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How big stress can help you deal with the small stuff

New research has revealed how going through major stress can help you cope with daily stress. Photo: Thinkstock


Going through a period of major stress may mean you’re less likely to sweat the small stuff, new research has found.

According to the study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, researchers asked 45 participants aged 45 to 96 about any stressful events they’d experienced in the last year, such as losing a loved one or retiring.

They then surveyed the men and women about everyday stressors over an eight-day period. Asking questions such as how old they felt, how old they’d like to be and how they thought they looked that day, researchers were able to get a sense of volunteers’ general wellbeing and vitality.

“There’s a lot of research on how old you feel,” study author Jennifer Bellingtier said. “When you feel younger you have better mental health, tend to live longer, and have better wellbeing.”

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Participants who had gone through a major stressful event were less likely to be upset by smaller stresses. Those who hadn’t experienced major stress were more likely to say they felt much older on a stressful day.

The research only involved a small number of people but researchers believe it can teach us a lot about dealing with major life changes.

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“I think in some sense it means we can learn from our major life stressors and it can be beneficial to us, “ Bellingtier said. “It’s easy to get caught up in a lot of little daily things. It can be useful to know I’ve gotten through a lot more.”


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