How To Reduce The Harmful Effects Of Chronic Stress with Dr. Elissa Epel

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Dec 28, 2022

Dr. Elissa Epel, a health psychologist and UCSF professor, discusses the pervasive nature of chronic stress and its impact on aging. She highlights how stress management techniques, including mindfulness, breathwork, and meditation, can enhance well-being. Epel explores the importance of understanding heart rate variability as a measure of stress and offers transformative practices to reset the nervous system. Learn how aligning daily activities with personal values and embracing gratitude can lead to a healthier, more joyful life.

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INSIGHT

Mind States & Stress

Mind states can create physiological stress or restore health.
Stress management is an active process, requiring practice and techniques.

ADVICE

Monitoring Stress

Monitor heart rate variability (HRV) to understand stress levels.
Use tools like the Oura Ring to track HRV and identify stress triggers.

ANECDOTE

Jungle HRV Boost

Dr. Hyman's HRV tripled in the Costa Rican jungle.
This demonstrates the nervous system's responsiveness to environment.

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This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, Rupa Health, Essentia, and Athletic Greens.

Stress has somehow become a perceived right of passage for adults in the US. Many people feel that if they’re not stressed, they’re not working hard enough. And almost all of us have had stress build throughout our lives, a combination of trauma, life experiences, and our state of mind.

Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m excited to talk to Dr. Elissa Epel about the wide-ranging effects of chronic stress on our health and how to mitigate it to feel better and even slow the aging process. Elissa Epel, PhD is an internationally renowned health psychologist who focuses on how to live well and thrive with existential stress, despite the challenges we face personally and globally. She is a professor at UCSF and the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center. She is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Telomere Effect which is in 30 languages. Her new book is THE STRESS PRESCRIPTION: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease.

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Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

Uncertainty tolerance and finding comfort in the unknown (4:56 / 2:55)
How our trauma history impacts our ability to tolerate uncertainty (7:06 / 5:00)
The difference between acute and chronic stress (14:07 / 12:00)
How our mind states impact how we experience stress (17:21 / 15:19)
The impact stress has on mitochondria (29:57 / 25:00)
Incorporating hormetic or “good” stress into our lives (31:57 / 27:00)
How meaning, purpose, and mindset impact our lives (37:00 / 34:20)
Taking a stress inventory of your life (51:29 / 46:40)
Telomere health and aging (56:47 / 52:12)
Mitigating stress at the start of your day (1:03:13 / 57:25)

Get a copy of The Stress Prescription: 7 Days to More Joy and Ease.

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