived,” of course. Attributed to Oetinger (1702-1782) and Niebuhr (1934): Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. (Serenity Prayer from Wikipedia.)

Serotonin

Serotonin is key to modulating impulsive behaviors at the neocortical level of the brain; while noradrenaline is the alarm hormone designed to alert the system to respond to danger. The balance between the two is the key to normal function. (Karr-Morse, Robin, and Meredith S. Wiley. Ghosts from the Nursery. p 43-44. NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1997.)

Studies of newborn rats with neurons similar to humans: The more they are gently handled, the more they produce serotonin. As adults, the rats who had received gentle handling were better able to cope with stress, had stronger immune systems, and lived longer than rats who had not been treated gently. (Ratey, John J., MD. A User’s Guide to the Brain. p 42-43. NY: Vintage Books, 2002.)

The wheat in cereal or a bagel (a complex carbohydrate) can raise levels of serotonin and help alleviate stress. It takes longer to achieve the calming effect but this is better in the long run because complex carbohydrates don’t cause huge blood-sugar swings or trigger a rebound effect. (Giuffre, Kenneth, MD., with Teresa Foy DiGeronimo. The Care and Feeding of Your Brain. p 137-138. NJ:Career Press, 1999.)

Sex

Refer to Sexuality and the Brain for additional information.

Refer to Sexual Orientation and the Brain for additional information.

Women’s sex drive is influenced by events in her life. Stress can reduce it. Males tend to use sex as a way to reduce stress, to release tensions. (Pease, Barbara and Allan. Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps. p 195-200. NY: Broadway Books, 1998.)

Sex Drive

Women’s sex drive is influenced by: physical, situational, emotional/psychological. Situational factors have an important role in determining the level of libido in women. Situational stress lowers it! Women under pressure are much less likely to fantasize about sex than men. (Bost, Brent W., MD, FACOG. Hurried Woman Syndrome. p 101, 111. NY:Vantage Press, 2001.)

Social Activities

Social activity is good for keeping the brin cells active and alive. A certain amount of positive interaction with other human begins is required to maintain mental alertness. This can also dampen the hormonal stress response of the brain in difficult times. Cultivate friendships. (Guiffre, Kenneth, MD, with Theresa Foy DeGeronimo. The Care and Feeding of Your Brain. p 236. NJ: Career Press, 1999.)

Strategies to Manage Stressors

Three methods of lowering stress: meditation (slows obsessive thinking), honesty (centers personal integrity), and play (reverses stress). (Pert, Candace, PhD. Your Body is Your Subconscious Mind. Candace Pert, PhD. (Audio Cassettes) CO: Sounds True, 2000.)

Three strategies for reducing stress: humor, smiles, and laughter. (Benson, Herbert, MD, with Marg Stark. Timeless Healing. p 277-278. NY: Scribner, 1996.)

Stress-Related Disorders

American Institute of Stress: As many as 75% to 90% of all visits to primary-care physicians result from stress-related disorders. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 52. CA: Harper SF, 1999.)

Stuttering

PET scans: showed low brain activity in the left caudate nucleus (connected with the limbic system), a structure that works like a switchboard connecting thoughts with words. Stress tends to make stuttering worse. (Brynie, Faith Hickman. 101 Questions Your Brain Has Asked About Itself But Couldn’t Answer, Until Now. p 134. CT: Millbrook Press, 1998.)

Sugar

Distress has been found to have virtually the same effect on the body as sugar. It can change the mineral relationships in the body and exhausts the endocrine glands. (Appleton, Nancy, PhD. Lick the Sugar Habit. p 138-144. NY: Avery Penguin Putnam, 1996.)

SuperPerson Syndrome

Refer to SuperPerson Syndrome for additional information.

In response to stressful situations people tend to exhibit three types of symptoms: physical, psychological and interpersonal. Examples of symptoms in women: physical (fatigue), psychological (sad or depressed, tense, anxious), interpersonal (irritable, more sensitive to noise, resentful). (Shaevitz, Marjorie Hansen. The Confident Woman. p 293-294. NY: Harmony Books, 1999.)

Three major symptoms of stress for each gender:

• Males: withdrawing, grumbling, and shutting down
• Females: overwhelm, overreaction, and exhaustion.

(Gray, John, PhD. Men, Women and Relationships. p 127. OR: Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., 1990-1993.)

Survivor Personality

Life’s best survivors are less interested in WHO is right or in whether their perceptions match those of others; they are more interested in connections between cause and effect and in new ideas that will improve things. (Siebert, Al, PhD. The Survivor Personality. p 19-21. NY: A Perigee Book, 1996.)

