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hazardous button pressing These unconscious brain areas dont know they are just being |
recruited to play a game They assume the actions are dire and so involuntarily activate the |
sympathetic system This is why playing realtime video games can be affectively detrimental |
Each decrement in the characters life bar causes startle and cortisol release Each startle |
contributes ever so slightly to ones background hum of anxiety Moreover as you hold the |
controller as with your phone or keyboard most of your major postural muscles are |
completely braced and immobilized In a very real sense we are monkeys being terrorized |
while handcuffed to the keyboard mouse or controller |
Videogames have been shown to increase cortisol levels bolster aggressive affect and |
reduce prosocial behavior Most of my friends who play video games act breathless and |
panicked afterward driving them to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol during gaming breaks |
Playing an hour of competitive online deathmatches would strip almost anyone of their |
composure Over time this undermines autonomic balance In my twenties didnt realize that |
loud violent entertainment was turning me into the stereotype of the highstrung geek |
Many studies have shown that merely reducing television volume can vastly reduce the |
sympathetic stress response to violent videos and games In general the louder the TV the |
more frequently and intensely the amygdala is triggered and the more cortisol is released |
Turn your speakers down a few decibels and you should notice that you feel far less uneasy |
after a play session or an action movie We should also seek out activities that put us into a |
state of flow and stimulate dopamine without stimulating cortisol What you are doing right |
now reading may be one of the best Socialization meditation massage sex singing and |
exercise are others |
Some breathtaking things are good for us But we need to differentiate between the scenic |
overlook and addictive trauma Overstimulating media tricks our bodies into thinking we are |
preparing for tremendous amounts of exercise even though we usually consume it while sitting |
on our backsides Rather than stewing in them use up your stress hormones by engaging in |
physical activity |
Chapter The Amygdala Cortisol and Chronic Stress |
Conclusion Exercise Is the Best Antistress Tool |
Perhaps the best antidote for stress is regular exercise There is an extensive body of research |
documenting the many benefits Exercise bolsters selfesteem enhances body image increases |
stress resilience and is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety Some studies |
indicate that exercise may even increase life expectancy and the overall quality of life |
There are many reasons to exercise |
Health Benefits of Exercise |
e Improves circulation efficiency and reduces blood pressure |
e Increases pain tolerance |
e Increases the number of red blood cells facilitating oxygen transport |
e Lowers total cholesterol while raising good cholesterol |
e Prevents bone loss and stimulates bone growth reducing the risk of osteoporosis |
e Promotes weight loss |
e Reduces risk for heart disease blood clots and stroke |
e Reduces the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular issues |
e Strengthens the heart muscle improves its efficiency and reduces resting heart rate |
e Strengthens the muscles of respiration |
Most people dont engage in daily physical activity because it feels uncomfortable |
They assume exercise will add to their distress Its true exercise does lead to a slight increase |
in adrenaline and cortisol This is why we must appraise the sensation of exercise as positive |
stress a challenge and as under our control Moreover mounting a small stress response to |
exercise repeatedly will diminish your stress response to subsequent exercise In other words |
the more you train the less uncomfortable it becomes |
Exercise involves the good type of stress that fortifies us against bad types It does this by |
teaching the respiratory and cardiovascular systems how to handle heavy loads and recover |
rapidly Also after exercise stress plummets For instance it is known that blood concentration |
levels of cortisol rebound fall off abruptly On the other hand cortisol rebound after social |
stress is sluggish and it wont rebound at all if it leads to rumination The next time you |
find yourself overthinking an argument take a run You may find it wipes most of your |
concerns away |
Exercise is a potent antidepressant and anxiolytic that makes us feel significantly less |
affected by unfavorable events The reason is that physical exertion whether aerobic or |
anaerobic results in endorphin release Betaendorphin is a neurohormone released into the |
bloodstream from the pituitary gland during exercise Endorphins attach themselves to |
specific receptor sites in the brain that affect our perception of wellbeing and in large |
amounts can even create the feeling of euphoria Endorphins are the bodys way of rewarding |
us for exerting ourselves Endorphins not only give you a sense of pleasure they also suppress |
appetite elevate mood increase memory retention and improve immune activity |
Aerobic exercise results in the increased creation of new brain cells neurogenesis in the |
same areas that lose cells in people with depression such as the hippocampus The |
concentration of nerve growth factors like GDNF and BDNF increases with exercise |
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body |
These proteins cause neuron branches to grow and make new connections They also reduce |
susceptibility to degeneration It is no wonder that a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for |
neurodegenerative illnesses in humans If you dont exercise to improve health fitness |
or appearance then do it to increase the quality of your level of consciousness In fact |
exercise has many positive biological effects on the brain |
Neurobiological Effects of Exercise |
e Boosts energy and reduces stress |
e Improves brain structural connections |
e Improves cognitive function cognitive control and various forms of memory |
e Improves mental health increasing cognitive capacity |
e Improves mental wellness by relieving stress tension anxiety and depression |
e Improves selfimage and confidence |
e Improves sleep quality |
e Increases gray matter density |
e Results in new neuron growth |
Exercise enhances the feelgood neuromodulators while having none of the downsides of |
overeating drugs alcohol or chaotic entertainment The endorphin release that occurs during |
exercise is one reason why running around the block once or twice can make you come across |
as highly relaxed before a meeting date or party The other reason is that it resets the level of |
tension in your chest |
Unspent negative energy will inevitably be funneled toward the bracing of your |
diaphragm This makes it so that a tense claw powers each inhalation and exhalation |
Intense cardiovascular exercise that requires heavy breathing forces you to loosen that claw |
and expand the diaphragms range simply so that you can get enough air Additionally |
when an exercise thoroughly works out your breathing musculature it will need rest |
preventing it from reverting to its usual pattern of heavy tension In other words aerobic |
exercise stimulates and strengthens the breathing musculature making it largely incompatible |
with bracing the diaphragm |
DeStress Exercise Unbracing Heavy Breathing |
During intense aerobic exercise you should feel some degree of discomfort in your chest |
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