Reducing Stress Through Wisdom Therapy & Emotional Intelligence
Chronic stress is an ongoing response of the brain and the body to events perceived to be unpleasant for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has little control. Frequent fight/flight physiological responses lead to endocrine system releases of corticosteroids, blood vessels’ constriction, and rapid heart rate. In the long run, these cause upset stomachs, headaches, insomnia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Psychological consequences of long term stress include neural damage in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex which manifests as confusion and bad judgment, and is often accompanied by anxiety, anger, aggression, depression, social conflict, and professional costs.
Wisdom Therapy and Emotional Intelligence training are ways of using empirically validated psychological science to effectively promote one’s development on several dimensions, and as a byproduct of that development, address chronic stress and its associated risks. They address the physiological component of stress through deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation techniques, and mindfulness meditation. They address the behavioral components of stress through a proactive practice of effective communication skills, compassion, the incorporation of fun, stress relieving activities in one’s life, and the systematic, long term reduction of stress inducing aspects in one’s life. They address the cognitive components of stress through shifts away from the–so-called cognitive distortions, and through practices of empathy, gratitude, and humility – these cognitive exercises shift one’s interpretation of events towards less stress inducing perspectives. They do so by seeing more of the ‘big picture’, not ‘sweating the small stuff’, being thankful for a host of life gifts we often take for granted, becoming more empathically aware of other’s needs and experience, and providing skill towards greater control in how we interpret and react to life’s stressors, with reductions in tendencies such as ‘catastrophizing’, ‘all-or-nothing’ thinking, and personalizations.
March 2011