Why do some of us show only minor effects of stress while others show a more severe and disabling mental and physical decline? This slide share presentation explains how you can use your brain to recognise stress and manage it so as to benefit yourself and others in your lives. Topics addressed include (i) understanding the brain and how it processes emotions, (ii) understanding psychological stress including its sources and consequences and (iii) reducing and preventing stress through the practice of mindfulness (awareness), cognitive restructuring (recognising your thoughts), diet, exercise and progressive relaxation.

1. Health and
well-being for
mind and brain
Professor Billy O’Connor
Honorary Visiting Scholar
Flinders University School of Medicine
Adelaide, South Australia.
April 7th 2014

2. http://Inside-the-brain.com/

3. Number of synapses
About 100 trillion
THE BRAIN’S VITAL STATISTICS
Adult weight
Adult size
Number of neurons
About 100 billion neurons

4. Dentrite
Soma
Axon
Terminal
NEURON STRUCTURE & IMPULSE FLOW

5. Enriched enviornment Deprived environment
= Challenge = Monotony, isolation,
low expectations.
Credit: NYU Langone Medical Center
OUR BRAINS CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIENCE
= Challenge,
autonomy, complexity, a connection
between reward and effort.
= Avoidance,
dependence, monotony, isolation,
low expectations.

6. • Intensive care of others to the expense of self care
• Pushing yourself too hard
• Heavy workload
• Limited resources
• Organisational pressure
• Long hours on the job
• Inability to set appropriate boundaries
SOURCES OF STRESS AT A PERSONAL LEVEL

7. THE DYNAMICS OF WORRY & STRESS
Bloodflow
Over time - hyperventilation reduces the oxygen supply to the
brain……
…….which can lead to panic.

8. INSIDE-THE-BRAIN WEBSITE
http://inside-the-brain.com/2011/07/05/your-brain-and-the-art-of-confusion/

9. SINGING IS A GOOD STRESS-BUSTER
Singing regulates breathing and improves the immune system.

10. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2081394/Want-children-perform-better-school-happier-Then-playing-field.html
https://www.mentimeter.com/p/2c0de88df9bb

11. Exercise increases ‘neurogenesis’
(growth of neurons) in the
hippocampus - a region important for
memory and implicated in cognitive
aging.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 104(13):5638-43 (2007). http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=publications_rd_alzheimers
Warmer colours indicate higher
levels of nerve growth factor in the
hippocampus of [A] exercising
animals compared to [B] sedentary
animals
- blue indicates the lowest level.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ENHANCES MOOD AND COGNITION

12. MENTAL STIMULATION IS ALSO IMPORTANT
People who read more challenging books develop more neural connections.
When it come to knowledge, you either use it or loose it.