An interesting study performed by researchers at Harvard suggests that how we think about stressful events in our life can make a huge difference in our cardiovascular and even psychological health. Talk about "mind over matter"!  The study found that participants who thought of their body's response to stress as "functional and adaptive" had a greater cardiac efficiency and lower vascular resistance compared to controls. So, next time you are faced with a stressful event and feel your heart racing and your palms sweating, embrace your body's response; what you are experiencing is your body already appropriately responding to the challenge. Take a deep breath! You can do it!

Reference:

Jeremy P. Jamieson et al., “Mind over matter: Reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress”, Journal of Experimental Psychology, August 2012