* Science

Forget relaxing - use your stress to become a high achiever

   A stressed woman sits at a computer Stress isn't so bad for you after
   all according to Dr Ian Robertson  Credit: Alamy
     * Sarah Knapton, Science Editor
--

   For one of Europe’s most eminent neuroscientists has devised a simple,
   four-point plan for channelling stress and turning it to one’s
   advantage.

   Professor Ian Robertson’s “four-step brain hack to harness stress” is,
   he insists, based on scientific research beginning with step one: tell
   yourself you are excited rather than stressed.

   Step two is breathe in slowly through the nose for five seconds and
--
   Simple.
   Andy Murray Sports stars like Andy Murray are experts at channeling
   stress hormones so they improve performance  Credit: Telegraph

   Prof Robertson, chair of psychology at Trinity College Dublin, founder
   of the university’s Institute of neuroscience and author of The Stress
   Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper, said channelling
   stress into a positive energy can radically improve performance and
   creativity, making people brighter and quicker.

   “Stress is a kind of energy that we can harness, “ said Prof Robertson.

   His viewpoint is at odds with current thinking which has demonised
   stress, blaming chronic anxiety for everything from obesity to cancer
   and premature ageing.

   Most psychologists and self-help guides encourage people to chase
   happiness, and steer clear of too much pressure. But Prof Robertson
   believes stress is important for achievement and teaches that it is
   possible to ‘hack’ the brain and hijack ‘fight or flight’ hormones,
   such as cortisol and adrenaline, before they cause problems.
--

   His four-step guide, he says, is underpinned by science. Even step one
   in which a person feeling stressed should simply say out loud, perhaps
   only once or twice: “I feel excited.”

--
   in the street but, according to prof Robertson, it has been found to
   increase testosterone levels in both men and women.
   The Stress Test The Stress Test

   That in itself is enough to make you feel more confident in the face of
   a stressful challenge.

   The fourth and final tip is to squeeze the hand and then release it and
--
   before nerve-wracking presentations.”

   Prof Robertson explained: “The stress hormone cortisol is a symptom of
   anxiety, but also excitement. When you are anxious or excited you can
   feel your heart going bang, bang, bang, and the same hormone affects
--
   mind hacks we can use on the brain. It’s a programmable machine.”

   According to Dr Robertson, stressful situations and life traumas can
   trigger incredible feats of creativity which allow people to achieve
   far more than they would have in happier times.
--
   emotional state on a minds so that we can achieve what we want to
   achieve.”
   The Stress Test is published by Bloomsbury The Stress Test is published
   by Bloomsbury
   How to hack your brain | Four-step mind hack to harness stress


--
       19 Dec 2016, 7:35pm

Stress makes dogs go grey as well as humans - new study
   16. Katie Alexander, 12,  will undergo deep brain stimulation therapy
       19 Dec 2016, 7:15pm