We sat down with Hanna to discuss her current work and to learn more about her perspective on wellness.
What are you working on now?
I’m validating the first integrative stress assessment tool, the Stress 360, as well as a new tool that will predict the best stress management strategy based on Stress 360 data. I’m also working on several stress mastery training programs, and doing research looking at the effect of stress on the brain and nervous system.
Dr. Hanna on Stress
We all need to be better informed about stress. What should we know to increase our stress IQ?
Everyone should first understand that stress is a complex and dynamic relationship we have with the circumstances of our lives — and that ultimately, it comes down to the gap between demand and capacity. Stress itself isn’t good or bad, but rather energy potential that can be used in positive or negative ways. Becoming more aware of our relationship with stress can instantly provide us with the insight we need to appreciate where we’re at in the present moment and make the necessary adjustments to course correct. Read More From Dr. Heidi Hanna on Stress
Dr. Hanna on Resilience
How do you define resilience?
Resilience is the ability to adapt effectively to challenge and change. Of course, “effective adaptation” is the key phrase; that may be different for each individual according to that person’s specific circumstances. What we see in the overwhelmingly negative experiences of chronic stress today is ineffective adaptation. I mean that the brain and nervous system are adapting in a way that is more suited to short-term survival. When those adaptive processes (increased heart rate, adrenaline, cortisol, inflammation, etc.) are left on too long, they hurt us instead of helping us. We also know that to build resilience we must experience stress. We must sufficiently challenge what I call our human system — the integrated being that comprises body-mind-spirit — so that it has to adapt in new ways and grow stronger. It’s similar to exercising muscles at the gym or getting a flu shot to boost immune function. The problem isn’t the stress itself but the type, frequency, and duration of the stress we experience today without adequate recovery time and repair elements to help us rebuild and become more resilient. I believe that building resilience requires both proactive and reactive techniques so that we can adjust in the moment and adapt over time.
We all at one time or another have a life experience that challenges our resilience. Can you describe what you learned about your own resilience after such an experience?
Because I am hardwired to be stress sensitive, I have had to keep a close eye on my own relationship with stress. When experiencing challenges that cause stress overload, I’ve discovered that shifting into a mind-set of curiosity is one of my best responsive techniques. Rather than trying to fix the issue, when I switch over to considering what I might learn from the experience and how I might use the lessons to improve my life or those of the people I try to support through my work, the intensity of it all shifts dramatically. If I can look into, learn from, and then strategically let go of the energy and information that stress provides to fuel some sort of positive change in myself or the world around me, then I can avoid retaining that energy and information in the form of negative habits, such as harmful thoughts or reactions. For me, this means being okay with not figuring out everything right now, in this moment. Taking even imperfect action mobilizes the stress hormones that otherwise get stuck and embodied in toxic ways that cause us to get sick and stuck in our stress mess. I have also seen how proactively training certain resilience habits, such as meditation, exercise, and health humor when things are going well gives me the foundation I need to quickly rebound when life feels out of balance or uncertain. I can go back to these seemingly simple habits to recharge more quickly, and my experience of stress overload gets shorter each time.
