Jayne O'Donnell

USA TODAY

Americans are reporting record levels of stress. and it's doing a number on our brains, says the author of a new book.

Psychologist Melanie Greenberg, author of The Stress-Proof Brain, says changing the way you think about stressors can eliminate this phenomenon. She joined USA TODAY for a Facebook Live appearance Thursday.

The American Psychological Association's annual survey of stress in America recently had its first statistically significant year-over-year increase in stress levels since it launched a decade ago.

It’s not the stressor itself, but how you react to it that determines the effect it has on your health, says Greenberg. She cites a study of mothers with special needs children who didn't actually see their roles as stressful. Their brains didn't experience the cellular aging experienced by other moms who did see their caregiving as stressful.

The brain's amygdala acts as a kind of alarm system for the brain that can hijack it while looking for threats. The prefrontal cortex, on the other hand, can calm the amygdala down through meditation and mindfulness.

"The brain can create a lot of worry," says Greenberg, citing the common affliction she refers to as "anticipatory anxiety."

Instead of focusing on what could or did go wrong, Greenberg offers these tips on how to get the better of your stressed-out brain:

1) Live in the moment. There's a lot of talk these days about "mindfulness" — the act of focusing on what's happening right now. To help do that, Greenberg suggests grounding yourself by focusing on your breathing as you describe the "Immediate sensory expeience," to reset your brain.

2) Focus on what you can control. "Our brains don’t like lack of control," says Greenberg. She recommends compartmentalizing what you can't control and redirectlng your mind to what you do have control over.

For example, if you prepared as well as possible for a job interview but didn't get the job, recognize that's out of your control and resist blaming yourself.

3) Examine your thoughts. Ask yourself whether what's swirling in your head is true and helpful. Our brains have a way of focusing on distorted negative thoughts that can "take you down a rabbit hole," says Greenberg. "One negative thought can lead to a negative cycle" that can make you think there's nothing you can do about it.

If not, deliberately think about or do something else. Our brains don’t do well thinking about two things at once.

4) Practice self-compassion. When things go wrong, we're often far tougher on ourselves than we'd ever be to someone else. Ask yourself what you would tell your best friend if she was in a similar situation. "We’re all human," Greenberg notes. "We don’t have to be perfect."

5) Find like-minded people, take action. Misery may love company but companionship can also get your out of your funk. Sharing your concerns with others who understand you can reduce stress and help you find solutions. As Greenberg notes, it's reassuring to know others have experienced the same things and can help you get through yours.

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