What causes Stress?
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Psst. Hey, Smarty Pants, question. Have you ever felt stressed out? Maybe you had a bad test coming up. Or a big game. Or an upcoming performance. As we speak, I'm planning a pizza party for all the guests I've had on Who Smarted. Sounds fun, right? It will be, but it's also very stressful. Think about it. Every Who Smarted guest...

That's a lot of different characters from different historical eras. The wheel. Different parts of the world. There you go, Inmite. And even different species. Oh.

It's me, Boomology. That also means lots of different dietary preferences. Plus, I don't know who's going to show up or even how many pizzas to order. Don't forget the toppings. Toppings? Whoa. Oh, oh, oh, oh boy. Oh boy. You sound stressed. Oh, I know the perfect thing. Talking to someone who can help me calm down? Oh, I was going to suggest meat cake.

Yeah, I don't think meatcake's the answer. Huh, whatever. To this particular problem. Instead, I need to learn more about stress. Like, what is stress? What causes it? How does it affect you? And how can you calm yourself down? It probably makes more sense than meatcake. Great. Then it's time for another whiff of science and history on...

on an out-of-this-world adventure.

Engaging hyperspeed. This is up! On June 20th. Welcome to the community. Prepare to be conquered! I just got here! Follow me. What is this place? These are the lava tunnels. I am not moving! Disney and Pixar's Elio in theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rated PG. Parental guidance suggested. Okay, smarty pants. It seems planning a pizza party for every guest that's ever been on Who's Smarted is more complicated than I thought. And it's starting to stress me out.

So what should I do? Any suggestions? If you said talk to someone, that's a great idea. In fact, to help calm me down, I've invited the calmest creature I could think of to come over. I just hope they get here soon. They're not exactly the fastest creature. Hey, you're here! Hey, trusty narrator.

Hey, smarty pants. Smarty pants. You may remember them from our episode on the rainforest. Why, it's the sloth. Thanks for coming, sloth. I'm surprised you got here so fast.

I took an Uber. No biggie. Sloth, you're always so chill. Do you ever feel stressed? Of course. Everyone feels stressed sometimes. Really? Everyone? Yup. Grown-ups, kids, even animals feel stressed.

Wow. So I guess the first question is, what is stress? Smarty Pants, do you know? Would you say stress is your body's way of responding to a threat, responding to a demand, or responding to pizza?

No, it's not pizza. No, thank goodness. Pizza does not cause stress. But planning a pizza party can, because the answer is that stress is your body's way of responding to a demand. However, stress is also your body's way of responding to a threat. When your brain senses danger, it kicks in your body's defense system known as the stress response.

Your stress response, also known as your fight or flight response, prepares you to face a danger head-on or fight. Ha! Or run away real fast, a.k.a. flight. But a pizza party isn't dangerous?

Unless the pizza's too hot when you bite it. Ow! No, pizza parties are not dangerous. But your brain sometimes has trouble telling the difference between a real or imagined threat. For example, if you watch a scary movie, you might feel scared even though it's just a movie. And your stress response is your brain and body's way of protecting you.

The problem is, even though there's no danger, I'm feeling tense and anxious. Yep, that's stress you're feeling. Smarty pants. Besides feeling anxious, what other symptoms of stress are there? Call some out. Uh-huh. Yeah, those are some good answers. Believe it or not, stress is so powerful, its symptoms can be both physical and emotional. Physical symptoms include headaches, body pains, stomach aches,

and skin rashes. And emotional symptoms include feeling scared, angry, sad, worried, numb, or frustrated. Stress can also lead to changes in appetite, trouble sleeping, and loss of energy.

Can you even imagine a low-energy sloth? So, what should you do if you're feeling stress? Smarty Pants, any ideas? I'm open to any suggestions you've got. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. More good advice. Hey, Smarty Pants, true or false? If you're worried about something, keeping it to yourself will make you feel better. If you said false, you're right.

That's right, trusty narrator.

You did the right thing inviting me over. Yeah, I definitely feel better now that you're here. But chances are the smarty pants don't have a sloth friend to talk to. So what should they do? Well, if the smarty pants are feeling stressed, they can try talking to a trusted adult. Like a parent, relative, neighbor, or teacher.

or even a close friend. Not only will it make them feel better, you might be able to work together to solve your problem. Right. Talking about the pizza party has definitely made me feel a little better, but I'm still stressing out about it. That's normal.

Lots of people feel stress before a big event, especially if it's something you haven't done before. Uh-huh. So besides talking about it, what should you do if you're feeling stressed? Well, one thing you can do is turn your nervous feelings into the energy you'll need to complete your task.

You can pace around your room, rub your hands together, shake out your arms, and tap your feet. This helps burn off the stress energy. And while you're doing that, keep reminding yourself, I got this.

I got this. I got this. I got this. Physical activity is a good way to de-stress, but so is relaxing your mind. You can meditate, do yoga, listen to music, or listen to a podcast.

