Full Capacity Living...

I'm heading into my 6th decade in life and the way I think about health has shifted in many ways over the years.

My old way of thinking was limited.

Limited by the food I put into my body and my exercise when I was in my 20's and 30's.

While these things are fundamental to our overall health there are other aspects that will significantly limit how supportive these two basics can be for us.

One of the most influential and most difficult to address is our stress response.

Response...not just stressors but the response that we have to those stressors. Quite a difference. We will always have stressors but how we respond is the key.

You and I both know those people who have had so much to deal with in their lives yet seem resilient, grounded and able to bounce back to a place of health and happiness when others would crumble or get sick themselves from what they have experienced.

Dr. Allie Crum is a researcher at Stanford University and here is what she would say about stress.

It’s Not Just Stress — It’s How You Think About It

Dr. Crum’s research shows that how we perceive stress — our stress mindset — can determine whether it harms or helps us.

Two Key Stress Mindsets:

1. Stress-is-debilitating mindset:
   • Belief that stress harms performance, health, and wellbeing.
   • Linked to anxiety, avoidance, worse health outcomes.
2. Stress-is-enhancing mindset:
   • Belief that stress can fuel performance, growth, and connection.
   • Associated with better health, higher productivity, and improved recovery from adversity.

What Is “Good Stress” According to Dr. Crum?

• Stress that is perceived as meaningful — linked to purpose, goals, or relationships.
• It can sharpen focus, boost resilience, and build strength when viewed through an empowering lens.
• Examples: Preparing for a competition, launching a business, parenting.

Her Key Findings (via studies):

• When people are trained to view stress as helpful, their:
  • Physiology changes (e.g., less cortisol, more DHEA).
  • Performance improves under pressure.
  • Emotional response becomes more adaptive.
• Even brief mindset interventions can shift how people respond to stress — such as watching a short video reframing stress as performance-enhancing, breath work, visualizations.

Reframing in Practice:

Crum encourages individuals to "lean into stress" by:

• Acknowledging the stress response (“My heart is pounding because I care.”)
• Connecting the stress to a deeper value or purpose.
• Redirecting energy toward action and meaning rather than fear.

Bottom Line:

According to Dr. Alia Crum, stress is not inherently harmful. In fact, it’s our mindset about stress that shapes its impact. When we view stress as dangerous or debilitating, it tends to become exactly that. But when we see it as a natural, purposeful part of life — even as a potential catalyst for growth — it can become something meaningful, even empowering.

Now, I know this might sound like we’re being asked to "positive-think" our way out of real pain or anxiety. But that’s not what this is about. There are moments in life that are truly devastating — no mindset shift can change that. What can shift, however, is how we respond to those moments, and where we choose to focus our attention in the midst of them.

When my sister passed away three years ago, nothing about it felt like it could be reframed or made meaningful. None of us were prepared. And at the time, I couldn’t find anything positive in the experience — it was just heartbreaking.

But a dear friend of mine, a deeply spiritual functional medicine physician, helped me see something that changed everything: that the anxiety I was carrying about her illness — the panic over what to do, what not to miss — was pulling me away from the very presence I longed to have with her. That stress wasn't helping me be with her; it was separating me from her. It was a wake-up call.

When I released the panic, I was able to meet her in the present. I slowed down. I sat by her side. We watched silly movies, the Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving, and shopped online for Christmas gifts while curled up together on her bed. Those simple moments, which might have seemed ordinary at the time, are now sacred to me.

Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude — that I had 55 years with a sister many people would dream of, that I was the one she trusted to be with her in her final days, and that even my stress and grief were reflections of how deeply I loved her. In that light, the stress wasn’t just suffering — it pointed to meaning, connection, and love.

As we talked about, this way of thinking can shift our levels of cortisol, our stress hormone that can cause a cascade of health issues regardless of how well we nourish our bodies and exercise.

There is a super highway from our gut to our brains that affects our entire physiology.

So if you are doing all the healthy practices but not addressing this aspect consider some tools to pay attention to this.

It's taken me quite some time to get here and I am still new on this journey even with all the meditation and mindset work I have done prior to this. It's a work in progress but as the Brian Andreas print says above "telling the truth about what made her happy" is part of the story. Connect to the happiness...it's always there.

Thanks for being here...

If this resonates with you and you think someone you know could benefit please share this email.

Together we can make the world a happier, healthier place.

In best health,

Karen

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