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Research conducted by Dr. Ala Crum and her team explores the impact of mindsets on our response to stress. The study found that people who hold an enhancing stress mindset, believing that stress can be beneficial and enhance performance, experience fewer physiological symptoms associated with stress, such as muscle tension and racing heart. Conversely, those who hold a debilitating stress mindset, viewing stress as overwhelmingly harmful, experience more physiological symptoms. The study highlights the importance of cultivating a mindset that stress can potentially be enhancing, allowing individuals to better navigate and rise to the challenges they encounter.
Dr. Ala Crum's research also reveals that our beliefs about food impact our physiological response to what we eat. The study focused on mindsets about healthy food and found that individuals who believe healthy foods are indulgent and delicious experience more positive physiological responses to those foods. On the other hand, those who hold the mindset that healthy foods are disgusting and depriving may not experience the same positive physiological effects. These findings emphasize the importance of adopting mindsets that view healthy foods positively, as it can enhance the body's response to nutrients and overall well-being.
The impact of mindsets extends to exercise performance as well. Research conducted by Dr. Ala Crum demonstrates that our beliefs about exercise influence the physiological effects of physical activity. Individuals who view exercise as enhancing, believing that it can bring out their best and lead to heightened performance, experience more positive physiological responses to exercise. In contrast, those who hold a mind set that exercise is punishing or ineffective may not reap the same benefits. This highlights the need to cultivate a positive and empowering mindset about exercise to optimize performance and well-being.
Dr. Ala Crum's work also explores the impact of mindsets on our response to stressful life events. By cultivating an empowering mindset that views stress as a challenge and an opportunity for growth, individuals can better navigate and cope with difficult situations. This mindset can lead to enhanced resilience and an increased capacity to derive meaning and positive outcomes from stressful experiences. The research underscores the importance of fostering mindsets that promote adaptability, personal growth, and well-being in the face of adversity.
Mindsets play a crucial role in shaping our experiences and outcomes in various aspects of life. One particular area of interest is the impact of mindsets on stress. Research has shown that having an adaptive mindset towards stress can lead to positive outcomes. Contrary to popular belief, stress can enhance our minds and abilities, not by embracing the stress itself, but by utilizing the experience as an opportunity for growth and learning. Embracing stress can change our motivations, affect, and even physiology, leading to enhanced performance, well-being, and overall health.
Mindsets also influence our perception of healthy foods. Cultural and media influences often portray unhealthy foods as more desirable and indulgent, while healthy foods are depicted as less exciting. This not only affects our choices but also reinforces negative attitudes towards nutritious options. Research has focused on understanding and changing these mindsets to promote a more positive and indulgent view of healthy foods. By reshaping the way we talk about and perceive nutritious foods, we can shift the cultural narrative and make healthier choices feel more appealing and desirable.
Another area of study is the role of mindsets in medical treatment. Researchers have explored the potential of reframing mindsets to enhance treatment outcomes and experiences. By instilling positive mindsets in patients, researchers have seen improvements in anxiety reduction and treatment outcomes. For example, individuals undergoing treatment for allergies showed better outcomes when they viewed symptoms and side effects as positive signs of their body becoming stronger and more tolerant. These findings highlight the importance of conscious and deliberate mindsets in the medical field, moving beyond the traditional placebo-versus-drug dichotomy.
My guest is Dr. Alia Crum, Associate (tenured) Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. Dr. Crum is a world expert on mindsets and beliefs and how they shape our responses to stress, exercise, and even to the foods we eat. We discuss how our mindset about the nutritional content of food changes whether it is satisfying to us at a physiological (hormonal and metabolic) level. She also tells how mindsets about exercise can dramatically alter the effects of exercise on weight loss, blood pressure, and other health metrics. Dr. Crum teaches us how to think about stress in ways that allow stress to grow us and bring out our best rather than diminish our health and performance. Throughout the episode, Dr. Crum provides descriptions of high-quality peer-reviewed scientific findings that we can all leverage toward better health and performance in our lives.
For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.
AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab
Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman
Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman
(00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Alia Crum from Stanford University
(00:03:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT
(00:08:26) What Is a Mindset & What Does It Do?
(00:14:45) Mindsets Change Our Biological Responses to Food
(00:22:28) Beliefs About Our Food Matter
(00:25:57) Placebo vs Beliefs vs Nocebo Effects
(00:28:57) Mindset (Dramatically) Impacts the Effects of Exercise
(00:33:44) Motivational Messaging & Mindset About Fitness
(00:39:30) The Power of a ‘Potency & Indulgence’ Mindset
(00:42:03) Mindsets About Sleep, Tracking Sleep
(00:45:00) Making Stress Work For (or Against) You
(01:01:50) Mindsets Link Our Conscious & Subconscious
(01:04:50) 3 Best Ways to Leverage Stress
(01:10:40) 4 Things That Shape Mindsets, Influencers & Mindsets
(01:19:40) Mindsets About Medicines & Side Effects
(01:26:25) How to Teach Mindsets
(01:31:47) Dr. Crum’s Research, Clinical & Athletic Backgrounds
(01:36:20) The Stanford Mind & Body Lab, Resources for Stress
(01:38:30) Synthesis, Participating in Research
(01:39:04) Subscribe, Sponsors, Instagram, Twitter, Supplements
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