Defining Stress as Perception, Not Events

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Here's the thing about stress that nobody tells you: it's not actually happening to you. You're actively participating in creating it.

That sounds provocative, maybe even annoying if you're genuinely stressed right now. But stay with me, because what Dr. Joana de Calheiros Velozo reveals in this conversation genuinely changed how I think about stress—and it might do the same for you.

Joana is a researcher in biomedical science who specialises in stress and mental health. But here's what makes her perspective unique: she's not just studying this from an ivory tower. She personally experienced panic disorder so severe that she couldn't leave her house. Agoraphobia. Panic attacks. The full experience of feeling like your body has completely betrayed you.

We go deep on why daily micro-stressors (spilling coffee, traffic, emails) matter more than occasional crises. Why recovery is more important than the stress itself. Why most people can't even identify how they're feeling (seriously—emotional granularity is a genuine skill most of us lack). And why wearables, despite being everywhere, often make our relationship with stress worse by creating dependency on scores instead of a connection to our bodies.

Here’s what we dive into:

- What stress truly is, and why perception shapes biology.

- Why two people experience the same event but respond so differently.

- How upbringing and genetics influence stress sensitivity from birth.

- Why emotional vocabulary is essential for stress regulation and mental health.

- How daily micro-awareness can reshape the stress system.

- What resilience means scientifically, and why it is not just pushing through.

- How the body warns us before burnout, and when to listen.

- Why letting go, not control, may support recovery.

- How technology can help or harm our relationship to stress.

- What just-in-time interventions are, and how timing shapes healing.

Love,

Sarah Ann 💛

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This episode is sponsored by:

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If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:Why Being ‘Strong’ Is Making You Weak | Sophie ScottSophie Scott on Breaking Free from Anxiety: Practical Strategies That Work

4 Types of Stress: How To Manage Each One | Mo Gawdat & Alice LawWhat's the REAL Reason Stress is Making You Sick? | Mo Gwadat

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Science Simplified, Health Humanised. Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

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Highlights:

The Stress Question That Changes Everything (00:00:00)

Why Stress Feels So Different for Everyone (00:06:55)

When Stress Becomes Too Much (00:15:18)

The Emotions We Forgot How to Name (00:23:03)

Her Story: Panic, Fear… and a Turning Point (00:31:13)

What Your Body Is Really Doing Under Stress (00:37:59)

How Two People Live the Same Day… Differently (00:42:06)

The Mindset Shift That Alters Your Stress Response (00:49:30)

Technology That Knows When You're Stressed (00:55:31)

A New Kind of Wearable: Compassion in Tech (01:02:50)

A Different Way to Live With Stress (01:13:33)

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