TED-Ed｜如何让压力为你所用？

How to make your stress work for you

Your eyes dilate as the room snaps into focus. Fatigue dissipates, leaving heart-pounding vigilance in its wake. Your muscles tense, injected with energy. And for a moment, time seems to slow down. The reason? You clumsily dropped your tray in the middle of the cafeteria.

It's not unusual for our minds and bodies to have seemingly exaggerated responses to everyday situations. An upcoming project deadline, a fight with a family member, or even an embarrassing moment can easily trigger what's known as the body's fight or flight response.

It's a set of hormonal and physiological changes that evolved to help our ancestors escape life-threatening situations, like avoiding a venomous snake or fleeing a charging hyena. Yet, this fight or flight response may feel less appropriate for the types of stressors we face today.

When we perceive something as threatening, overwhelming, or even embarrassing, a signaling pathway known as the HPA-axis is triggered: the hypothalamus sounds the alarm, alerting the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands, leading to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones travel through the bloodstream and relay all sorts of effects, like increasing heart rate to improve oxygen flow and boosting the amount of energy available to the brain.

If this sounds like a good thing, that's because it can be! This stress response helps you react quickly and efficiently in the face of immediate danger, like dodging a swerving car. However, it can also be beneficial in less than life-threatening situations. For example, stress, in small doses, can be very motivating. Nothing quite drives you to practice a piano solo like the pressure of an upcoming recital.

But if we face multiple or persistent stressors, day after day, the HPA-axis starts to adapt. Anticipating future stressful events, the HPA-axis stays activated for longer, and continuously releases stress hormones. This causes issues throughout the body and can lead to problems like sleeplessness, brain fog, digestive issues, and even heart disease.

So how much stress is too much stress? It's difficult to say, as not everyone experiences stress in the same way. Different factors like your genetics, environment, and even your age, can influence the way your body responds. But no matter your situation, there are tools that can make dealing with stress a bit easier.

Exercise, for example, is thought to prompt the production of new neurons, which may help our brains become more resilient to stress. A run through the park or a basketball game with friends can also be a great distraction from whatever's stressing you out.

Speaking of friends, spending time with others can actually buffer your body's response to stress. This may be due to the actions of oxytocin, a hormone that helps us feel closer to others, and can also dampen activity of the HPA-axis.

And simple actions, like pausing to breathe during stressful situations or journaling every day, can have a huge impact. These are also known as mindfulness practices, which can, over time, help you build a greater understanding of your thoughts and feelings and remain grounded in the present moment.

We can't always control what life throws at us. But there are ways to better prepare our minds and bodies for the many deadlines, awkward conversations, and spills, ahead.

词汇表
dilate [daɪˈleɪt] 扩大，膨胀，扩张
snap into focus [snæp] 突然聚焦，突然成为焦点
fatigue [fəˈtiːɡ] 疲劳，劳累
dissipate [ˈdɪsɪpeɪt] 消散，消失，驱散
heart-pounding [ˈhɑːt ˈpaʊndɪŋ] 心跳加速的，惊心的
vigilance [ˈvɪdʒɪləns] 警惕，警觉，警戒
in its wake 随之而来，紧跟其后
inject with [ɪnˈdʒekt] 注入，注射
clumsily [ˈklʌmzɪli] 笨拙地，粗陋地
cafeteria [ˌkæfəˈtɪəriə] 自助餐厅，自助食堂
exaggerated [ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪtɪd] 夸张的，言过其实的
fight or flight response 战斗或逃跑反应（一种应对压力或威胁的生理反应）
hormonal [hɔːˈməʊnl] 激素的，荷尔蒙的
life-threatening [ˈlaɪf ˈθretnɪŋ] 危及生命的
venomous snake [ˈvenəməs] 毒蛇
flee [fliː] 逃离，逃避
charging hyena [ˈtʃɑːdʒɪŋ haɪˈiːnə] 扑来的鬣狗
stressor [ˈstresə(r)] 压力源，应激源，紧张性刺激
signaling pathway [ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ ˈpɑːθweɪ] 信号通路
HPA-axis [eɪtʃ piː ˈeɪ ˈæksɪs] 下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴
hypothalamus [ˌhaɪpəˈθæləməs] 下丘脑（大脑的激素控制中心）
pituitary gland / adrenal gland [pɪˈtjuːɪtəri][ɡlænd] [əˈdriːnl] 垂体和肾上腺（内分泌腺）
stress hormones [stres ˈhɔːməʊnz] 应激激素，压力激素
adrenaline / cortisol [əˈdrenəlɪn] [ˈkɔːtɪsɒl] 肾上腺素和皮质醇（应激激素）
bloodstream [ˈblʌdstriːm]（体内循环的）血流，血液
dodge [dɒdʒ] 躲开，避开，逃避
swerving car [ˈswɜːvɪŋ] 突然转向的汽车
in small doses [ˈdəʊsɪz] 小剂量地，少量地
recital [rɪˈsaɪtl] 独奏会，独唱会；朗诵会
persistent [pəˈsɪstənt] 持续的，持久的；坚持不懈的
anticipate [ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt] 预期，预料，期望
brain fog [fɒɡ] 脑雾（指思维不清晰、记忆力下降等状态）
digestive [daɪˈdʒestɪv] 消化的，与消化有关的
genetics [dʒəˈnetɪks] 基因学，遗传学
prompt [prɒmpt] 促使，推动；提示
neuron [ˈnjʊərɒn] 神经元，神经细胞
buffer [ˈbʌfə(r)] 缓冲，减轻；缓冲物
oxytocin [ˌɒksɪˈtəʊsɪn] 催产素（帮助和他人感觉更亲近的激素）
dampen [ˈdæmpən] 抑制，减弱；使潮湿
mindfulness practices [ˈmaɪndflnəs ˈpræktɪsɪz] 正念练习
remain grounded [rɪˈmeɪn ˈɡraʊndɪd] 专注于当下，脚踏实地
throw at 使面对，使遭受
spill [spɪl] 溢出，洒出；（本文指）意外状况

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