Book SummaryWhy Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

In Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, neurologist Robert Sapolsky argues that people today are facing constant psychological stress and that our mental and physical well-being are suffering because of it. As a biologist who specializes in the study of primates and neuroscience, Sapolsky looks at stress from an evolutionary perspective, noting that the way human behavior has changed since our...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary The Evolutionary Explanation for Our Constant Stress

Sapolsky writes that due to advances in medicine, health, and agriculture, our lives have become both longer and much less immediately dangerous than our ancestors’. Instead of having short-term stressors like famine, childbirth, and predators, our stressors are long-term, like financial or career concerns. However, our stress response hasn’t evolved to cope with such long-term stressors, which results in our feeling constantly stressed.

Hunter-Gatherers and Old Age

Sapolsky contends that people are now much more likely to live long enough to suffer the long-term effects of stress. It’s important to note, however, that a fair amount of our hunter-gatherer ancestors did live to old age, and it’s mainly higher infant mortality rates that dragged their average life expectancy down.

Other research suggests that [it wasn’t uncommon for hunter-gatherers to live well past the age of...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary How the Stress Response Works and How Chronic Stress Influences It

To better understand how stress affects the body, let's take a look at how the stress response works and how chronic stress affects its functioning. Sapolsky points out that when you identify a stressor, your brain has two main ways of activating your stress response. The first is through the release of neurotransmitters by the autonomic nervous system. The second is through the release of hormones. When you’re chronically stressed and these systems are activated too often, it can disrupt the body’s functions and potentially cause harm.

Autonomic Nervous System

According to Sapolsky, the autonomic nervous system controls involuntary processes (like the stress response), and it consists of two key parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These two systems work in tandem to respond to and then recover from stress.

The sympathetic nervous system turns on during times of stress (fight or flight) and helps your body respond almost immediately during a perceived emergency. It does this by releasing neurotransmitters through the nerve endings all over your body. The two key neurotransmitters the sympathetic nerve endings release are the closely related...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary Chronic Stress and Its Effect on Your Body

Sapolsky’s main argument is that the chronic stress humans regularly feel can be extremely damaging to their bodies. Because dealing with a stressful event can be so intense, and potentially important to one’s survival, the stress response affects virtually every system of the body. So it’s easy to see how chronic stress might be so harmful. Let’s look at some of these harmful effects in more detail. We’ll focus on how chronic stress affects two systems: the cardiovascular system and the metabolic system.

Stress and Cardiovascular Health

Sapolsky states that the harmful effects of psychological stress are seen most clearly in cardiovascular health. Since stress causes your blood pressure to increase, chronic stress can cause chronically high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Hypertension can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle: As blood pressure increases, your blood vessels have to work harder to regulate the blood flow and ensure your body is getting adequate oxygen and nutrients. As they work harder, they become stronger and more rigid, and thus more resistant to blood flow. Now there is a constant cycle of increasing vascular resistance and blood...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Chronic stress doesn’t just impact your physical health: It also impacts your mental health. Sapolsky argues that there’s a significant link between stress and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, which both involve a person inadequately dealing with stress.

Depression

Sapolsky states that there’s a significant link between stress and depression and that chronic stress can be a precursor to a depressive episode. Depression has long been linked to an imbalance or deficiency of neurotransmitters such as [restricted term], which, as we’ve discussed, makes your body immediately react to a stressor. Furthermore, people suffering from major depression usually have elevated levels of glucocorticoids, a sign of an overactive stress response. Taking all of this into account, here’s a simplified version of how someone falls into a depression:

• First, a significant stressor or series of stressors occurs, causing neurochemical changes that lead to a depressive episode. The more stress you’ve had in the past, especially if at a young age, the more likely these neurochemical changes are to occur.
• Then, glucocorticoids are released that alter the neurochemical...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary Psychological Factors of Stress

As we’ve explored, the author argues that chronic stress arises because our bodies are responding to constant psychological stressors. But there are outside factors that can impact the degree of stress we experience. Sapolsky identifies five psychological variables that can change the level of stress we feel: 1) the ability to vent frustration, 2) social support, 3) predictability, 4) control, and 5) our perception of whether things are getting better or worse.

Venting Frustration

Sapolsky claims that humans can deal with stress better if they have a way to relieve it. Perhaps you’ve experienced this yourself—maybe you feel less frustrated if you exercise, yell into a pillow, or simply do something you enjoy. Humans can even imagine a way to vent frustration and feel relief. Being able to vent frustration helps distract you from the stressor, but it also reminds you that there is more to life than the stress of your current situation.

(Shortform note: Most stress reduction techniques revolve around finding ways to vent frustration. Here are some [more specific ways to vent...

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary How You Can Learn to Better Cope With Stress

Sapolsky contends that you can reduce stress by finding ways to displace frustration, lean on social support, and implement a sense of predictability and control in your life. There are, however, caveats and exceptions to these methods you should be aware of. The key is to find the right strategies and coping mechanisms for certain situations and to figure out which ones work best for you. Let’s look at some of the strategies you can use to reduce psychological stress in your life while keeping in mind some of their caveats.

Exercise as a Way to Vent Frustration

According to Sapolsky, a popular, well-studied, and effective way to reduce stress and vent frustration is to exercise. Remember, the stress response is preparing your muscles to exert energy, so by exercising, you give your body the chance to release that energy. Exercise can also reduce stress by simply taking your mind off the stressful event.

(Shortform note: Using the energy created by a stress response can help you avoid stress response hyperstimulation, in which your body is constantly semi-prepared to respond to...

Shortform Exercise: Examine the Stress in Your Life and Brainstorm Coping Strategies

We all feel stress, and we all deal with stress differently. Let’s look at some stressors in your life and identify why they’re stressful and what you can do about them.

Think of a psychological or social stressor that’s affected you in the past week. This can be a mild or severe stressor, like a major disagreement with a friend or just a tough day at work. Describe the stressful event or situation below.