Maximizing 1 2B Dealing With Stress

Summary

This transcript distinguishes between acute and chronic stress, highlighting how acute stress can actually enhance physical and mental performance. It uses the example of skydiving to demonstrate how stress can improve memory and cognitive function. The speaker encourages students to view exams as challenges that trigger a beneficial stress response, akin to a 'speed boost' in Mario Kart, but also stresses the importance of relaxing after tests to avoid the detrimental effects of chronic stress.

Takeaways

• 📚 College stress can be categorized into acute and chronic stress.
• 🐆 Acute stress is short-lived and can be beneficial, such as during a hike or exam.
• 🏃‍♂️ Chronic stress is long-term and can lead to health issues like heart disease and depression.
• 💓 During acute stress, your heart rate increases to pump more oxygen to your brain.
• 💨 Faster breathing during stress boosts oxygen levels, enhancing mental sharpness.
• 🔥 Sweating is your body's way of cooling down during acute stress.
• 🧠 Acute stress can improve memory, as shown in a study using skydiving to induce stress.
• 🌟 Stress can be viewed positively as a 'speed boost' for mental performance.
• 📈 The study at UC Davis demonstrated that skydiving stress improved memory recall.
• 🧘‍♀️ It's crucial to relax and de-stress after a test to avoid the negative effects of chronic stress.

Q & A

What is the difference between acute stress and chronic stress?

Acute stress is a short-term, intense response to a specific event like facing a mountain lion, asking someone out, or taking a final exam. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is long-term and can result from continuous pressure such as facing endless deadlines, leading to a prolonged feeling of being out of control.

Why is acute stress considered helpful?

Acute stress is adaptive because it prepares the body to meet a challenge. It increases heart rate to pump more oxygen to the brain, speeds up breathing to boost oxygen levels, and causes sweating to prevent overheating, all of which enhance physical strength and mental sharpness.

How does chronic stress affect health?

Chronic stress can suppress the immune system and increase the risk for heart disease and depression, as discussed in the health psychology subunit.

What is an example of acute stress mentioned in the script?

An example of acute stress mentioned is taking an exam, which causes a stress response that lasts only for the duration of the exam.

What does the body's response to acute stress do to help with challenges?

The body's response to acute stress boosts physical strength and mental sharpness, preparing the individual to deal with the challenge that triggered the stress.

How does the heart rate increase during acute stress help with cognitive function?

An increased heart rate pumps more oxygen to the brain, which can enhance cognitive function and mental sharpness.

What study is mentioned in the script that links stress with memory?

The study conducted by Professor Andy Yonelinas and his students at UC Davis used skydiving to induce acute stress and found that it increased memory for pictures seen immediately before the stressful event.

What was the methodology of the skydiving study on stress and memory?

In the study, participants were shown a set of photographs, then they skydived, and finally, their memory for the photographs was tested a few hours later. This was compared to a control group who did not skydive.

What was the outcome of the memory test in the skydiving study?

The outcome showed that the participants who experienced the stressful skydiving had greater familiarity with the photographs than the control group, indicating improved memory due to acute stress.

How should students use the knowledge of acute stress during exams?

Students should view exams as challenges and use the stress response to their advantage by visualizing the extra oxygen flow to the brain, which can sharpen their minds and help them perform better.

Why is it important to relax after a test?

It's important to relax after a test to let the stress fade away and prevent it from turning into chronic stress, which can suppress the immune system and have negative health effects.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding Acute vs Chronic Stress

The script discusses the difference between acute and chronic stress. Acute stress is characterized by short-term, high-intensity events like encountering a mountain lion, asking someone out, or taking an exam. This type of stress is generally beneficial as it prepares the body for a challenge by increasing heart rate, oxygen levels, and mental sharpness. Chronic stress, on the other hand, results from ongoing stressors like constant deadlines and can lead to health issues such as a weakened immune system, heart disease, and depression. The script uses the analogy of a Mario Kart speed boost to illustrate how acute stress can enhance physical and mental performance.

Keywords

💡Stress

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. In the video, stress is discussed in two forms: acute and chronic. Acute stress is portrayed as beneficial, preparing the body for a challenge, such as during an exam, while chronic stress is depicted as harmful, potentially leading to health issues like heart disease and depression.

💡Acute Stress

Acute stress refers to the short-term stress response that occurs in response to an immediate threat or challenge, like encountering a mountain lion or taking a final exam. The video explains that acute stress can be helpful as it prepares the body to meet a challenge, increasing physical strength and mental sharpness.

💡Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is ongoing stress that results from continuous exposure to stressors, such as facing a series of deadlines. The script highlights that chronic stress can suppress the immune system and increase the risk of heart disease and depression, which contrasts with the adaptive nature of acute stress.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in the context of the video refers to the body's ability to adjust and respond to stress in a way that is beneficial. For example, when experiencing acute stress, the body adapts by increasing heart rate and oxygen flow to the brain, which helps in dealing with the stressor effectively.

💡Immune System

The immune system is the body's defense mechanism against illness and infection. The video script mentions that chronic stress can suppress the immune system, making the body more susceptible to diseases.

💡Heart Rate

Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute. The video uses the example of an increased heart rate during acute stress, illustrating how the body prepares for a challenge by pumping more oxygen to the brain.

