Stress Linked to Higher Death Rates

Stress Linked to Higher Death Rates - stress mortality — Stress Linked to Higher Death Rates

Stress affects behavior and mortality rates, with the majority of people feeling its negative impact. One study shows that people who experience persistently moderate or high levels of stressful life events over a number of years have a 50 percent higher mortality rate.

According to a study published in Psychology and Aging, the more poorly participants handle daily stressors, the more introverted, unfriendly, and closed off from new experiences they become.

Granted, becoming more or less extroverted is relatively unimportant, unless you want to be more or less outgoing and social. Broadly speaking, introverts are no less happy, or intelligent, or successful than extroverts.

A Harvard Business Review study found that being likable plays a bigger role than being competent in work relationships; people would “rather work with a lovable fool than a competent jerk.”

A study published in Accounting, Organizations and Society found that likable people are more likely to get others to go along with their suggestions, even if those suggestions lack supporting evidence.

According to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that involved millions of participants, openness — your willingness to engage in and explore new experiences, ideas, information, interpersonal relationships, etc. — is the only personality trait with a substantial correlation to intelligence.

Openness can make you smarter, and, by extension, can make you happier. According to a study published in Psychological Medicine, levels of happiness are highest in the highest IQ groups and lowest in the lowest IQ groups.

Mark Cuban says, “Being nice is one of the most underrated business skills.” Being open to new experiences matters as well, as it can lead to increased intelligence and happiness.

The less you’re able to deal with daily stress — not major stressors like a major illness or injury, loss of income, changes in relationships, etc., but comparatively little stuff — the less extroverted, agreeable, and open you’ll become over time.

When something happens that makes you feel nervous, challenged, scared, etc., your body responds. Your heart rate increases. Your breathing might get shallower and faster. Your body temperature rises.

Those responses are automatic and normal; your body spotted a problem or challenge and said, “Let’s go!” Problem is, your body also vasoconstricts: the muscles inside your blood vessels tighten, making the space inside smaller.

Vasoconstriction raises your blood pressure and reduces circulation to your extremities. That’s why chronic stress is directly linked to cardiovascular disease.

A study published in Journal of Experimental Psychology found that when people view their stress response as helpful, seeing their body’s natural response to stress as a sign their body is rising to a challenge, they don’t vasoconstrict.

Their blood pressure doesn’t rise. In fact, their physiological profiles looked like what health psychologist Kelly McGonigal describes as what happens in “moments of joy and courage.”

By thinking about stress differently, by seeing stress as a good thing, they change how their bodies respond, which likely makes them respond more thoughtfully, proactively, and successfully to whatever challenge they face.

You don’t need research to tell you that feeling stressed negatively impacts your professional and personal performance. We all perform better when we feel more confident and self-assured.

While research shows simply trying to ignore stress rarely works, reframing “stress” can. Say you’re nervous about an investor pitch. See the fact you feel nervous as a good thing; it means you have the chance to win and raise capital.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King likes to say, “Pressure is a privilege.” Feeling pressure means you’re in a position to do something meaningful. Something important. Something where the outcome truly matters.

When you feel nervous or stressed, when you feel your heart rate rise, and your breathing quicken, reframe those feelings. See that feeling as your body rising to a challenge, helping you be more able to step in, or step up, or eliminate a problem or challenge.

See stress as a signal that you have the opportunity to make your life better. While you can never totally control your emotions, you can better control how you manage them.

Not only will that make the short-term outcome better, it can also help you stay (or become) more friendly and open. And smarter, and happier. All from a little reframing.