Comment by 6stringmerc | Hacker News Reader

Comment by 6stringmerc | Hacker News Reader

Uh, isn't there a pretty well-established link between negative self-image / negative feelings and potentially self-destructive / self-harm type behaviors?

I guess my thinking about this conundrum is that anything regarding "happiness" or "health" - in my opinion - comes down to an issue of sustainability. Sure, I can be happy on the day I get some good news, but will I be happy on the day where I have to sit through frustrating traffic and getting cut off by every asshole leasing a Land Rover and going to work about the same time as me? Hm, I mean, I can try, but it's not like I can reach into the glove box, grab a carrot stick, chomp away and suddenly feel like I've just gotten out of having a nice swim off the coast of Cabo San Lucas.

As a species I do think studies considering what makes us "happy" and "healthy" and how we can treat "depression" or other "disabilities" of various degrees are worthwhile. But, when I see goals like this:

>Other studies will aim to establish best practices for corporate wellness programs by testing their efficacy.

I just laugh, because we already know the combination of how to make people happier and healthier (don't over work them, provide time for exercise, provide guidance and resources to eat appropriate diet as fresh as feasable) but there's not a "study" yet that has convinced the working US corporate culture to change. Maybe Harvard can finally do it. Yay.

> Uh, isn't there a pretty well-established link between negative self-image / negative feelings and potentially self-destructive / self-harm type behaviors?

More than that. There's a pretty well-established link between long-term heavy stress and a huge number of health issues. Definitely heart problems, but IIRC also immune system health and strokes, and perhaps even cancer.

If you don't believe me, no, I don't have any documentation handy...

Such health problems can definitely stress one out.

Is this comment meant to be serious?

Usually, the health problems start some time after the stress. So unless stress is able to travel in time, it is more likely to be a cause than a consequence.

Why can't it be both?

Stress can cause illness and disease. Illness and disease can cause stress.

It could very easily be a feedback loop though

Interestingly it's probably not actually stress that is killing you, it's how you handle stress. There was a really popular TED talk about it-- people who were stressed but didn't view it as a bad thing were still fine health wise. It was people who were stressed and also believed that was a bad thing that suffered.

How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

How about flip the cause<—>effect:

People that suffer when stressed, feel bad about stress.

I can be suffering from stress but not feel bad about it though. That's the point of the study/talk.

I view the feeling of stress as not a bad thing, but as my body trying to give me more resources to overcome my situation. If I'm feeling stressed, my heart might pound and I might breathe faster-- but that's getting more oxygen to my brain.

Stress can cause growth (like when you exercise) and stress can be toxic(like when you're burned out). The problem with the study referenced in the video is that the people who don't see stress as bad likely aren't experiencing any negative physiological effects so obviously wouldn't die at the same rate as those who hold the opposing belief and experienced the negative physiological effects traditionally correlated with stress.

That's not a "problem" with the study, that's the entire point. The entire point is that stress isn't the issue, it's perceiving stress to be a bad thing that is bad for your health.

It's not talking about "good stress" or "bad stress".

>heart problems, but IIRC also immune system health and strokes, and perhaps even cancer.

^ The leading causes of death in the US.

Maybe if we didn't work so hard, we would be happier and healthier, which would in turn would create a positive feedback loop because we then wouldn't have to pay so much for medical insurance?

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