33: What Stress Animal are You? with Dr Lindsey Cooley

**Content Warning: This episode references school shootings and the murder of George Floyd.

Stress is a word we throw around regarding many aspects of life, and we all know what it is to feel stress, but how much do we truly understand about it? Stress can take any able-bodied, able-minded person and bring them to a whole new level, whether or not they have a diagnosed condition. As we break down the topic of stress, each person has different responses, personality styles, and primary goals. Join us to find out which stress animal you are!

 I’m joined by Dr. Lindsey Cooley, who posted a TikTok about stress, and I knew we had to have this conversation on the podcast. She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in school-aged children/teens, emotional and behavioral disorders, LGBTQ youth, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. 

Show Highlights:

  • Why we should be kind to ourselves–even if we don’t have a diagnosis

  • What is stress? (THE million-dollar question!)

  • The phases of stress (alarm, resistance, and exhaustion) and how prolonged stress can cause diseases of adaptation

  • How our culture normalizes “too much stress”

  • How stressful life events can affect executive functioning, relationships, energy, and more (The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale and Adverse Childhood Experience are well-known measurement tools.)

  • Why we need to legitimize that most of our stress is caused by normal reactions to dysfunctional systems

  • The medical model of disease vs. the social model of disease

  • Common symptoms of being in a prolonged stress cycle

  • Differences in acute stress, chronic stress, and traumatic stress

  • How traumatic stress occurs when we watch something like the murder of George Floyd and school shootings

  • How the “stress animals” (eagle, turtle, chameleon, and lion) concept came from Lynn Lott's Top Card Activity

  • How your personality style and stress response help determine your stress animal

  • How we can learn to care for ourselves in the middle of stress

 Resources:

Connect with Dr. Lindsey Cooley: TikTok

Mentioned in this episode: Lynn Lott's Top Card Activity, the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the ACE Scale, and "Kids Are Suffering from Toxic Stress" LA Times article

Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website 

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KC Davis