Lockdown in Melbourne has been extended until 70 percent of residents have their first dose of the COVID – 19 vaccine.

This means, most of the residents need to stay at home till the end of September probably. People who stay at home for a long time may feel more stressed than before, and if so, it may cause psychological problems. How can we make our stress as our friend? This could be a good topic for the current situation in Victoria.

Kelly McGonigal, a Health psychologist presented “Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken, and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others”.

Here is a social stress test study conducted at Harvard University that shows people who meet challenges in their daily life, if you believe stress is a good thing that you are going to think yourselt, this is your body helping you rise to this challenge. And your view stress in that way, your body believes you, and your response becomes healthier.

Change your mind to treat your stress.

Stress makes you social. Here is a neuro-hormone in your brain names Oxytocin. It fine-tunes your brain's social instincts. It primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships. Oxytocin makes you crave physical contact with your friends and family. It enhances your empathy. It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about. And actually, oxytocin is a stress hormone. Kelly believed “Your pituitary gland pumps this stuff out as part of the stress response. It's as much a part of your stress response as the adrenaline that makes your heart pound. And when oxytocin is released in the stress response, it is motivating you to seek support. When life is difficult, your stress response wants you to be surrounded by people who care about you”.

How knowing stress is going to make you healthier?

“Oxytocin doesn't only act on your brain. It also acts on your body, and one of its main roles in your body is to protect your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress. It's a natural anti-inflammatory. It also helps your blood vessels stay relaxed during stress. ” researched by Kelly.

Thus, don’t be afraid of stress when you stay at home lonely, treat it in a good way, it may help you healthier.

Have a lovely weekend.