This View Zaps Stress, Naturally

Those who hit the gym don't take stress out on subordinates: study

(NEWSER) - Got a crabby boss? Maybe you should get your office to chip in on a gym membership. Bosses who work out are less likely to mistreat their employees, according to a recent study in the Journal of Business and Psychology , spotted by Scientific American . Researchers had 98 MBA students fill out surveys on their bosses' behaviors, and had bosses fill out a separate survey about their stress levels and exercise habits. More»

Surveys point to the most stressful jobs, ages and places

(NEWSER) - So you’re stressed? So what. Everybody’s stressed. But who wins the stress Olympics? The Daily Beast set out to find out, compiling various stress studies. A smattering of the findings:

• Detroit is the most stressed-out city, based on unemployment rate, crime rate, sunshine, and other economic indicators. Salt Lake City, incidentally, is the least stressful.
• Firefighters have the most stressful jobs, according to one report, closely followed by corporate executive, taxi driver, and surgeon. If you’re looking for a low-stress career, try musical instrument repair.
• Women are more stressed than men, according to one psychological survey, with 8% more reporting “a great deal of stress,” and 11% more reporting stress headaches and upset stomachs.
• Gen-Xers are the most stressed generation, with more than half reporting frequent feelings of anger or irritability.
• Married women report more stress than single ones.
• Babies pushed in forward-facing strollers are probably more stressed out than those who face the person pushing them, according to one researcher, because they’re half as likely to fall asleep, and have higher heart rates.

People more focused on others when primed with natural imagery, research shows

(NEWSER) - Being around the natural world or representations of it makes you a better person, Miller-McCune reports. A study finds that people shown slides of natural landscapes rated community-oriented goals—such as “to work for the betterment of society”—as more important to them than self-oriented goals—for example, “to be financially successful.” Those shown cityscape slides, by contrast, prioritized selfish goals. More»

(NEWSER) - Spanking your partner may ratchet up their stress hormones, but they’ll thank you when it’s over, according to a new study. Researchers measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol in 13 men and women at one S&M party, and testosterone levels at another. Those on the receiving end saw cortisol rise, the New Scientist reports, and women saw testosterone increase. But levels dropped afterward, and couples reported increases in relationship closeness. More»

Scientists find chemical that's key to keeping your cool—or not

(NEWSER) - Turns out keeping your cool really is all in your head—scientists now pinpoint those most susceptible to stress as having too much of a chemical in a region of the brain that regulates reward signals, Reuters reports. The discovery could shed light on treatments for PTSD and depression, which are bound up with the same neurochemical produced in stressful situations. More»