**Content Warning: This episode references school shootings and the murder of George Floyd.

Stress is a word we throw around regarding many aspects of life, and we all know what it is to feel stress, but how much do we truly understand about it? Stress can take any able-bodied, able-minded person and bring them to a whole new level, whether or not they have a diagnosed condition. As we break down the topic of stress, each person has different responses, personality styles, and primary goals. Join us to find out which stress animal you are!

I’m joined by Dr. Lindsey Cooley, who posted a TikTok about stress, and I knew we had to have this conversation on the podcast. She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in school-aged children/teens, emotional and behavioral disorders, LGBTQ youth, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder.

Show Highlights:

Why we should be kind to ourselves–even if we don’t have a diagnosis
What is stress? (THE million-dollar question!)
The phases of stress (alarm, resistance, and exhaustion) and how prolonged stress can cause diseases of adaptation
How our culture normalizes “too much stress”
How stressful life events can affect executive functioning, relationships, energy, and more (The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale and Adverse Childhood Experience are well-known measurement tools.)
Why we need to legitimize that most of our stress is caused by normal reactions to dysfunctional systems
The medical model of disease vs. the social model of disease
Common symptoms of being in a prolonged stress cycle
Differences in acute stress, chronic stress, and traumatic stress
How traumatic stress occurs when we watch something like the murder of George Floyd and school shootings
How the “stress animals” (eagle, turtle, chameleon, and lion) concept came from Lynn Lott's Top Card Activity
How your personality style and stress response help determine your stress animal
How we can learn to care for ourselves in the middle of stress

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Lindsey Cooley: TikTok

Mentioned in this episode: Lynn Lott's Top Card Activity, the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the ACE Scale, and "Kids Are Suffering from Toxic Stress" LA Times article

Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website

Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning

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