How to make your stress work for you - Shannon Odell

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

Your eyes dilate as the room snaps into focus.

你的瞳孔放大，

房間瞬間變得清晰可見。

Fatigue dissipates, leaving heart-pounding vigilance in its wake.

疲勞消散，取而代之的 是讓心跳加速的警覺。

Your muscles tense, injected with energy.

你的肌肉緊繃，

注滿能量。

And for a moment, time seems to slow down.

在那一刻，

時間似乎慢下來了。

The reason?

原因？

You clumsily dropped your tray in the middle of the cafeteria.

你笨手笨腳，在餐廳裡 打翻了你的托盤。

It’s not unusual for our minds and bodies

這並非不尋常，

我們的大腦和身體似乎確實會 用過度誇張的方式來因應

to have seemingly exaggerated responses to everyday situations.

日常的狀況。

An upcoming project deadline,

專案計畫的截止日馬上就要到了、

a fight with a family member, or even an embarrassing moment

和家人吵架了，

或甚至是尷尬的時刻，

can easily trigger what’s known as the body’s fight or flight response.

都很容易觸發所謂 「戰或逃」的身體反應。

It’s a set of hormonal and physiological changes

這種反應是一系列 荷爾蒙和生理上的改變，

that evolved to help our ancestors escape life-threatening situations,

演化出這種反應的目的 是要協助我們的祖先逃離

會有生命危險的情況，

like avoiding a venomous snake or fleeing a charging hyena.

比如避開毒蛇或逃離衝過來的土狼。

Yet, this fight or flight response may feel less appropriate

然而，這種戰或逃的反應

不太適合用來應對 我們現今面臨的壓力源。

for the types of stressors we face today.

When we perceive something as threatening, overwhelming, or even embarrassing,

當我們感到受威脅、無法招架， 或甚至丟臉的時候，

a signaling pathway known as the HPA-axis is triggered.

會觸發一條訊號傳導途徑， 稱為 HPA 軸。

It starts with activation of the hypothalamus,

這條途徑始於下丘腦的啟動，

the hormonal control center of the brain.

下丘腦是大腦的荷爾蒙控制中心。

The hypothalamus sounds the alarm,

下丘腦會發出警報，

alerting the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands,

警告腦下垂體和腎上腺，

leading to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

導致釋放壓力荷爾蒙， 如腎上腺素和皮質醇。

These hormones travel through the bloodstream

這些荷爾蒙透過血液移動， 造成各式各樣的效果，

and relay all sorts of effects,

like increasing heart rate to improve oxygen flow

如心跳加快，以改善氧氣流通，

and boosting the amount of energy available to the brain.

以及提升大腦可使用的能量。

If this sounds like a good thing, that’s because it can be!

如果這聽起來像是件好事， 那是因為它可以是件好事！

This stress response helps you react quickly and efficiently

這種壓力反應可幫助你 在面臨突發的危險狀況時，

in the face of immediate danger, like dodging a swerving car.

迅速有效地做出反應， 比如閃避突然轉向的車。

However, it can also be beneficial in less than life-threatening situations.

然而，在不涉及生命危險的情況下， 這種反應也一樣有好處，

For example, stress, in small doses, can be very motivating.

比如，小劑量的壓力可以成為動力。

Nothing quite drives you to practice a piano solo

最能驅使你去練鋼琴獨奏的，

like the pressure of an upcoming recital.

大概就是即將到來的演奏會 所帶來的壓力了。

Feeling a little stressed may even help you learn.

感受到一點壓力 甚至可以幫助你學習。

The hippocampus, a brain region essential to learning,

海馬迴是對學習 至關重要的大腦區域，

is rich in receptors that respond to the stress hormone cortisol.

它有大量的受體，會對 壓力荷爾蒙皮質醇做出反應。

Lab studies have found that adding a mild stressor,

實驗室研究發現，

在進行需要記憶的工作前製造 輕微的壓力，如突然改變溫度，

such as a sudden temperature change before a memory task,

can enhance performance.

可以提升表現。

Further, during your teen years,

此外，在你的青少年／女時期， 大腦會重新建立連結，

the brain is rewired to promote exploration and learning.

以促進探索和學習。

And one way it does this is by making the HPA-axis more reactive.

要做到這一點，大腦的其中一招 就是讓 HPA 軸變得更敏感。

The problem is when this stress response is triggered too often or for too long.

問題在於太常觸發 或長時間觸發這種壓力反應。

Normally when we experience a stressful event,

通常，當我們遇到很有壓力的事件時，

stress hormones are released for about 15 to 30 minutes.

釋放壓力荷爾蒙的時間 大約是十五到三十分鐘。

But if we face multiple or persistent stressors, day after day,

但，如果我們面臨多重 或持續的壓力源，日復一日，

the HPA-axis starts to adapt.

HPA 軸就會開始適應。

Anticipating future stressful events,

因為預期未來仍會有壓力事件，

the HPA-axis stays activated for longer, and continuously releases stress hormones.

HPA 軸就會長時間持續啟動，

並不斷釋放壓力荷爾蒙。

This causes issues throughout the body,

這會讓全身都出問題，

and can lead to problems like sleeplessness, brain fog,

且可能會造成失眠、腦霧、

digestive issues, and even heart disease.

消化問題，甚至心臟疾病等等。

So how much stress is too much stress?

所以，壓力要多大才算是太大？

It’s difficult to say, as not everyone experiences stress in the same way.

很難說，因為每個人 感受壓力的方式都不同。

Different factors like your genetics, environment, and even your age,

不同的因子，如遺傳、 環境，甚至年齡，

can influence the way your body responds.

都可能會影響身體反應的方式。

But no matter your situation,

但是無論你遇到的情況為何，

there are tools that can make dealing with stress a bit easier.

都有工具可以讓處理壓力 變得更輕鬆一點。

Exercise, for example, is thought to prompt the production of new neurons,

比如，運動，

被認為可以促進新神經元的生成，

which may help our brains become more resilient to stress.

而新神經元能協助大腦 變得更有抗壓性。

A run through the park or a basketball game with friends

到公園跑步或和朋友一起打籃球

can also be a great distraction from whatever’s stressing you out.

也可以讓你分心，不要一直 專注在帶給你壓力的事物上。

Speaking of friends,

說到朋友，

spending time with others can actually buffer your body’s response to stress.

與人相處可以緩解 你的身體對壓力的反應。

This may be due to the actions of oxytocin,

原因可能是催產素的作用，

a hormone that helps us feel closer to others,

這種荷爾蒙能讓我們 感到和他人更親近，

and can also dampen activity of the HPA-axis.

也能抑制 HPA 軸的活動。

And simple actions, like pausing to breathe during stressful situations

而簡單的動作，

如在倍感壓力的時候 暫停下來好好呼吸，

or journaling every day, can have a huge impact.

或每天寫日記， 都可能產生很大的影響。

These are also known as mindfulness practices, which can, over time,

這些做法也被稱為正念練習，

隨時間，這類練習能

help you build a greater understanding of your thoughts and feelings

協助你更了解你的想法和感受，

and remain grounded in the present moment.

並保持專注在當下。

We can’t always control what life throws at us.

我們不見得都能控制 生活帶給我們什麼挑戰。

But there are ways to better prepare our minds and bodies

但有辦法可以把身心的準備做得更好，

for the many deadlines, awkward conversations, and spills, ahead.

以因應未來許許多多的截止日期、 尷尬的談話和打翻東西等狀況。