Right, like my friends at the Be Calm on Awe Island podcast. They're really good at telling fun stories to help calm me down so I can fall asleep.

Of course, I don't want to fall asleep right now. I have so much to do. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Relax, trusty. It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath. Aha! Smarty pants. When you're feeling stressed, do you breathe faster, slower, or normal? The answer is faster. Ah!

Taking slow, deep breaths will help calm your body and mind. Exactly. Which is why the Be Calm on Awe Island podcast starts every show by taking three deep dragon breaths as a way to calm down and get ready for bed. All right, here I go. Smarty Pants, you can do it with me. Three deep dragon breaths on the count of three. One, two, three.

Ah, that does feel calming. Okay, so after talking to you and the smarty pants, doing some physical activity, taking some nice deep breaths,

and telling myself, I can do this. You can do it! I'm feeling a lot less stressed. That's great, trusty narrator. But now my question is, is there a way to not feel stressed out in the first place? Well, unfortunately, there's no way to completely avoid feeling stress.

Because stress is something that happens beyond your control. I see. But there are ways to manage it and reduce the effects of stress. That's good. What are they? Smarty Pants, do you know? Well, for one thing, taking good care of yourself and having healthy routines is key to avoiding stress.

That means eating good food, exercising, and above all else, getting lots of sleep. Ah, or should I say away. Not getting a good night's sleep can make it really hard to control stress. But getting to sleep can be tough, especially if you're feeling anxious or upset, which is why lots of kids like listening to Be Calm on Away Island every night before bed.

Yeah. So, have you thought about pizza toppings yet? Toppings? Toppings? Every time I try to think about toppings, my heart races, I become sweaty, and I feel a strange tingling sensation inside my stomach. What's going on inside me? Why do I feel that way? It's all part of the stress response. Great. You can tell me all about it right after this quick break.

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Smarty Pants, if you've ever been stressed or worried or nervous about something, chances are you felt strange sensations like what they call butterflies in your tummy. But have you ever wondered what's going on inside you? Sloth, do you know? Well, when your brain identifies a possible danger, it turns on your stress response.

Think of it like an alert system for both people and animals. Danger! Danger! Prepare to activate stress response. Your brain triggers the release of stress hormones inside your body. Your breathing quickens to provide more air to your lungs. Your heartbeat speeds up to pump more blood.

And the strange tinglys you feel inside your arms, legs, and stomach is adrenaline pumping through your body, giving you extra energy, focus, speed, and strength. Wow, it's kind of like stress gives you superpowers. Not superpowers.

More like stress boosts your ordinary powers to help you fight, take flight, or freeze in place to avoid detection. Freezing is my go-to option. Did you just freeze in place right now?

No, I'm just a sloth moving really slowly. Okay, so to recap, stress affects all people and animals and is your brain and body's response to something it sees as a threat, whether it's actually dangerous or not.

The symptoms you feel is your body's stress response and action. However, if you aren't eating well or getting enough sleep or exercising, it makes it harder to control stress, and you could feel run down or get headaches or feel sad or angry.

When you're feeling stressed, it's good to talk to someone, take deep breaths, and listening to podcasts like Be Calm on Awe Island can help you get a good night's sleep. Anything else? Yes. It helps to think of things you're grateful for or that make you happy. Ah, that's why every episode of Awe Island ends with them thinking of three things they're grateful for.

Well, I'm definitely grateful for you coming here and helping me learn how to feel less stressed. Also, what pizza topping do you like? I like leaves on my pizza. Great. Hey, Grog, come on in. Pizza round, like the wheel.

Wow, so many Who Smarted friends made it to the pizza party. There's Gia, the whoa girl. Whoa. Cool pizza party, trusty. Sergeant Harris. Ah, eat up, men. You're not going to get grub this good in a foxhole. My good pal, Robert Maroon. Ah, here you're going, mate.

Wanda Worm is here. I just love this compost pizza, trusty narrator. And of course, Chet Nickerson. This is Chet Nickerson reporting live from trusty narrator's pizza party. It's a hit. Five stars. Also, whatever you do, do not try the Pumoji pizza.

No thanks. But a big thanks to my friends at the podcast Be Calm on Awe Island for their dragon breaths and relaxing stories to help me sleep more and feel stress less. After all, when it comes to a pizza party, there's nothing to fear. Who wants meat cake pizza? Except dragon.

A super sweet shout out to Hazy in Denver, Colorado, who wrote us to say, Who Smarted is an amazing podcast and great for short car rides. We love Who Smarted because of the great characters and silly facts. Thank you, Who Smarted team. Aw, thank you, Hazy.

This episode, Stress, was written by Sarah Swetek and voiced by Taya Garland. Sarah Swetek, Adam Tex-Davis, Gia Davis, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis.

Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who Smarted?