Generally speaking, the word “stress” calls to mind negative images of hardship and suffering, leading many people to feel that the world would be a better place if stress didn’t exist. But stress has long played a crucial role in the survival of living things and, as such, cannot be completely done away with.
So, how should we deal with stress in today’s stressful world? And how might it lead to improving our well-being? Mizuto Aoto, applied neuroscientist and founder and CEO of DAncing Einstein, who published the book HAPPY STRESS: How Stress Evolves Your Brain (in Japanese) in April 2021, contributed today’s article to shed some light on this topic. This is the first part of the two-part series “Considering the role that the brain plays in people who are able to recover quickly and those who recovery slowly.”
We are all at risk of committing a serious mistake at work, suffering a broken heart, or losing something of value. At such times, it is easy to fall into a state of depression. Some people remain depressed for extended periods of time while others seem to quickly bounce back, their despair suddenly disappearing as if by magic. What accounts for this difference? Could it have to do with their temperament or personality?
What is temperament and personality?
What do we mean when we talk about temperament or personality? They’re rather vague expressions. Although it’s difficult to explain what these terms refer to, it’s convenient to blame someone’s slow ability to recover on such factors as their temperament, which is likely why it’s so tempting to rationalize this phenomenon as such. Those who are a little more knowledgeable may even say that it’s attributable to the genetic information embedded in our DNA. But genetic information is nothing more than a rough blueprint that shapes us, and how we make use of this blueprint depends on our acquired activities. Our behavior influences our DNA, shaping who we become.
We are indeed gaining an understanding of where in our DNA the genetic information that may be involved in determining our temperament and personality is likely to reside. But this does not define all temperaments and personalities and, as I mentioned earlier, we are beginning to see that our disposition is acquired and variable depending on how we live our lives. Accordingly, it is a bit disingenuous to write off the matter on the grounds that it is solely attributable to one’s “inherent personality” or “temperament.”
It is true that one’s temperament and personality are a product of one’s DNA and accumulated experiences and are not easily changed. But it is also true that they are variable. The changes and variability in the brain that are largely responsible for our personality and temperament are called neuroplasticity.
You have likely heard that healthy people can develop depression depending on their environment and the realities they face. “You mean that person? The one who was always so cheerful, so energetic … depressed? No way!” We often hear such stories. When a person becomes depressed, they may find their thoughts turning increasingly negative, or they may grow lethargic, seemingly transforming into an altogether different person. When viewed from a comprehensive perspective, you could say their personality and temperament undergo a complete change.
In addition, it is known that when a person actually comes down with depression, the physical structure of the brain, or the way the in which it is used, changes. But if that person undergoes proper treatment, his or her temperament and personality will change once again through the recovery of the brain’s physical structure. Although a somewhat extreme example, it is an unequivocal fact that our temperament and personality are variable.
That’s why there are so many different self-actualization practices to realize the self that we want to be being carried out around the world. We all have things about ourselves that we like as well as things that we don’t care for and would like to change. We can love those parts of ourselves that we like and change those parts that we would like to change, such as our personality and temperament.
The difference between people who are able to recover quickly and those who recovery slowly
Let’s now return to our initial question concerning the difference between people who can recover quickly from bouts of despair and those who require more time. According to the latest research, people who are aware that they are “variable,” that they are capable of growing, and changing their intelligence and their personality, are able to recover quickly.
In fact, experiments have shown that subjects who are told that stress, rather than being a bad thing, contributes to our growth, are able to recover better than subjects who were unaware of the benefits of stress and viewed it in a negative light. As for the reason behind this difference, compared with the latter group, the former group was able to convert cortisol, a stress hormone, into a substance called cortisone, which was found to synthesize a large amount of protein that inactivates cortisol.
The only difference between the former group and the latter group in the aforementioned experiment was that the former viewed a video beforehand by which they learned of the positive side of stress. This alone resulted in a higher rate of recovery from stress and, in fact, changed the response in both the body and the brain.
The takeaway here is to understand that there are positive aspects to stress that can encourage growth. But when we encounter stress, there is no one to whisper in our ear, “Stress can help you.” And like the experiment highlighted above, there is no video to inform us of this fact. What is important is for us to focus on the positive aspects of stress on a daily basis amid our stressful lives, entering this positive information into our brains—in other words, saving it as a memory.
Memory is a part of you that has a physical structure. If you only hear something in passing, you will soon forget it. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the benefits that stress has on your brain by thinking back to the times when stress enabled you to exert yourself, and the achievements, successes, and personal growth you achieved as a result. This will help you quickly switch from negative feelings due to stress and enhance your ability to recover from stress.
This will surely lead to increasing the amount of time that we will be able to feel happy.
Having read this far, have you been able to detect any change in the way that you view stress?
First of all, our temperament and personality are variable depending on how we are, and those of us who believe that we are able to change and grow enjoy higher levels of resilience. Furthermore, with the knowledge that stress has positive aspects, such as promoting personal growth, and if we make it a point to consciously store this information in our brain, then we will be able to achieve a higher rate of recovery from stress.
Why don’t you take advantage of this brain mechanism to help you better manage stress? Doing so could enable you to increase the amount of time that you feel happy and realize greater day-to-day well-being.
In the next article, we will discuss how we perceive stress.
This column was an original article contributed by Mr. Mizuto Aoto.
Related links (in Japanese):
・DAncing Einstein
・HAPPY STRESS: How Stress Evolves Your Brain by Mizuto Aoto
・Based on the latest brain research! How to Raise an Autonomous Child by Yuichi Kudo, Mizuto Aoto
・4 Focus: Four Focus for Brain Clarity by Mizuto Aoto
・BRAIN DRIVEN: The Brain State for Enhanced Performance by Mizuto Aoto