How is it that situations that result in the same physiological and physical manifestations can be experienced as such vastly different emotions on opposite ends of the positive-negative scale?
For the longest time, as I drove to work, my heart would start racing, I’d get a knot in my stomach, and my face would get all flushed. I was anxious.
On my weekends off, I’d drive down to Yallingup for a surf, and if the first glimpse of that magnificent ocean as my car crested the last hill revealed a big swell, my heart would start racing, I’d get a knot in my stomach, and my face would get all flushed. I’d feel pumped!
When I was first asked to speak at a conference, for 3 days before my talk, my heart would randomly start racing, I had a knot in my stomach, and my face would get all flushed. I was absolutely s*&^ing myself. (Not literally, but almost!)
Five minutes before I record a podcast with an important guest, my heart starts racing, I get a knot in my stomach, and my face gets all flushed. I’m excited. I’m ready!
Anxious? Pumped? Or Excited?
How is it that situations that result in the same physiological and physical manifestations can be experienced as such vastly different emotions on opposite ends of the positive-negative scale?
A book I’m reading led me to this TED talk by Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal, which offers an explanation and some further insights.
There’s something called cognitive appraisal theory, which posits that your interpretation of a potential stressor can influence your physiological response to and your perception of that stressor. By reframing stress as something beneficial – something to be excited about – you can enhance your performance and resilience.
Even the old ‘stress will kill you’ narrative is not necessarily true. McGonigal references a study that followed 30,000 adults over eight years and found that those who believed stress was detrimental to their health were significantly more likely to die sooner, compared to those who saw stress as positive pressure, who lived at least as long as those with low-stress. The explanation for this is biological: that shift in perception causes a subtle shift in physiology, with ‘I’m-so-pumped!’ people showing fewer of the deleterious physical manifestations of the acute fight or flight response, like reduced peripheral vasoconstriction, compared to the ‘oh-shit-I’m-so-stressed’ people. ***
There’s more to oxytocin than milk and cuddles. It’s also released alongside adrenaline and cortisol during acute stress. In this instance, it promotes social bonding and encourages you to seek support from others (the “tend-and-befriend” response), which I think is just the loveliest way of demonstrating that your pituitary knows what the best cure for stress is!
As an added bonus, oxytocin also has positive effects on cardiovascular health that protects against the downside of sympathetic response – effects that are especially pronounced when social support is present.
Confrming my suspicions!
So my suspicions have been confirmed:
- How you frame it matters. Viewing that scary surgery or that big exam as an opportunity for growth rather than something to dread can transform anxiety into motivation.
- Your need to cuddle a patient during a stressful shift is hormonally driven (man, I’m glad I’m not a human doctor!) and is a very good idea.
*** Caveat: Other studies have shown that this is only true for acute stress. Chronic, relentless stress is definitely still bad for you.
This post first appeared in The Vet Vault 3.2.1 email 15/11/2024
