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Attitude is Everything

Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist with some good news: Stress may not be the enemy of good health. McGonigal came to this conclusion after looking at three important health studies. In the first study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin asked 30,000 adults how much stress they had experienced. They also asked whether the participants thought this stress was harmful to their health. Eight years later, one group of participants was 43% more likely to have died— the people who had a lot of stress and believed that stress was bad for them. Those who had a lot of stress but did not believe it was harmful actually had the lowest risk of dying!

According to McGonigal, the way we think about stress is important. In fact, our mind and attitude can have beneficial effects on our health. In a study at Harvard, researchers taught participants to believe that signs of stress—a faster heartbeat, for example—were the body's way of preparing them to meet a challenge. Under stress, most people's blood vessels become narrower. That makes it harder for blood to flow, but the blood vessels of the study participants stayed open and relaxed, simpty because they thought about stress in a different way.

McGonigal also points to a study of the connection between stress and human contact. Researchers from the University at Buffalo studied people who had experienced very stressful events. Surprisingly, if they had spent a lot of time helping others, they had no increased risk of dying. It seems that enjoyable activities such as giving a friend a ride or babysitting a neighbor's child can help us stay healthy even under stress.

enemy (n) the person(s) on the opposite side in a struggle

participant (n) a person who volunteers for a research study

Answer:

Kelly McGonigal là một nhà tâm lý học sức khỏe với một tin tốt: căng thẳng có thể không phải là kẻ thù của sức khỏe tốt. McGonigal đưa ra kết luận này sau khi nghiên cứu ba nghiên cứu sức khỏe quan trọng. Trong nghiên cứu đầu tiên, các nhà nghiên cứu tại Đại học Wisconsin đã hỏi 30.000 người trưởng thành về mức độ căng thẳng mà họ đã trải qua. Họ cũng hỏi liệu các tham gia có nghĩ rằng căng thẳng này có hại cho sức khỏe của họ không. Tám năm sau đó, một nhóm người có nguy cơ tử vong cao hơn 43% - những người có nhiều căng thẳng và tin rằng căng thẳng là xấu cho sức khỏe của họ. Những người có nhiều căng thẳng nhưng không tin rằng nó có hại thực sự có nguy cơ tử vong thấp nhất!

Theo McGonigal, cách chúng ta nghĩ về căng thẳng là quan trọng. Trên thực tế, tâm trí và thái độ của chúng ta có thể có tác dụng có lợi đến sức khỏe của chúng ta. Trong một nghiên cứu tại Đại học Harvard, các nhà nghiên cứu đã giảng dạy cho các tham gia tin rằng các dấu hiệu căng thẳng - ví dụ như nhịp tim nhanh - là cách cơ thể chuẩn bị họ để đối mặt với một thử thách. Trong tình trạng căng thẳng, hầu hết các mạch máu của người ta trở nên chật hẹp hơn. Điều đó làm cho việc tuần hoàn máu khó khăn hơn, nhưng các mạch máu của các tham gia trong nghiên cứu vẫn giữ mở và thư giãn, chỉ đơn giản vì họ nghĩ về căng thẳng theo cách khác.

McGonigal cũng trỏ đến một nghiên cứu về mối liên hệ giữa căng thẳng và giao tiếp con người. Các nhà nghiên cứu từ Đại học Buffalo đã nghiên cứu những người đã trải qua những sự kiện căng thẳng rất lớn. Bất ngờ, nếu họ đã dành nhiều thời gian giúp đỡ người khác, họ không có nguy cơ tử vong tăng lên. Có vẻ như những hoạt động thú vị như cho bạn của mình đi xe hoặc trông trẻ của hàng xóm có thể giúp chúng ta duy trì sức khỏe ngay cả trong tình trạng căng thẳng.

A. Tell a partner what makes you feel a lot of stress.

(Nói với đối tác điều gì khiến bạn cảm thấy căng thẳng)

going to the doctor or dentist meeting new people speaking to a group

taking an important exam traveling by car, plane, etc. your idea ___________

Answer:

Suggestions:

Person A: Hi, do you have a moment to talk? I want to share with you what makes me feel a lot of stress.

Person B: Of course! I'm here to listen. What's been causing you stress?

Person A: Well, there are a few things, but one of the biggest things that stresses me out is going to the dentist or doctor. I always feel so anxious leading up to the appointment.

Person B: Yeah, I can understand that. Is there anything specific that makes you feel anxious about those appointments?

Person A: I'm not really sure. Maybe it's the fear of finding out that something is wrong, or just the general discomfort of being poked and prodded.

Person B: That makes sense. Have you tried anything to help manage your anxiety about those appointments?

Person A: Not really, but I've been thinking about maybe trying some relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation beforehand.

Person B: That's a good idea. Have you ever tried those before?

