Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers

Julia King Tamang × LERN × TACE 2009 × jtamang@easystreet.net

The ultimate stress book

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: Stress, Performance & Coping

— Robert Sapolsky, PhDProfessor of Biological Sciences and Neurology

at Stanford University

The zebra and the lion

The zebra’s stress lasts about 3 minutes.

You and me

Homeostasis – the ideal state

• A systemic balance continually regulated by bodily mechanism

• When you receive a stressor, it knocks you out of homeostatic balance

7 stress responses designed to save your life–1. Mobilization of Energy–2. Increased Cardiovascular Tone–3. Suppression of Digestion–4. Suppression of Growth–5. Suppression of Reproduction–6. Suppression of Immune System–7. Sharpening of Cognition

Whether you need it or not!

So, how are you still alive?• Sapolsky wanted to know, so he ran

experiments on rats. – The rat, like a human, could recover

from a stressor if there was• An outlet or support for the irritation

experienced• A sense of predictability or control • A perception that the situation might

improve• Social support

What else about humans?

The second most important predictor of mortality is degree of social connectedness.

Studies show a threefold difference in life-length for people who have a strong social network.

When we want stress

• Humans find mild and transient stress stimulating– A challenge– Tickling– A poker game– A scary movie

• Mild stress creates increased dopamine levels—which can be addictive

Stress addiction

• Enjoyable stress produces dopamine, which is pleasurable– But the dopamine levels decrease over time– Then, it takes even more stress to create the same

pleasurable experience

• Especially when people feel they are relatively safe– Like roller coasters and fun houses at Halloween

The traits of stress hardiness• You can tell the

difference between things that are threatening and things that are neutral

• You do not feel immediately helpless when threatened – you have a sense of efficacy

The traits of stress hardiness

• You can tell when you have won or lost – you can tell if an outcome is good or bad

• You do not tend to mope over loss

• Baboons who had these traits outlived their cohort by up to three years– Baboons can live for

up to 45 years

The baboon fountain of youth

Who ages well?

• How society treats you helps determine how well you age– For example, in Africa, older people show little

sign of geriatric depression, as opposed to here, even though their general circumstances are worse

– But in Africa, elders have a respected and defined role

– People aspire to this role throughout their lives– Elders are neither isolated nor disrespected

Which humans cope well?

• Those who have a paradigm to make sense of things– Like religion, science, art or philosophy

• Those who can compartmentalize stress into real, but manageable parts

• Those who are not in denial do best in the long run

When control helps• In a study, doctors discovered that patients who

had unlimited access to pain medications actually took less

• Nursing home patients who had plants to care for had fewer emergency needs

• Having more access to info about what will happen to you creates fewer medical difficulties

So ask yourself, “Is there a lion or not?”• When you’re stressed, ask– Is there danger or not?– Can I realistically do anything?– If so, what?– Can I make sense of this?– Do I have control?– Can I learn more about this?

A few more tips on stress hardiness

The Four A’sAvoid the stressorAlter the stressor Adapt to the stressorAccept the stressor

Avoid the stressor

• Learn how to say “no”• Avoid people who stress you out• Take control of your environment• Avoid hot-button topics• Pare down your to-do list

Alter the situation

• Express your feelings, don’t bottle them up. • Be willing to compromise. • Be more assertive. • Manage your time better.

Adapt to the stressor

• Reframe problems. • Look at the big picture. • Adjust your standards. • Focus on the positive.

Accept things you can’t change

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. • Look for the upside. • Share your feelings. • Learn to forgive.

The hope for a better past will never yield a stress reducing outcome

And a secret about resting stress free …

May I help? kingtamang@lern.orghttp://lekshe.typepad.com/jkts_upload_download_site/