Stress and Milkshakes. What is the learning here about stress?

Alia Crum, a Yale Psychology student was fascinated by the placebo effect. An example of the placebo effect is when a participant in a psychological study is given a sugar pill instead of a pain killer but has pain relief as they believed they were given the pain medication. Ms Crum extended this idea in relation to our beliefs regarding mindset and hunger using Milkshakes!

The study involved 2 groups. One group received a Milkshake labelled "Sensible - 140 calorie shake" the second group received a Milkshake labelled "Indulgent - 620 calorie shake".  Blood samples were taken of both groups, on 3 separate occasions (before the study, just prior to having the shake and then just after) to measure their ghrelin levels. Ghrelin is commonly referred to as the "hunger hormone", as it stimulates appetite. After we eat a meal ghrelin levels typically reduce when we feel we are full (i.e., reached satiety).

The "Indulgence" group produced a dramatically steeper decline in ghrelin after consuming the shake, whereas the "Sensible" group produced a relatively flat ghrelin response.

However, both groups were given the exact same Milkshake!  All participants were given a 380 calorie Milkshake.

Participants' sense of feeling satisfied was consistent with what they believed they were consuming rather than the actual nutritional value of what they consumed. This belief also influenced their grehlin levels (i.e., created a physical response).

CONCLUSIONS

Our mindset and beliefs ("I have indulged"), can influence our experience ("I no longer feel hungry").

Extend this idea to how you perceive stress?  Ms Crumb did another study exploring this. Not quite as interesting as using Milkshakes but confirming the same theme.

People who believed stress as being negative experienced more stress than those who believed stress as being an opportunity to learn or improve.

What is your Mindset when something stressful occurs? How do you respond?

Here are some simple strategies to try to reduce your stress response

1. Take 3 slow deep breaths - "In for 3, and out for 3".

2. Excuse yourself from the situation for a few moments to take the 3 slow breaths. A favourite is saying you need to go to the loo!

3. Recognise the stress, rather than ignore it. Write about it. Heaps of research that supports writing as a way of helping us stand back from unhelpful thoughts.

4. Thought challenge. Has your mind gone into overdrive? Be curious. What is it about this situation that is so stressful? Is it just your automatic response, and all you need to do is seek further information first before doing anything? Ask questions.

5. Learn Mindfulness. My favourite which really encompasses all of the above.

6. Or why not just go outside for a walk and buy a Milkshake! Perhaps not the most healthy approach, but hey I had to suggest it!

I hope you get value from this technique

Margie Ireland

Psychologist (MAPS)

Turning inwards: A guide to mindfulness

What is mindfulness and why should you care?

I’m sure most of us have heard of the term ‘Mindfulness’. It’s something that’s been practiced for centuries in the east but has recently captured the attention of the western world. When I say the term ‘mindfulness’, some of us might have the image of a monk sitting by the river with his legs crossed and eyes closed, entrenched in a deep calm state of mind. Even though the term ‘mindfulness’ might sound peace inducing, it’s actually a lot more than that.

A pioneer in the field of mindfulness-based interventions, Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines mindfulness as a skill that is “cultivated by paying close attention to your moment-to-moment experience, as best as you can, while not getting caught up in your ideas and opinions, likes and dislikes”. So basically, we can practice mindfulness with our eyes open. Being mindful means being present. It’s the ability to slow down and observe the events that unfold around us and within our body, without judgement. It is a shift from the autopilot mode of functioning (i.e., mindlessness) to a ‘being mode’ where we are aware of ourselves and therefore, can take actions that are value driven.

Often when we are in distress, our rational mind switches off, and we are driven by our intense emotions (i.e., anger, frustration, sadness). In such instances it can be quite difficult to make healthy and valued decisions. In moment like these, and in general in life, being mindful can help us become aware of our emotions, thoughts, actions, sensations, opinions. It’s important to note that while being mindful, we are not altering these intense experiences, we are simply noticing and living them. Once we have a clearer and judgement free understanding of what’s happening within and around us, we can make healthy and meaningful choices. There is ample research supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in improving psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, emotional distress, and so on.

 How to practice mindfulness?

One quick and easy way to practice mindfulness is by paying attention to our five senses, after all it is through these senses that we live and experience the world. Start by paying attention to five things that you can see around you. This could be a wall, the sky, a coffee mug, a window, etc. Then pay attention to five things you can hear, such as the sound of birds chirping, the sound of construction happening next door, and so on. Similarly pay attention to five things you can taste, touch, and smell. Soon you will realize that you are no longer in your head, but present, and mindful. Remember, it’s not a skill that you can learn overnight, it’s a skill that builds with practice and time.

Preeti Phartiyal

Psychologist

Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008

Harris, R. (2009). ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion.