This document discusses stress and the stress response. It explains that stress begins with a stressor or stimulus, which triggers a reaction in the brain and activates the fight-or-flight response in the body. Short-term acute stress lasts minutes to hours and is part of a healthy stress response that rises and falls. However, when the stress response is switched on frequently, it can become stuck in the "on" position, which impacts physical and mental health, social relationships, and the economy. The document suggests that finding new neural pathways through simple daily behaviors can help turn the stress response down.

1. One
Simple
Thing

2. Stress is a constellation of
events that begins with a
stimulus (stressor), that
precipitates a reaction in the
brain (stress perception),
that subsequently results in
the activation of flight/fight/
freeze systems in the body
(stress response)
Porges, Polyvagal Theory 2003
Dhabhar & McEwen, Brain Behavior & Immunity, 1997,11:286.
Photo: Leonardo Ferraguzzi

3. Stress Response: ‘Acute’, ‘On’ & ‘Low’
healthy stress response
:
rises and falls
acute/short-term stress = minutes to hours
neutral/low: (healthy homeostasis):
self-soothing, stress perception down regulated
Porges, NICAMB, April 2012
Irons, CFT, NHS Foundation Trust, East London
Photo: Scott Fisher Dhabhar & McEwen, Brain Beavior & Immunity, 1997,11:286

4. = Stress Response Switched ‘On’
1-5x
switched
‘on’ in a
lifetime?
J. Ledoux et al., "Different projections of the central amygdaloid
nucleus mediate autonomic and behavioral correlates of conditioned
Photo: Caveman, Pascal from Heidelberg; Tiger, Arno Meintjes fear," Journal of Neuroscience, 8:2517-9, 1988
Kapp et al., 1979;

5. Switched ‘On’ 1-2x a Minute? Hour?
Balding, R; British Psychological Society, 2012
Stone, Email Apnea, 2007
Dhabhar & McEwen, Brain Behavior & Immunity, 1997,11:286.
Photos: Traffic, Paul Chinn; Audience, Parade; Inbox, Jason Rogers; Texting, Tim Caynes; Late, Evan in Oregon

6. Main Switch is ‘On’ so often, it gets stuck
Porges, Polyvagal Theory 2003
Photo: Andreas Levers

7. Stuck ‘On’: Impacts Your Health
cancer
Depression
stroke
anxiety
infection
hearing heart disease
positive outlook headaches
healthy immunity biological aging
brain plasticity blood pressure
recovery from chronic
colds inflammation
injury recovery stiff neck
hypersensitivity
O'Donovan A, et al., PLoS One. 2011; 6 (5): e19687
Porges, Somatic Psychotherapy Today, Spring 2012 1(4)
to background
Howell, Kern, & Lyubomirsky, 2007
Chida & Steptoe, 2008 noise
Dhabhar & McEwen, Brain Behavior & Immunity, 1997, 1997,11:286.

8. Stuck ‘On’: Impacts You Socially
fear
isolation
anxiety
worry
fixation on past
defensiveness
ambivalent friendships
misunderstanding
social cues
focus
listen
creativity
intuition
relate to others
working memory
vocal intonation
emotion regulation
O'Donovan A, et al., PLoS One. 2011; 6 (5): e19687
Porges, Somatic Psychotherapy Today, Spring 2012 1(4)
social connection
Dhabhar & McEwen, Brain Behavior & Immunity, 1997, 1997,11:286. variety of facial expressions
Photo: Wendel aka Wink

9. Stuck ‘On’: Impacts the Economy
crime
brain rigidity
health care costs
global & individual conflict
curiosity
innovation
productivity
life span
quality of life
learning complex tasks
cooperation/collaboration
individual economic impact
Photo: Sunny Ripert

10. Stuck ‘On’: How do we turn ’Down’?
Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli

11. Getting Unstuck: Takes Practice
.
our mind wildly drags our brain around all day
focusing our attention begins to train our mind
Photo: D. Garding

12. ‘Creature’ of Habit: Your Brain
.
electrochemical signals make pathways like a car
unless you give it new directions your brain gets
stuck in groove
Photo: Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan

13. ‘Creature’ of Habit: Your Brain
.
when your brain is stuck in a groove you miss out
your ‘stuckness’ keeps you from accepting input
from the sensory processing part of the brain
Kerr, The Neuroscience of Somatic Attention, ACMHE Webinar, 2011
Photo: Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan Porges, Somatic Psychotherapy Today, Spring 2012 1(4)

14. Find a new path for your brain
fear joy love
your brain cannot be in in 2
places at once
Photo: Julie Falk

15. Find a new path for your brain
right now :
close your eyes
focus on the air going in & out of your nostrils
Photo: Julie Falk

16. Congratulations!
You just got your minds attention.
That is one simple, effective way to focus your mind,
and move out of your tired old groove!

17. With all of this information in mind,
will designing One daily behavior
become a tiny habit which incites
movement from an unhelpful
neurological groove in support of
improved overall health and well-being?
Fogg, Tiny Habits
Condon, P., & DeSteno, D. (2011). Compassion for one reduces
punishment for another. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,

18. Design of One Simple Thing:
Question:
Will people interact with another human and communicate a
meaningful phrase with intention and sincerity?
Why this question?:
Positive reinforcement, physiological & emotional benefit
Impact of behavior ripples beyond individual
Audience:
Women, aged 30-65, with internet access and/or cell phones
Tools used:
Google drive (forms), Twitter, Facebook, SMS, email
Process:
1. Invite participation on FB, Twitter and G+; 2. Send first ‘One
Simple Thing’, 3. Send feedback request, 3. Repeat with
variables in delivery and content in One Simple Thing

19. With a Magic Wand, what Behavior
would you Wish for finding a new path?
• 30 minutes of daily mindful meditation
• Self-generate positive emotion
• Increase positive social connections
• Daily self-compassion practice
• Express gratitude daily
• Connect meaningfully with humans daily
• Daily write about ‘best possible self’
• Consistently listen to female vocal music
• Create safe and supportive spaces
• Sing daily
• Express appreciation to those around you
• Play a wind instrument
• Pranayama yoga daily practice
• Increase interaction with people
• Reduce interaction with objects
• Give same kindness to self as loved one
• Play a team sport
• See yourself in everyone you contact
• Wish all beings peace
Photo: Sarahnaut
• Take actions to end suffering of others

20. Priority map of Wishes for Behaviors
More Effective
30 minutes of daily mindful meditation Express gratitude daily
Pranayama yoga daily practice Connect meaningfully with humans daily
Reduce interaction with objects Increase positive social connections
Increase positive interaction with people
People likely to do
People unlikely to do
See yourself in everyone Sing daily
Appreciate those around you
Create safe and supportive spaces
Play a wind instrument Daily self-compassion practice
Self-generate positive emotion Wish all beings peace
Write about ‘best possible self’ daily
Regularly listen to female vocal music
Give kindness to self as loved one
Act to end suffering of others Play a team sport
Less Effective

21. Design of One Simple Thing:
Assumptions:
• Most people will not make giant life changes to begin
• Small activations of these pathways will have cumulative
neurological and physiological effect, improving vagal tone*
• Emotional and physiological response of caring behavior will
create a positive upward spiral reinforcing physical health and
positive emotion created by positive social interaction
Criteria:
• Simple, Request requires one action, Micro-habit, Delightful, Focus
on other – reflection on self, Context and questions written in
tone reflecting awareness behaviors and mindfulness practices
Fogg, Fogg Behavior Model, 2011
Kok et al, Psycscience_inPress, 2012
Condon, P., & DeSteno, D. (2011). Compassion for one
reduces punishment for another. Journal of Experimental
*explained on next slide
Social Psychology, 47, 698-701.
Porges, Somati Psychotherapy Today, Spring 2012 1(4

22. Polyvagal Nerves:
Mind-Body Communication Cables
.
circuit one (survival):
• freeze response (think mouse in cats mouth)
• reduce oxygen demands
• regulates organs below diaphragm
• slows the heart
circuit two (social connection/soothing):
• facial expressions abru
p
• vocal intonation impo t slide:
inclu rtant to
• flight/fight de
• tuning of auditory system
• heart rate
• and much more!
Porges, Somatic Psychotherapy Today, Spring 2012 1(4
Illustration: Wellcome Library, London

23. Fogg Behavior Model:
high
Behavior =
Motivation +
Ability +
motivation
Trigger!
low
hard to do ability easy to do

24. Fogg Behavior Model: B=mat
high
Give kindness to self as loved one
motivation
Daily self-compassion practice
See yourself in everyone Increase positive social connections
Create safe and supportive spaces
Sing daily Connect meaningfully with humans daily
Increase positive interaction with people
1 minutes of daily mindful meditation
Appreciate those around you
Express gratitude daily Wish all beings peace
low
hard to do ability easy to do

