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OUT OF MY MIND Measuring Stress is a Matter of Perception

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 15:00 CST

Measuring stress is a matter of perception

Stress is back in the news.

This favorite smoking gun of popular psychology is now implicated in premature aging. A study of mothers caring for their chronically ill children shows that stress actually damages the genetic material in their immune-system cells, accelerating aging.

Earlier research linked chronic stress to more rapid aging of the brain and impaired memory. Add to this stress' role in such maladies as heart disease, cancer, accidents and up to 75% of health care office visits (by the so-called "worried well"), and you get a sense for its reach and power.

But no matter what you learn about stress, there remains one critical fact to keep in mind. Above all, stress is a disorder of perception.

It is not the actual degree of stress that determines its impact on health and well-being, but the perceived degree. What is stressful to one person may be ho-hum or even energizing to another.

There are obvious limits here, at least for most of us. Put someone in combat or in a persistently and intensely abusive situation, and the power of perception to create a positive spin substantially diminishes.

Nonetheless, there is evidence that, even in extreme circumstances, some folks fare far better than most. Their "secret" appears to be the capacity to mentally reframe what is happening around them into a less vile and more manageable scenario.

The prevailing attitude of stress-resistance is, "Regardless of what is happening outside of me, I can control what is happening inside of me."

Even if someone is in prison, for example, his or her state of consciousness can experience a degree of freedom. Whether the "prison" in question is physical (jail) or psychological (oppressive job, abusive relationship, excessive responsibility, etc.) is not so important in determining the impact of stress as is the mindset of the person who is incarcerated, so to speak.

Thankfully, there is also evidence that perception is not set in concrete. Time and experiences can change how individuals view life's challenges and their own capacity to deal with them.

And it is possible to alter one's consciousness toward a more stress-resistant mindset. How?

Certain mental and physical disciplines are particularly effective in this regard. These include meditation (particularly mindfulness), tai chi, yoga and aikido (a defensive martial art).

Also, one can positively transform one's perception toward stressful events by embracing a broader perspective on life, by keeping one's mental eye on the "big picture." Often, this is gained through spiritual growth, prayer, communion with nature, and even the study of natural sciences or philosophy.

Fundamentally, it comes down to how one looks out at the world, interprets what one sees, and then reacts to it. We are fond of saying that age is a state of mind. Well, to a great extent, stress may be as well.

Meaning, the stress you perceive is pretty much the stress you get.

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Philip Chard is a psychotherapist, author and trainer. Names used in this column are changed to honor client confidentiality. Call (262) 547-3986, e-mail pschard@earthlink.net, or visit www.healingnature.com.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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