When you think of meditation, you probably don’t associate it with better digestion and gut health. I know I didn’t until I learned just how much unresolved stress influences our gut health and just how powerful meditation is for decreasing stress and improving our ability to digest.

In this video, Kelly McGonigal does a beautiful job of covering some of the research looking at how our beliefs about stress change our physiological reactions to stress and how the stress response has a built-in social aspect. She discusses three studies that shed new light on the stress response, and how our beliefs and relationships to stress may improve our health.

The holidays are among us! And it's that time of year that's known for its busy nature that can lead to quite the load of stress. After all, you likely have invitations to gatherings collecting on your counter, a long list of people you need to send holiday cards to, and you're looking ahead at the meals to prepare and moments to spend with your loved ones. Not to mention the shorter days, colder nights, and extra prep required to meet the weather as you head out the door. All of this, on top of your everyday life. It can be overwhelming.

But the truth is, we are continually responding to the ebb and flow of life and the stress that life brings — both positive and negative. Positive stress motivates and drives us. Negatively perceived stress affects our physical and mental health and can rob us of happiness.