💡Oxygen

Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration and energy production. The script explains how acute stress can lead to increased oxygen levels in the brain, which is likened to a 'speed boost' in Mario Kart, enhancing mental sharpness and performance.

💡Memory

Memory refers to the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information. The video discusses a study where acute stress, induced by skydiving, was found to increase memory for pictures seen immediately before the stressful event.

💡Skydiving

Skydiving is used in the video as an example of an activity that produces acute stress. Participants in a study were shown photographs, then skydived, and later their memory for those photographs was tested, demonstrating the impact of acute stress on memory.

💡Control Group

A control group in research serves as a baseline for comparison. In the video, a control group is mentioned that saw photographs and took a memory test without experiencing the stress of skydiving, allowing for a comparison of memory performance between stressed and non-stressed individuals.

💡De-stressing

De-stressing refers to the process of reducing or eliminating stress. The video emphasizes the importance of de-stressing after an acute stress event, such as a test, to avoid the negative health effects associated with chronic stress.

Highlights

College stress can be acute or chronic, with acute stress being beneficial.

Acute stress is brief and can help you perform better under pressure.

Chronic stress is prolonged and can lead to health issues like heart disease and depression.

Acute stress prepares your body to meet challenges, like a final exam.

Physical symptoms of acute stress, such as increased heart rate and sweating, are adaptive responses.

Stress can enhance memory, as shown in a study using skydiving to induce acute stress.

The skydiving study found that participants had better memory recall after experiencing acute stress.

Stress can boost mental sharpness, similar to a speed boost in a video game.

During a test, visualize the stress response as a way to enhance brain function.

It's important to relax and de-stress after a test to avoid chronic stress.

Chronic stress can suppress the immune system and have negative health effects.

The body's response to acute stress increases physical strength and mental sharpness.

Acute stress can be viewed as a positive force that prepares you for challenges.

The study at UC Davis used an innovative method of inducing acute stress through skydiving.

The control group in the study did not experience the memory boost seen in the stress group.

The memory test results showed that acute stress can improve familiarity with previously seen images.

Stress can be harnessed to improve performance during tests by viewing it as a challenge.

After a test, engaging in relaxation activities can help prevent the negative effects of chronic stress.

Transcripts

College can be pretty stressful, especially with the quarter system.

But it turns out that some kinds of stress are actually good for you.

It’s important to make a distinction between acute stress and chronic stress.

Acute stress is when you’re hiking in the Sierras and all of a sudden you come upon

a mountain lion.

Or when you have a crush on someone and you finally work up the nerve to ask them out

on a date.

Or when you’re taking a final exam.

These are highly charged but relatively brief events, and they lead to a short period of

stress.

That kind of stress isn’t usually bad for you, and it can actually be helpful.

Chronic stress is when you face deadline after deadline after deadline, and you feel constantly

out of control for weeks and months.

That’s the kind of stress that’s bad for you.

In our subunit on health psychology, we’ll talk about how chronic stress can suppress

your immune system and increase your risk for heart disease and depression.

Now let’s think about the stress that you feel when you’re taking an exam.

You feel your heart racing, and you’re starting to sweat.

But the exam only lasts an hour, so this is an acute stress response.

And it’s highly adaptive, because it’s how your body gets ready to meet a challenge.

When you feel your heart racing, that means that your heart is pumping more oxygen to

your brain.

And if you find yourself breathing faster, that’s also going to boost your oxygen levels.

Are you sweating?

That’s your body cooling you down so you don’t overheat.

In general, your body’s response to acute stress boosts your physical strength and your

mental sharpness, preparing you to deal with whatever challenge triggered the stress.

It’s like getting a speed boost when you’re playing Mario Kart.

It may be obvious that a higher heart rate can help you escape from a mountain lion,

but can stress actually increase your mental sharpness?

It sure can.

For example, here’s a study of stress and memory that was done here at UC Davis by Professor

Andy Yonelinas and his students.

They had a great way of producing acute stress: skydiving!

In Phase 1, they showed a group of people a set of 240 photographs.

In Phase 2, the people got into a plane, flew up to the sky, and jumped out with a skydiving

instructor.

Fun, but very stressful!

A couple hours later, in Phase 3, their memory was tested for the photographs.

There was also a control group who saw the photos and took the memory test without skydiving.

Here are some of the results from the memory test, showing the participants’ level of

familiarity for the photos.

The people in the stress group showed greater familiarity than the people in the control

group.

So, the stressful experience of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane actually increased

memory for the pictures that had been seen immediately before the stress.

Now that you know stress can be a good thing, I’m hoping this will help you while you’re

taking tests, both in this class and your other classes.

Just remember that a test is a challenge to your system, and your body reacts to a challenge

with a raised heart rate, increased breathing, and sweating.

And this increases the flow of oxygen to your brain, like a speed boost in Mario Kart.

So if you start feeling stressed during a test, try to visualize the extra oxygen flowing

to your brain, sharpening your mind so that you can do your best on the test.

But when the test is done, you need to let the stress fade away.

If the speed boost is on all the time, that’s chronic stress.

And that can suppress your immune system.

So you need to spend some time relaxing and de-stressing after you finish a test or a

paper.

Our tests are on Fridays, so this is a good excuse to relax and have some fun on Friday

nights.