25. Design of One Simple Thing:
Consideration of existing research:
• C. Kerr: Equanimous vs. Rumination
• B.L. Fredrickson: Positive Emotion and Physical Health
• R. Davidson: Contemplative Neuro; Impact of compassion on others
• S. Porges: Polyvagal Theory & Neural Love Code
• E. Durkheim: Le Suicide
• S. Brown: Helping behavior under conditions of closeness & compassion
• C. Sue Scott: Oxytocin, vasopressin activation in social behavior
• S. Cole: Connection, compassion and the genome
• F. Dhabhar: Role of stress in health
• K. Neff: Self-compassion practice impact on ANS
• C. Irons: Role of self-kindness in treating schizophrenia
• D. DeSteno: Implications of incidental compassion; Synchrony
• D. Keltner: Survival of the Kindest
• P. Ekman: Expressions of fiero, and familial compassion
• M. Iacoboni: Mirror Neurons
• H. Weng, Short intervention Compassion meditation
• C. Raison: Effects of Compassion impact on health & well being
• W. Osika: Lack of Compassion & childhood heart disease

26. Prototype & Feedback examples:

27. People want caring connection: need a trigger
“happy to say
something
that I really “we just need the
mean, but impetus to do this
never say” thing we want to
do”
(I felt) “fulfilled...like a confession”
Photo: Steve Hanna

28. People are willing to be uncomfortable
“Somehow
secretly, I wished
Somebody would
be wishing me the
same”
“ ...thinking about it, using eye
contact and being deliberate “...there are words that trigger
made saying it more emotions I am not comfortable
meaningful and more difficult” with and I am blocked when
having to say them loud. Saying
them from a place of sincerity
helped me overcome the
Photo: Marta Santiso
blockage. ”

29. Focusing on others Happiness:
Positive Reinforcement
“people seemed “felt good
very pleasant, to have
thinking a positive
positive thoughts for
message for others”
another really
changed my
state of mind,
which I felt was
infectious”
“It filled me with Joy, Inner
and Outer Smile”
Photo: Greenpin Chang

30. Compassionate thoughts/words =
Super powers & Love
“Felt like I
had super
power”*
“noticed that
people around
“Sort of like I had a super power”*
me were all
being
extraordinarily
friendly to me...
*comments from separate individuals
who do not know each other
I received lots
of love back”
Photo: Anita & Greg

31. One Simple Thing: Participants Thoughts
“I chose to tell someone I am close to that she is amazing.
She hugged me, and our relationship has been very
harmonious in the weeks since. More generous and
trusting. I've also noticed her mood soar. She seems
confident and calmer. It feels like we both filled up our
emotional fuel tanks in that moment.
I would like to continue my participation, because in that
moment it helped me say and do and be exactly what I
want in my life.”, ~ A.A., United States
“One Simple Thing was an exciting and challenging experience. I looked
forward to my little daily ‘mission’.
One Simple Thing made me understand that there are emotions I
am totally comfortable expressing out-loud, spontaneously while
looking straight into someone's eyes. It would leave me with a huge
feeling of satisfaction.
Yet, there are words that triggered emotions I am not comfortable
with and I am blocked when having to say them. Saying them from a still
place of sincerity helped me overcome the blockage. The situations
that shook me out of my comfort zone opened the door to more self-
exploration but also more self-compassion.
I would like to keep practicing One Simple Thing to take more steps
into my ‘uncomfortable’ zones but most of all because of all the
positive benefits for myself and the people around me.” ~SG, France

32. Compassion & Kindness: Not about ‘nice’
Mindfulness, pro-social
behavior, compassion,
and social connection
are foundational to
health & well being
Integrating these
practices is key for the
optimal success
of any health
intervention and/or
behavior design
Photo: Pietro Bellini
Photo: Xavi Talleda

33. Compassion & Evolution
“We are ... impelled to relieve the
suffering of another, in order that
our own painful feelings may be at
the same time relived. The mere
sight of suffering, independently of
love, would suffice to call up in us vivid
recollections and associations...”
~Darwin

34. Compassion & Survival
“Love and compassion
are necessities, not
luxuries. Without them
humanity cannot survive.”
~His Holiness the Dalai Lama

35. Give it a Whirl!
One Simple Thing will be launching
a new session before years end.
If you would like to be included,
you may sign up at
http://bit.ly/OneSimple

36. Thank You
I welcome your thoughts and feedback
Thank you
for your
time & attention
Pamela Day
Twitter: @ZibbyZ