Wellnessgeneticshealthy livingHuffPost Live

How The Lives Of Your Grandparents Could Affect How You React To Stress

How The Lives Of Your Grandparents Could Affect How You React To Stress
By 

Associate Third Metric Editor, The Huffington Post

If you won't take measures to reduce your stress levels for yourself, at least do it for your grandchildren.

New research suggests that you can actually tell a lot about your personal response to stress by how your grandparents did around the time of your parents' conception. Tara Swart, Ph.D., the CEO of The Unlimited Mind, joined HuffPost Live host Nancy Redd to explain how this stress transfer works and what its implications may be for future generations.

"The data that we have is only about three generations long now, so let's talk about your grandmother," said Swart. "She was born with set of genes, and the things that she experienced in her life could actually switch on or off which genes actually lead to things like whether you get high blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease or certain mental illnesses... So let's say that you're grandmother was living during a famine just before she got pregnant with your mother, that would mean that her response to starvation could either mean that she's somebody that wants to eat more or do by eating less. Depending on how she responded to that situation, your threshold for stress, because of the genes that got switched on and off at the time, could mean that you're either more vulnerable to stress or actually that you have an increased resilience to stress."

Watch the full HuffPost Live clip above to hear more from the conversation.

Related

geneticshealthy livingHuffPost LiveStressthird metric

Before You Go

Laughter
It’s the best medicine, right? A real belly laugh can quickly help you forget more minor stressors and give you a bit of respite from the bigger ones. Subscribe to a funny podcast like WTF with Marc Maron or Friends Like Us, or make a YouTube playlist full of clips of your favourite stand-up comedians. If you have a bit more time, watch a favourite episode of a sitcom or even your favourite funny movie. Before long you’ll be feeling looser and lighter.
Exercise
"It’s been proven time and time again that getting your body moving releases endorphins and can instantly lift your mood,” said Nitika Chopra, a certified life coach and wellness entrepreneur. Exercise helps you relieve stress because it causes a release of mood-boosting endorphins, the Mayo Clinic says, and the effects only increase over the long term. Getting more exercise doesn’t mean that you have to hit a gym. Buddy up with a friend for regular walks or runs together, or join a local rec-league sports team. Even a night out dancing counts!
Stretch
Stretch: It’s hard to remember to get a good stretch into your day, whether it’s around a workout or simply because it feels good. But taking a break to get in a few stretches can be a great stress buster, especially for desk workers — stretching those shoulders out helps to relieve some of the tension we can carry there. This guide by Walking Spree outlines easy stretches you can do in a few minutes at your office, and this one from Beauty High has a great yoga routine you can do at home.
Essential Oils
Chopra admits she wasn’t always sold on the relaxing powers of essential oils, but since incorporating them into her routine over the past year, she’s been wowed by the effects. For example, she uses a bit of lavender oil on her wrists to help her unwind before bed, a time that she said can be the most stressful of the day for her. "I now use that to calm my mind and relax my body to allow me to sleep,” she said. If a boost is what you’re looking for, try citrus or peppermint. But ultimately, the most relaxing scent will be one you enjoy — get a candle with a scent that reminds you of a place you love, for example.
Self Massage
It would be nice to have a personal masseuse, but that’s just a dream for most of us. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the relaxing benefits of massage every day. Self massage can help you loosen your muscles and release tension. Try yoga poses with massaging benefits like these ideas from Shape, gentle shiatsu-based techniques, or a massage ball.
EFT or Tapping
"This technique is often used on people who are experiencing trauma or have deep-seeded emotional blocks” Chopra explained. "When we get stressed out, it’s often because something at our very core is being triggered.” It’s not necessarily about the specific event as much as it’s about the emotions tied to it. "With EFT you actually tap on the meridian points on your body while saying an affirmation,” she said. “This helps you release emotional energy and release stress at the same time.” If that sounds intriguing you can learn more here.
Say No
We all have overloaded lives these days, and that can really amp up our stress levels. But what if we started to simply decline some of the invitations that come our way? You don’t have to attend every event, especially if going actually adds stress to your life instead of enjoyment. And you don’t have to sign up for every committee. In her new book Better Than Before, author Gretchen Rubin suggests considering how you would feel if asked to do a particular task next week; it’s easier to know if we really want to do something if we imagine it happening sometime very soon as opposed to in the distant-seeming future.
Talk To Someone Close
Chopra referred to your “Love Entourage” — "the people in life you love you, lift you up and have your back for real.” When stress is really getting to you, these are the people you want to talk to. "Some times we need to release stress verbally, so when you speak to them, let them know that you need to vent and would love a listening ear,” she suggested. If you can’t meet in person, even a call or a chat session by text can help you unwind and let go.
Listen To Music
: A great song can really transport you in powerful ways. Take advantage of that and load up your phone with your favourite albums, or put together a playlist of songs that make you feel happy — whether it’s because they remind you of a great time in your life or just because you really love them. A string of songs that put a smile on your face can turn your mood around more quickly than you’d suspect.
Pick Up A Pen
Have you heard of the idea of writing a letter to someone you’re upset with, then getting rid of it without sending it? There’s something to that. "Writing out what is stressing you out is just another way to get that stress out of your body and on to paper,” Chopra said. Writing your feelings out can help you make sense of them because you’re forced to articulate them. And just putting it down can help you on your way to letting it go.
Take A Real Break
Sweden has a concept called fika: it’s like a coffee break, but it’s a real break. When it’s time for fika, you leave behind whatever it is you were doing and take a few minutes to truly enjoy your coffee or tea and a snack — sometimes alone, sometimes as a short social break in the day. Doesn’t that sound more relaxing than getting your coffee to go or eating lunch at your desk?
|
Submit a tip
Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE