Ways to raise your stress threshold

Everyday work pressures can do lasting damage, says Dr Rangan Chatterjee. Here, in a second extract, he shows how to deal with them

We’ll never completely rid ourselves of stress. It’s unavoidable, particularly now that the tech explosion has ushered in an era of information overload and work overload – not to mention sugar, alcohol and sitting-on-our-backsidesall-day overload.

Every day, we are exposed to a barrage of what I call micro stress doses, or MSDS – whether that’s waking up late or getting work emails in the evening – and they don’t simply vanish; you absorb them, they change your mood and they alter your biology, taking you closer to your own personal stress threshold and pushing your body into an alarm state.

We all know that nourishing our bodies with the right food is important, but we don’t think in the same way about nourishing our minds. We need to give our mental health the same daily care we give our physical health. Just as bodies need fuel, minds need stillness, yet the thought of relaxing our minds is often seen as laziness. But we need relaxation just as we need vitamins, fat and fibre if we are to live happier lives, and significantly increase our ability to handle MSDS.

What MSDS do to the body

We have two large neurological systems that, very loosely, we can talk about as the rational brain (which makes logical decisions) and the emotional brain (which processes our feelings and fears) – each one constantly vying for the top spot. Normally, when we’re in a “thrive” state, our logical brain is in control and we can make sensible decisions. But when we’re in a stress state, the emotional brain takes centre stage.

The problem is that the brain is “plastic” (that is, it changes its form over time), so the more MSDS life throws at you, the more powerful your emotional brain will become, and the more sensitive it is to detecting danger – even when there’s none present: the smell of a summer barbecue is misinterpreted as a house fire; an email from your boss is interpreted as a prelude to sacking; an innocent glance from a friend seems sarcastic and hostile.

This is a feed-forward cycle. The more stress you experience, the more sensitive to new stresses you become. You’re also likely to make bad food choices, have less sleep and drink more alcohol.

This physical stress state will begin to damage your body and you may become unwell.

I absolutely recognise that some people have had significant macro stress doses in their life – adverse experiences, whether as a child or an adult, that have left a permanent mark on their well-being. If you’re one of these men or women, there’s a strong likelihood that you’re living your life much closer to your stress threshold than most, which means it takes fewer daily MSDS to cause you problems.

While none of us can avoid MSDS completely, these tips will help you to deal with their effects more successfully and, hopefully, experience fewer of them.

1. Develop a morning routine

As much as I value sleep, I’d argue that getting up 10 or 15 minutes earlier to give yourself some time and space in the morning – perhaps to do some light exercises in the kitchen while you wait for your tea to brew; or to write down three priorities for the day ahead – is more important. The very act of putting yourself through a series of familiar, habitual steps at the same time every day tells your system that you’re in a place of safety and control, and shifts you from being in a reactive mindset to being in a proactive one. If I wake up a little late and don’t get time for my routine, or lack motivation and jump on Facebook or email instead, I start the day much closer to my personal stress threshold.

2. Schedule your day

Humans are wired to get a little dopamine buzz from ticking even tiny achievement off, sending positive information to the brain: we’re in control of the day, and life is good.

My wife, Vidh, used to be a successful criminal barrister, so we were both shocked when it became apparent that taking time out to raise our children left her feeling more stressed and anxious than her highpowered legal work. The relentlessness of it crushed her: “I just don’t get any time to myself,” she’d keep saying. “I don’t get anything done.”

Her solution was to make a detailed daily schedule that accounted for every minute of the day. It sounds intense, but she soon began to feel more in control and quickly started “beating” her schedule, finding gaps for herself that hadn’t been there before. I’ve since learnt that many top CEOS around the world use scheduling for this reason.

3. Do something every day that brings you joy

Chronic stress makes it harder for the brain to experience pleasure, so bulletproof yourself against this with a daily pleasure hit (beyond relaxing on the sofa or mucking about online). This could be anything from five minutes of playing an instrument, to listening to music, to taking up a brand new hobby.

If you pursue potential new passions, without judging yourself in the process, you may well discover that what brings you true joy is something creative, be it painting, dancing, drawing or something else. Society teaches us that some people are “creative types” but, actually, we’re all naturally creative. I’m convinced that the underlying cause of so much of our stress these days is that modern life constantly pressures us to consume more than we create.

4. Do nothing

One of the big problems with modern culture is that it associates “busy” with “successful”. But when we switch off, a system in the brain called the default mode network (DMN) goes into overdrive. The DMN is a powerful source of idea generation. It’s why people come up with their best ideas in the shower or when walking the dog.

So, next time you are in a queue at a café or the supermarket, try to do nothing. Don’t jump on to your smartphone to check emails or social media. It is also good practice to have a “golden hour” each morning without your phone on. Allow your mind to wander and you will often come up with creative ideas, whether they are for work, play or solving nagging problems in your wider life.

5. Reframe your day

Stewing over stressful incidents just makes them seem worse and keeps the emotional brain dominant. But a 2012 study found that if we can reframe the way we think about a stressful event we can improve the way our brain reacts to MSDS, as well as our physical health: lowering blood pressure and even improving the efficiency of the heart muscle.

The key is to focus your attention not inwardly, on yourself, but on the wider world. For example, if you’re a teacher, feeling overworked and underpaid, try to reframe “I’m being exploited by the system” to “I’ve got the opportunity to inspire all these children and help them to fulfil their potential”. Feeling there’s a point to our existence beyond picking up a pay cheque is the best way of keeping clear of our stress threshold.

Tomorrow: De-stress your relationships

Adapted from The Stress Solution by Dr Rangan Chatterjee, published by Penguin Life (£16.99). To order a copy for £14.99 plus p&p, call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk