The Surprising Science of Stress & Happiness
From the Happiness PhD Project with Jackson Kerchis...
What’s your stress level been, from one to ten, over the last year or so?
If you’re like most people, it’s probably in the seven-to-eight range. Or, if you’re like me (you overachiever, you), it might be a nine or ten.
I have good news and bad news.
One study asked thousands of Americans about their stress levels. Researchers then followed up with them to see who became sick and who died.
Fun!
As you may have expected—this is the bad news I mentioned—those who experienced more stress had worse health and a higher risk of death from all causes.
But here’s the interesting part…
Researchers also asked people whether they thought stress was bad for them. The pattern I mentioned above — that more stress leads to worse health and a shorter life—was only true for people who believed stress was bad for them!
In other words, it’s not just stress, but your perspective on stress, that may shape how it affects your happiness.
This insight is backed by compelling research from Dr. Alia Crum.
To understand the power of perspective, let’s start with the milkshake study. Dr. Crum had two groups of people: one was told they were getting a delicious, unhealthy milkshake-style smoothie, while the other was told they were getting a healthy fitness smoothie. Afterward, each group was asked how much they enjoyed the drink and how full they felt. Researchers even measured hormones related to hunger to identify differences in their physiological responses to the meal.
As you may have expected, people who thought they had received the decadent milkshake said they enjoyed it more and felt fuller. Their hormone levels — including ghrelin — also indicated that they felt more satiated.
Here’s the catch: it was the same milkshake.
Our perspective on events can fundamentally shape how we respond to them, even at the physiological level. Now, let’s apply that idea to stress.
Dr. Crum would set up experiences that were maximally stress-inducing (more fun!). For example, participants might have to stand in front of a group and solve mental math problems out loud.
Other experiments involved longer-term scenarios in which people dealt with stress in settings such as the workplace.
In each case, one group would be shown a “stress is debilitating” presentation explaining how stress makes you less effective, makes you sick, and undermines your ability to be effective and healthy.
The other group received a “stress is enhancing” presentation explaining that, while large amounts of stress can be toxic, stress can also make you more focused and alert and improve your performance.
Across different studies, people with a stress-is-enhancing mindset responded better— both physically and mentally — to stressful environments.
So, this is not to say that you need to actively seek out a lot more stress. It’s simply to say that a new perspective on the stress you already encounter — assuming it is not chronic or traumatic — may help you be happier and healthier.
Your happiness nerd,
Jackson
Reference: Crum AJ, Salovey P, Achor S. Rethinking stress: the role of mindsets in determining the stress response. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2013 Apr;104(4):716-33. doi: 10.1037/a0031201. Epub 2013 Feb 25. PMID: 23437923.
