5 Things Zebras Can Teach Us About Fighting Stress (2024)

InWhy Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers*, a highly acclaimed guide to stress (for humans), Dr. Robert Sapolsky speaks about the latest discoveries in the field of stress physiology. From this wise and witty offering, scientists and nonscientists alike can learn the ways in which chronic stress – the twenty first century’sblack plague – has become one of the leading proximal causes of death, leading to strokes and heart attacks along with a variety of other sub-optimal outcomes, from decreased immunity to insomnia, anxiety, depression, addiction, obesity, heart disease, and serious memory loss.

But there’s good news too. We can also discover the ways in which certain lucky critters – from lab rats and monkeys to our fellow human beings – have adapted to living marvelously well under pressure and avoided developing these afflictions, even in their old age! An exploration ofhowthese lucky buggers cope can help us learn to take control of stress in our own lives.

According to Sapolsky, these lucky buggers tend to have the following in common:

1. An outlet for frustration
2. A sense of predictability
3. A feeling of control
4. An optimistic outlook
5. Social support

If a tiny sarcastic voice in your head is grumbling,“Oh good, glad we’ve got those all sorted out,”remember this:

  • Knowing the destination is more than half the battle. The rest is one part perspective, and one part knowing how to get there.
  • Luckily, if you’ve been following the blog, reading Dr. Gottman’s books, or seeing a CGT (Certified Gottman Therapist), you’ve got some perspective, and already know a lot about how to get there.
  • Sapolsky’s ideas overlap significantly with GMCT (Gottman Method Couples Therapy). Particularly in the realm of stress and conflict mangement. So, dear reader, you and your wisdom are ahead of the curve!

Relationship problems can be a significant stressor, but our approach to love matters enormously. Believing that“Love is a battlefield,”or, even more dangerously, that “All’s fair in love and war”may not be the best strategy.

By approaching our relationships from a different perspective – with a desire to overcome challenges by working together – we may achieve a far more satisfying outcome.

When we consider the parallels between Dr. Sapolsky’s research and GMCT, this makes a fantastic amont of sense. In GMCT, problems are divided intosolvable,perpetual, andgridlocked.Getting a better feel for how our problems fit into these categories can help us enormously, as we can identify those we can solve easily and those we need to approach in a different way. Whileperpetual problemsare clearly predictable, they don’t have to raise our blood pressure – we can use models like GMCT to reach mutual understanding.

When we truly listen to each other, we hold the key that unlocks potential in conflict discussions. We gain insights that grant us access to each other’s inner worlds,and also activate protective factors against illnesses caused by chronic stress.

Your Weekend Homework Assignment:

This weekend, build emotional attraction through a heart-to-heart, stress-reducingconversationwith your partner.

Actually understanding why we’re having the same arguments over and over can safeguard us from unnecessary stress, providinganenhanced sense of controland making room for a moreoptimistic outlook.

From this position, we may begin to see alternate ways to approach perpetual problems in the future. By buildingLove Maps, we learn about each other’s histories and potential triggers, so that the ways in which our words and actions affect each other become clear. We canpredictwhat will happen. This is especially helpful inovercoming gridlockandstress from within our relationships.

Finally, thesocial supportwe give each other in a heart-to-heart is a true source of vitality – making an impact far beyond our in-the-moment emotional state. Rather than bottling up our frustration until we feel hopeless, helpless, and totally haywire (see:NSO), we can reach out to each other to gain access to thoseoutlets, a feeling of control, and an enduring positive outlook.

When we feel truly seen, heard, and understood, we are soothed, lowering each other’s levels of stress hormones and cortisol, working together to weather any storm.

In this way, we can live and love,enjoying not only radically improved relationships, but longer, healthier, and happier lives.

*Why, indeed? As it turns out, stress triggers a fight-or-flight response in both zebras and humans. However, as zebras don’t usually worry about social and psychological stressors (like in-laws, the Middle East, dress sizes, or the stock market), and focus solely on physical stressors (like lions and twigs snapping suspiciously in the distance), they don’t suffer the same chronic activation of stress response we do. Our inability to turn off the stress-response is what gives us our highly evolved ability to be “worried sick.”

