Fri, November 06, 2009 - 1:32:06

Americans are Stressed, but NICE can Help

In a report released earlier this week by the American Psychological Association, scientists revealed that of the 1,568 respondents surveyed, 42 per cent are more stressed than ever before.  In addition, 47 per cent admit losing sleep over stress and nearly one quarter of Americans report experiencing high or chronic stress levels (ranking eight, nine, or 10 on a 10-point scale) in just the past month. 

With the impact of the financial crisis, job losses, and home foreclosures being felt around the nation, it’s no surprise that people are anxious.  In fact, as the APA’s Stress in America 2009 report reveals, even kids have become increasingly worried.  And although a recent Ohio University study shows that some types of stress may actually be beneficial to your health, too much negative stress can have catastrophic side effects like weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even a potentially fatal cardiac disorder known as “Broken Heart Disease,” which mimics the symptoms of a heart attack. 

In the face of all of these difficult challenges, the APA’s study reports that Americans are experimenting with a number of ways to reduce their stress levels like watching TV, listening to music, and indulging in unhealthy foods.  But there’s a simpler, easier, and more rewarding way to lower your stress that you may not have considered and it works almost instantly.  As unlikely as it sounds, one of the best ways to become stress-free is simply to be nice.

In 1991, Allan Luks discovered a phenomenon known as “the helper’s high,” which delivers a rush of dopamine to the brain’s pleasure receptors when making an act of kindness.  The result?  Kind people feel calmer, happier, and more confident and experience a reduction in stress-related conditions like headaches, loss of voice, and disease-related pain.

More recently, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor at the University of California Riverside and author of The How of Happiness conducted an experiment revealing that the vast majority of students performing random acts of kindness on a daily basis feel significantly happier, more relaxed and more fulfilled.

So, if the weight of the world is wearing you down, remember that science is on your side and try a little NICE experiment of your own.  After giving a few compliments, smiling at a stranger, or holding the elevator door, you just might discover that NICE is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Posted by Linda and Robin