These 8 skills could help you reduce stress

04:10 |

by Brittney Melton

September 29, 2024

Good morning. This week, Erik Menendez called out a new Netflix show for ‘blatant lies' about him and his brother, Trump said he would not run for president in 2028 if he loses in November, and the Coast Guard saved a man and his dog from a sinking boat.

Today's top story

Several Israeli airstrikes on Friday in central Beirut killed the longtime leader of the Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah confirmed his death yesterday. The strikes mark a dramatic development in the Middle East conflict that’s been brewing since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Six people have died and more than 90 have been injured, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Supporters listen to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah via a video link during a ceremony to mark the first week since the killing of Hezbollah's top commander Fuad Shukr on August 6 in Beirut.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

➡️ Who was Hassan Nasrallah? Under his leadership, Hezbollah became one of the most powerful militias in the Middle East. Learn more about him here.
➡️ The strikes that killed Nasrallah follow days of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah’s fighters in Southern Lebanon. Here’s everything you need to know about the militia group.
➡️ Nasrallah’s death could reshape an already deadly and complex conflict. Here’s what it may mean for Israel, Gaza and beyond.
➡️ “The next thing to watch is who’s going to succeed him,” Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Middle East Institute says. On Weekend Edition, she discusses the implications of Nasrallah’s death for the future of Hezbollah and the growing fears of a regional war.

Best of NPR

The saying goes, "Nothing is certain except death and taxes." Maybe stress should be thrown in there too. It's something we all face, no matter how big or small. When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina this week, I found myself working from my friend's home with a dying laptop during a power outage. It was a small stressor for me. For my friend, who was preparing for her wedding the next day, it was probably a bigger stressor.

Maria Fabrizio/NPR

Both experiences are valid, and temporary examples of stress, but still one of the reasons NPR has a new project called Stress Less: A Quest To Reclaim Your Calm. Over the next five weeks, NPR's food and health correspondent Allison Aubrey will bring you tips and tricks to manage stress on Morning Edition, Life Kit, npr.org, newsletters and more.

You'll also get to take part in an online stress-reduction course in collaboration with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. This masterclass won't make all your problems go away, but it will help boost your well-being. Throughout the course, you'll learn eight skills to help with stress management:

🌸 Positive Events: Notice when positive things happen in your life
🌱 Savoring: Amplify those positive events by thinking about them
🍀 Gratitude: Appreciate the things, people, and events that bring you happiness
🌈 Mindfulness and Mindful Meditation: Focus on the present moment without judgment
🌺 Positive Reappraisal: Find the silver lining in situations
🍎 Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the kindness
🐠 Personal Strength: Recognize your talents and abilities
🌙 Attainable Goals: Make plans that set you up for success

Managing stress is the key to thriving, Aubrey says. "Practicing these skills — as I’ve been reporting them — is making a difference in my life!" Aubrey has been a consumer health reporter for more than two decades. Even though many of these tips aren't new to her, she says she hadn't taken the time to practice them until recently. "This series is in service of YOU,' she says. "I want to share what I've learned in hopes of inspiring readers and listeners!"

Working on this newsletter in the early morning hours can be stressful at times. That's why our team will also participate in the stress management course. We'll let you know how it went in five weeks. In the meantime, join us by signing up for the Stress Less newsletter here and the stress reduction course here.

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The Week That Was

A doctor shows what a 3D image of the breast using tomosynthesis (3D mammography) looks like on a screen.

South China Morning Post/South China Morning Post/Getty Images

A new study shows that three-dimensional imaging has outperformed older digital mammography, reducing the need for more breast cancer testing and detecting more cancers earlier during routine screenings. Digital breast tomosynthesis machines capture cross-sectional radiographic images of multiple angles of the breast, allowing radiologists to evaluate the tissue layer by layer. This has improved visibility for dense breasts. However, it won’t be known definitively whether 3D mammography finds breast cancers earlier than the 2D version until 2030.

The Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza both have long histories, resulting in a common question: When will the fighting end? Or better yet, will it ever? Several factors explain why modern wars last a long time. First, smaller militaries have easier access to more and better weapons. Second, military strategies are not enough; political solutions also play a part in most wars ending with negotiations.

California is banning single-use plastic bags entirely. This comes a decade after it approved a plastic bag ban that has been blamed for making the plastic bag problem worse. The initial ban had a loophole that allowed grocers to charge for thicker plastic bags. As a result, the state still dumped 231,072 tons of plastic grocery bags in landfills in 2021, according to CalRecycle. Under the new law, which will take effect in 2026, customers will have three main options: 10-cent paper bags, reusable bags, or simply carrying items in their hands.

UFOs might just be real — at least according to some historical markers. There are claims that aliens have visited Earth from outer space on 15 of the 180,000+ markers in the U.S. The NPR Investigations: Off The Mark series has been examining the country’s historical markers. Some are comically wrong, while others are brazenly offensive. Here’s a map of the markers NPR has examined so far.

The presidential election is rapidly approaching, and it is still considered a toss-up on which candidate will take the White House. The votes for third-party and independent candidates in key states could help determine the winner. This has led people in major parties to spend money trying to boost candidates they believe could hurt the opposing party. Here are candidates listed on ballots in the seven top battleground states that could make that difference.

The Facts are Powerful

In an age of fake news and disinformation, NPR strives to amplify the truth. That’s why when power structures are threatened, those in power target journalists. They want to silence journalists to conceal the truth.

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Podcast Picks

Illustration of woman in phonebooth on the phone while there is a thought bubble of them thinking of two other people.

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StoryCorps: Stories of the human heart. A candid, unscripted conversation between two people about what's really important in life: love, loss, family, friendship.

🎧 We're back with more stories that listeners like you have shared on our voicemail. This week: The thin lines between life and death, and friendship and love. Leave your own voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

The Broadside, via North Carolina Public Radio: From news to arts and culture, host Anisa Khalifa dives into issues that might not be on the front page but deserve a closer look. Along the way, explore the nuances of the American South and how what happens there ripples across the country.

🎧 Although Latinos make up some of the most diverse communities in the South, they're often portrayed as one people or newcomers with a fairly uncomplicated backstory in the region. But from the Civil Rights Movement to South of the Border, that couldn't be further from the truth.

How To Do Everything: Each episode, we answer all your burning questions, from how to survive a public bathroom to how to get close to a panda. When we don't know the answer (which is roughly 92% of the time) we bring in overqualified experts to help out. Eventually, you'll walk away knowing how to do everything.

🎧 On today's episode, the great Tom Hanks teaches us the art of being adored and hosts Mike and Ian help a listener who's curious about world fame. Plus, a bottoms-up approach to recognizing your family members.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen and Treye Green. Suzanne Nuyen wrote Today's Top Story.

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