The Science of Stress with Dr. Elissa Epel

We think of stress as “bad” for you, but what if some forms of stress could actually help us grow and change for the better? On today’s episode Forrest and Dr. Rick are joined by Dr. Elissa Epel, a psychologist and leading stress researcher, to explore the science behind the stress response. They talk about the different forms of stress, what separates “good” stress from “bad” stress, how we can take advantage of good stress, and dealing with existential forms of stress like the climate crisis. 

About our Guest: Elissa Epel is a psychologist, bestselling author, and a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on stress, well-being, and optimal aging. She’s also the best-selling co-author of The Telomere Effect, and her newest book is The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease.

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Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:10: Toxic stress vs. hormetic stress

6:30: Challenge orientation vs. threat response

11:35: Simple anchoring practices and their effects

17:00: Autophagy

19:00: Practical consequences of different forms of stress

25:25: Distinguishing physiological from psychological stress

31:00: Comfort with uncertainty and shared existential concerns

40:20: The future of the planet and its inequities

42:40: Recap

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