Although you can’t see it, stress is everywhere. Once pushed aside as something that couldn’t be explained, stress is now a quantifiable, identifiable, solid thing that has real physical effects on our bodies and our long-term health. But what can we do about it? Neuroscientist, researcher and guest on this week’s episode, Dr. Mithu Storoni, has read over 1,000 academic papers to answer that question. Mithu shares the findings of her research and explains just what stress can do to our bodies and how we can measure it using modern technology. She gives some brilliant practical tips on how we can buffer ourselves from the consequences of stress. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Medical studies:

• Stress and catching a cold: Objective and subjective socioeconomic status and susceptibility to the common cold
• Association between stressful life events and exacerbation in multiple sclerosis
• Stress and insulin resistance (animal): Acute psychological stress results in the rapid development of insulin resistance
• Stress and insulin resistance (human): Longitudinal association between chronic psychological stress and metabolic syndrome
• Melatonin for pre- and postoperative anxiety in adults

Further learning:

• The Guardian – ‘Deep breath, cup of tea, long walk’: nine ways to stay calm in a crisis
• The Times – What the neuroscientist does to beat stress
• The Guardian – Mind, body and soul: the rise of the holistic wellness makeover
• Forbes – Why Sunlight Is Actually Good For You
• Evening Standard – This new book could be the answer to a stress-free life
• The Times – Playing Tetris puts stress in its place