Tears

Stress tears (roll down the check) can clear stress toxins from the body. Tears contain endorphins that act as a damper to emotional pain, and encourage the production of oxytocin (a hormone that makes a person want to be touched by another person). (Pease, Barbara and Allan. Why Men Don’t Have a clue and Women Always Need More Shoes. p 68-70. NY: Broadway Books, 2004.)

Television

Refer to Television – Videos and the Brain for additional information.

The level of cortisol in the body tends to diminish in the presence of positive emotions and achievement – appropriate play provides both, while TV and video games provide little of either. (Hartmann, Thom. The Edison Gene. p 129-130. VT: Park Street Press, 2003.)

Tend-Befriend Stress Reaction Form

Studies by Shelley E. Taylor, et al: Males are more likely to use physical aggression in struggles for power within a hierarchy or to defend territory against external enemies. Females reliably show less physical aggression than males but they display as much or more indirect aggression in the form of gossip, rumor-spreading, and enlisting the cooperation of a third party in undermining an acquaintance. When confronted with acute stress, both males and females may initiate a fight-flight response. Behaviorally, however, females appear to move rather quickly to a tend-befriend pattern. Tending involves nurturing activities designed to protect the self and offspring that promote safety and reduce distress; befriending is the creation and maintenance of social networks that may aid in this process. (http://taylorlab.psych.ucla.edu/2000_Biobehavioral%20responses%20to%20stress%20in%20females_tend-and-befriend.pdf)

In its reaction to stressors, the brain has more than the fight-or-flight option. There is the tend-and-befriend option (females are more likely to engage this option) as well as withdraw-and-conserve. This is seen when the person pulls back to save energy, often when faced with the death of a loved one. (Myers, David G. Psychology. NY:Worth Publishers, P 533.)

Thoughts - Thinking

Stress reactions inhibit clear, productive thinking. They trigger the release of hormones that can be energizing and fun in the moment, but that can also deplete and damage the human system in the long run. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame. p 94. CA: Planetary Publications, 1994, 1998.)

Your thoughts and feelings (mental diet) is at least equally important to proper nutrition. Your inner thoughts, feelings, and impressions directly impact your energy level. (Childre, Doc and Howard Martin. The HeartMath Solution. p 89. CA: Harper SF, 1999.)

Mild anxiety (e.g., looming deadline) can focus attention and energy. Prolonged distress can hamper work performance by diminishing the brain’s ability to process information and respond effectively…negative emotions (especially chronic anger, anxiety, or a sense of futility) powerfully disrupt work, hijacking attention from the ask at hand. (Goleman, Daniel, PhD, with Richard Boyatzis, and Annie Mckee. Primal Leadership. p 12-13. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.)

Attention can become divided among the three brain layers when person is anxious, undecided, tense, etc. Each brain layer has its own agenda so person may think one thing, feel another, and act from completely different impulses. (Pearce, Joseph Chilton. The Biology of Transcendence. p 32-34. VT: Park Street Press, 2002.)

Stress reactions cause the release of hormones that can be energizing and fun in the moment, but can also deplete and damage the human system in the long run. Stress reactions inhibit cortical function, and therefore clear, productive thinking. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame. p 94. anetary Publications, 1994, 1998.)

Touch

Studies: infants lose weight, become ill, and can die when deprived of skin contact. Touch can strengthen immune systems and ability to manage stress. Neuropeptides are released in the brain from touch receptors on the skin. (Perricone, Nicholas, MD. The Perricone Promise. p 6-10. NY: Warner Books, 2004.)

The 20:80 Rule

The amount of stress you feel is based more on your perception of a person, place, or event than on the event itself (sometimes referred to as the 20:80 Rule). Counting to 10 may cool you down for a moment but doesn’t necessarily change your perception of the person or situation. (Childre, Doc. Freeze Frame - One Minute Stress Management. P 7. CA:Planetary Publications, 1999.)

According to Marcus Aurelius, if you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. This is sometimes referred to as the 20:80 Rule. (Robbins, Anthony. Awaken the Giant Within. P 59-61. NY:Fireside, 1991.)

Vibroacoustic Therapy

Studies: being surrounded by speakers and vibrators can be relaxing. For example: can help skies/runners relax after the event, and help business executives relax. (Howard, Pierce J., PhD. The Owner’s Manual for the Brain. p 188-189. GA: Bard Press, 1994, 2000.)

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The Yerkes-Dodson Law (a century old) describes the relationsip between stress and performance. Showing three main states (disengagement, flow, and frazzle, it actually describes the HPA axis, the circuitry that secretes stress hormones when the amhygdala gets triggered. Disengagement triggers too little hormone and performance lags; overwhelm triggers too much that can lead to burnout and hampered performance; motivation and engagement can result in flow and good performance. (Goleman, David. The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights. P 45-57. MA:More Than Sound, 2011)