Ellie Lisitsa

By: Ellie Lisitsa

Ellie Lisitsa is a staff writer at The Gottman Institute and a regular contributor to The Gottman Relationship Blog. Ellie is pursuing her B.A. in Psychology with an emphasis on Cognitive Dissonance at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

5 Things Zebras Can Teach Us About Fighting Stress (2024)

FAQs

5 Things Zebras Can Teach Us About Fighting Stress? ›

The instant a Lion appears, the Zebra's brain switches to threat mode, its body floods with stress hormones and it runs for its life. There follow 3 or so minutes of the most intense stress imaginable during which time the Zebra lives or dies. If it lives, it returns to grazing peacefully.

What are the 5 A's of stress management? ›

“5 A's” to help manage stress
  • Avoid. Some types of stress are unavoidable, such as stress-induced by death, disease, or an accident. ...
  • Alter. Stress may be caused by situations that you usually address as your daily routine. ...
  • Adapt. Recognize that things happen, plans alter, and emergencies occur. ...
  • Accept. ...
  • Active.

How do zebras respond to stress? ›

The instant a Lion appears, the Zebra's brain switches to threat mode, its body floods with stress hormones and it runs for its life. There follow 3 or so minutes of the most intense stress imaginable during which time the Zebra lives or dies. If it lives, it returns to grazing peacefully.

What can we learn from zebras? ›

As we conclude this journey through the animal kingdom's lessons, let's carry with us the wisdom of zebras – the power of empathy, mutual support, and the profound impact of a caring community.

What are the 4 A's of stress management? ›

When your stress level exceeds your ability to cope, you need to restore the balance by reducing the stressors or increasing your ability to cope or both. Try using one of the four A's: avoid, alter, accept or adapt.

What are the 5 R's of stress? ›

The Five R's are: Rethink, Relax, Release, Reduce, and Reorganize. Each R represents a different level of coping skills that can be used independently to cope with stressors, or combined into a comprehensive stress management plan.

What are the 5 C's of stress? ›

The 5Cs are competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection. The anxiety dimensions are Social anxiety, Physical symptoms, Separation anxiety, and Harm avoidance.

How do zebras help us? ›

They help the local ecosystem by grazing on dry, hardened grass that is too tough for other species (such as wildebeest, ostriches and antelopes) to digest. Every zebra is important.

Why don't zebras get stress? ›

The title derives from Sapolsky's premise that for animals such as zebras, stress is generally episodic (e.g., running away from a lion), while for humans, stress is often chronic (e.g., worrying about losing one's job).

What do zebras fight for? ›

Zebra stallions will fight with each other for females and will even go as far as stealing females from one another. If the female which is stolen is pregnant, the new male will rape her until such time as she has aborted the pregnancy.

Do zebras feel stress? ›

However, as zebras don't usually worry about social and psychological stressors (like in-laws, the Middle East, dress sizes, or the stock market), and focus solely on physical stressors (like lions and twigs snapping suspiciously in the distance), they don't suffer the same chronic activation of stress response we do.

Are zebras stressed? ›

Zebras primarily face acute stressors, such as predators, which require an immediate response. Once the danger has passed, their stress levels return to normal. In contrast, humans often experience chronic stress due to work, relationships, finances, or societal pressures.

How to stop stressing? ›

7 Tips to Avoid Stress
  1. Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol as they can add to stress. ...
  2. Engage in self-relaxation. ...
  3. Take breaks when needed. ...
  4. Seek out social support. ...
  5. Connect with others socially. ...
  6. Maintain a normal routine. ...
  7. Give back to others.

How to get rid of stress fast? ›

Reduce Stress in 10 Minutes and Improve Your Well-Being
  1. Be active—Take a dance break! ...
  2. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
  3. Write three things you are grateful for.
  4. Check in with yourself—take time to ask yourself how you are feeling.
  5. Laugh!

How to combat stress? ›

You can also help protect yourself from stress in a number of ways:
  1. Eat healthily. A healthy diet will reduce the risks of diet-related diseases. ...
  2. Be aware of your smoking and drinking. ...
  3. Exercise. ...
  4. Take time out. ...
  5. Be mindful. ...
  6. Get restful sleep. ...
  7. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Do zebras get stressed? ›

Sapolsky posits that zebras do not get stomach ulcers because they only deal with episodic stress, which they experience when running away from a lion, for instance. Stress is a physiological response which is very adaptive for the survival of all living creatures.

How do animals respond to stress? ›

When an animal is stressed, the brain fires off signals to the adrenal glands, which excrete hormones called corticosteroids into the blood. These hormones in turn generate new energy from stored reserves. They also divert energy away from low-priority activities. As a result, the animal is more likely to escape death.

What do zebras do when threatened? ›

When feeling threatened, they will press their ears against their heads.

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