What Stress Is Really Doing to Your Body
Donate to the Institute: https://givenow.nova.edu/donations-for-me-cfs-research-2026 In today's episode, Haylie Pomroy sits down with Dr. Jaime Tartar, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University, to reframe everything you think you know about stress and give you the science-backed tools to actually manage it. Dr. Tartar explains the biological difference between acute stress, chronic stress, and eustress, why worry is a physiological state that releases cortisol, and how perception is the single most powerful variable in whether stress helps or harms you. She walks through the neuroscience of cognitive reframing, the measurable brain benefits of gratitude, and the two-phase sleep cycle that determines how well you process emotions and recover from the day before. She also covers screen time, electronic boundaries, the physiological impact of nature and movement on the stress response, and practical strategies for helping children navigate catastrophic thinking. For anyone navigating chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, long COVID, or ME/CFS, watch this episode of the Hope and Help For Fatigue and Chronic Illness podcast. Key points: 00:01 Introduction 02:24 Why stress is not inherently bad 04:11 Acute stress versus chronic stress 05:51 How your body prepares to survive the next five minutes 07:02 Why worry is a biological state 08:01 When worry becomes chronic 10:49 The power of mindset and cognitive reframing 12:50 Building a stress management toolbox 13:43 Practicing gratitude and why it changes your brain chemistry 14:14 How naming your emotions gives you more control 16:42 What happens to your body and brain overnight 17:29 Deep sleep versus REM sleep 18:53 Why disrupted REM sleep impairs emotional regulation 20:52 Why your phone needs to leave your bedroom 23:09 How to set an electronic boundary that actually works 27:33 How to help young adults navigate catastrophic thinking 28:55 Nature has a measurable physiological impact on stress 30:31 Why movement is therapeutic for the brain Jaime Tartar is a Professor of Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University. She earned her Ph.D. in the Behavioral Neuroscience program at the University of Florida, where the focus of her research involved discovering long-term changes that occur in neurobiological pathways involved in stress responses and developing animal models of stress. Dr. Tartar has also completed Postdoctoral Training at Harvard Medical School, where she studied the neurological consequences of sleep perturbations using in vitro electrophysiological recording techniques. She also received training in Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Tartar is the co-founder and CEO of The Society for Sports Neuroscience, an academic organization for the field of Sports Neuroscience. Dr. Tartar's current research is focused on stress, sleep, and athletic performance in humans. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-tartar-1545889/ Haylie Pomroy, Founder and CEO of The Haylie Pomroy Group, is a leading health strategist specializing in metabolism, weight loss, and integrative wellness. With over 25 years of experience, she has worked with top medical institutions and high-profile clients, developing targeted programs and supplements rooted in the "Food is Medicine" philosophy. Inspired by her own autoimmune journey, she combines expertise in nutrition, biochemistry, and patient advocacy to help others reclaim their health. She is a New York Times bestselling author of The Fast Metabolism Diet. Website: https://hayliepomroy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayliepomroy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hayliepomroy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hayliepomroy/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayliepomroy/ X: https://x.com/hayliepomroy Thank you for tuning in to the Hope and Help For Fatigue and Chronic Illness Podcast. Sign up today for our newsletter. 👉 https://nova.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=419072c88a85f355f15ab1257&id=5e03a4de7d Enjoy our show? Please leave us a 5-star review so we can bring hope and help to others This podcast is brought to you by the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine. Learn more about us here. Website: https://www.nova.edu/nim/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InstituteForNeuroImmuneMedicine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NSU_INIM/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NSU_INIM TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nsu_inim Your support goes a long way toward the advancement of clinical research. Donate here. 👉 https://www.nova.edu/nim/donations.html #StressManagement #ChronicStress #SleepHealth
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