Person A: Not really, but I'm willing to give it a try. What about you? What makes you feel a lot of stress?

Person B: For me, it's definitely speaking to a group. I always get so nervous and feel like I'm going to mess up.

Person A: Oh, I can definitely relate to that. Have you tried anything to help manage your nerves when speaking in front of a group?

Person B: Yeah, I usually try to practice a lot beforehand and visualize myself doing well. It doesn't always work, but it helps a little.

Person A: That's a good idea. Maybe I'll try that too. Thanks for sharing!

B. Read the text. Circle the correct options.

(Đọc văn bản. Vòng tròn các lựa chọn chính xác)

1. What is the main idea of the text?

a. Common sources of stress in modern life

b. The importance of attitude in dealing with stress

c. Helping others as an enjoyable activity

2. What was true about the study at the University of Wisconsin?

a. Researchers asked questions about the participants’ beliefs about stress.

b. All of the participants were alive eight years later.

c. Its number of participants was the highest among three studies.

3. Which study focused on stress and the interaction between people?

a. The University of Wisconsin study

b. The Harvard University study

c. The University of Buffalo study

Answer:

1. What is the main idea of the text?

• b. The importance of attitude in dealing with stress

2. What was true about the study at the University of Wisconsin?

• a. Researchers asked questions about the participants’ beliefs about stress.

3. Which study focused on stress and the interaction between people?

• c. The University of Buffalo study

C. Circle T for true or F for false. Then correct the false statements to make them true.

(Khoanh tròn T cho đúng hoặc S cho sai. Sau đó sửa các câu sai thành đúng)

1. For the University of Wisconsin study, participants were asked two questions. T F

2. The way you think about stress affects how your body reacts to stress. T F

3. Stress always causes blood vessels to become narrower. T F

4. People who had a lot of contact with others had a higher risk of dying. T F

Answer:

1. TRUE

2. TRUE

3. FALSE (Most people's blood vessels become narrower under stress, but not always)

4. FALSE (People who had a lot of contact with others had no increased risk of dying)

D. Complete the list of dos and don'ts with information from the article.

(Hoàn thành danh sách những điều nên làm và không nên làm với thông tin từ bài báo)

1. Don't believe that ________________________

2. Do believe that signs of stress ________________________

3. Do spend a lot of time ________________________

Answer:

1. Don't believe that stress is always harmful to your health.

2. Do believe that signs of stress, like a faster heartbeat, are the body's way of preparing you to meet a challenge.

3. Do spend a lot of time helping others, even when you are experiencing stress.

Goal check

Form a small group with 2-3 other students. Discuss the questions.

(Thành lập một nhóm nhỏ với 2-3 sinh viên khác. Thảo luận các câu hỏi)

1. What do you remember about the three research studies?

2. In each study, why were the participants’ attitudes important?

3. Talk about a time when a positive attitude helped you in some way.

Answer:

Suggestions:

Student 1: So, what do you remember about the three research studies?

Student 2: I remember that the first study was conducted at the University of Wisconsin, where they asked the participants how much stress they experienced and whether they believed stress was harmful to their health. Then after eight years, they found out that the group who believed stress was harmful had a higher risk of dying.

Student 3: Yes, and the second study at Harvard taught participants to believe that stress signs are the body's way of preparing for a challenge. They found out that people who thought positively about stress had relaxed blood vessels.

Student 1: And the last study conducted by the University at Buffalo focused on stress and human contact. The researchers found out that people who spent a lot of time helping others had no increased risk of dying.

Student 2: That's correct. So, in each study, why were the participants' attitudes important?

Student 3: I think it's because their attitudes affected their physical reactions to stress. The first study showed that people who believed stress was harmful had a higher risk of dying. So, their attitude had a negative impact on their health.

Student 1: Yes, and in the second study, people who thought positively about stress had relaxed blood vessels. Their attitude had a positive effect on their physical health.

Student 2: And in the last study, the researchers found that people who helped others had no increased risk of dying. So, a positive attitude towards helping others can also have a positive effect on our physical health.

Student 3: That's a good point. So, have you guys ever experienced a time when a positive attitude helped you in some way?

Student 1: Yes, I remember when I had a job interview, and I was really nervous. But I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I had prepared well for it. I think my positive attitude helped me perform well in the interview.

Student 2: That's great. I also remember when I was playing in a football match, and we were losing. But I kept telling myself that we could still win and kept motivating my team. In the end, we won the match. I think my positive attitude helped the team's morale.

Student 3: I have also experienced a similar situation. When I was studying for my final exams, I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. But I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I had prepared well for it. My positive attitude helped me stay focused and motivated, and I did well in my exams.

Student 1: That's awesome. I think having a positive attitude can really make a difference in how we deal with stressful situations.