"How We Regulate Stress with Our Behaviors" with Chance Nicholson, PhD

Dr. William “Chance” Nicholson joined the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing as an assistant professor in August 2019. He received his PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a focus on neurophysiological correlations between the vagus nerves’ cholinergic pathways, psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., perceived stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Dr. Nicholson's research interests and publications center on neurophysiological substrates that form the basis of cognitive-behavioral symptoms (e.g., anger, impulsivity, depression, suicidality) often observed in trauma-based disorders, in particular post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.In this episode Dr. Nicholson and Dr. Bergquist talk about self-regulatory behaviors in the context of stress. How do things like fidgeting and gesticulation work on physiological level to moderate our stress response? What are other behaviors that are or are not conscious that help our body to "make sense" of the world? Are all of those behavior beneficial? Understanding and being mindful of these tools can help us make choices more consciously, be less reactive and be more in touch with ourselves and those around us.This podcast is brought to you by Emory Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness. To learn more about our work, please visithttps://bit.ly/EmoryLM