Robert Sapolsky is a Stanford neuroscientist who proved that chronic stress is the silent killer that doctors ignore. He revealed 10 habits you do every day that take years off your life.
Go over conversations in your head. Sapolsky's exact words: "ruminating on that weird thing you said to a professor 15 years ago." Your brain doesn't know that the conversation isn't happening right now. It triggers the same cortisol spike as the original threat. Notice it. Name it. Redirect it.
Worry about scenarios that haven't happened Sapolsky's emblematic phrase: "A zebra reacts to a lion for 30 seconds, then grazes peacefully. A human worries about an imaginary lion for 30 years" When you catch yourself doing it: ask yourself "is this happening right now?"
Scrolling through the news Sapolsky: "When you read what's going on in Ukraine or Bangladesh, it activates the same stress response that we've had for 150 million years and that evolved to help us escape predators." A single news update a day. The same applies to social media.
Excessive consumption of tragic or violent content Sapolsky: Humans are the only ones who activate a complete stress response when looking at a screen or reading a novel. Your nervous system does not distinguish between fiction and reality: in both cases there is a cortisol peak. Check what you consume after 7 p.m.
Try to control what you can't Sapolsky showed that both lack of control and trying to control the uncontrollable cause an increase in chronic cortisol levels. In either case, your nervous system remains in survival mode. Give up one thing a day.
Letting go of social relationships because you're "too busy" Sapolsky's research: Lack of social support is one of five factors that aggravate stress and make it chronic. Baboons with strong bonds had lower cortisol levels, a longer lifespan and a stronger immune system. Plan your social relationships as if they were a meeting.
Don't Leave Stress Management for the Weekend In Sapolsky's words: "It's not something that is left for the weekend. It's something you have to set aside time for every day." 20 minutes a day is better than 3 hours on Saturday. Book it as if it were a meeting.
Force yourself to meditate even if you hate it Sapolsky: "If I spent 20 minutes meditating, I would have had a stroke by this weekend. Make sure it's something you really like." If your technique to combat stress is stressing you out, it is not the right one. Try the walks. Music. Hobbies
Constantly looking for the next dose of dopamine Sapolsky: "We are the species that always wants more and more." Dopamine is not about reward, but about anticipation. What made us feel great yesterday seems insufficient tomorrow. Notice when you're reaching for that dose. Pause.
Staying in environments that exhaust you Sapolsky's research on baboons: Lower-ranking baboons in unstable herds had elevated cortisol levels, shorter telomeres, and a shorter life expectancy, even when they were well-fed and safe. Toxic work environments have the same effect on people. Analyze who is the person who exhausts you the most.
Robert Sapolsky is a Stanford neuroscientist who proved that chronic stress is the silent killer that doctors ignore. He revealed 10 habits you do every day that take years off your life.
Go over conversations in your head. Sapolsky's exact words: "ruminating on that weird thing you said to a professor 15 years ago." Your brain doesn't know that the conversation isn't happening right now. It triggers the same cortisol spike as the original threat. Notice it. Name it. Redirect it.
Worry about scenarios that haven't happened Sapolsky's emblematic phrase: "A zebra reacts to a lion for 30 seconds, then grazes peacefully. A human worries about an imaginary lion for 30 years" When you catch yourself doing it: ask yourself "is this happening right now?"
Scrolling through the news Sapolsky: "When you read what's going on in Ukraine or Bangladesh, it activates the same stress response that we've had for 150 million years and that evolved to help us escape predators." A single news update a day. The same applies to social media.
Excessive consumption of tragic or violent content Sapolsky: Humans are the only ones who activate a complete stress response when looking at a screen or reading a novel. Your nervous system does not distinguish between fiction and reality: in both cases there is a cortisol peak. Check what you consume after 7 p.m.
Try to control what you can't Sapolsky showed that both lack of control and trying to control the uncontrollable cause an increase in chronic cortisol levels. In either case, your nervous system remains in survival mode. Give up one thing a day.
Letting go of social relationships because you're "too busy" Sapolsky's research: Lack of social support is one of five factors that aggravate stress and make it chronic. Baboons with strong bonds had lower cortisol levels, a longer lifespan and a stronger immune system. Plan your social relationships as if they were a meeting.
Don't Leave Stress Management for the Weekend In Sapolsky's words: "It's not something that is left for the weekend. It's something you have to set aside time for every day." 20 minutes a day is better than 3 hours on Saturday. Book it as if it were a meeting.
Force yourself to meditate even if you hate it Sapolsky: "If I spent 20 minutes meditating, I would have had a stroke by this weekend. Make sure it's something you really like." If your technique to combat stress is stressing you out, it is not the right one. Try the walks. Music. Hobbies
Constantly looking for the next dose of dopamine Sapolsky: "We are the species that always wants more and more." Dopamine is not about reward, but about anticipation. What made us feel great yesterday seems insufficient tomorrow. Notice when you're reaching for that dose. Pause.
Staying in environments that exhaust you Sapolsky's research on baboons: Lower-ranking baboons in unstable herds had elevated cortisol levels, shorter telomeres, and a shorter life expectancy, even when they were well-fed and safe. Toxic work environments have the same effect on people. Analyze who is the person who exhausts you the most.