How Stress can be Good for You
Take in Small Amounts
Most writing about stress concerns how it should be managed, controlled, or even eliminated. This, according to such writing, would make life much better and easier for the person managing the stress. For the most part, these opinions are correct. Stress is indeed a disease causing problems for both the physical body and mental functions. There is however an important distinction: long-term stress can cause significant damage, but short-term bursts of focused stress can actually help you to function better and be healthier.
Good Stress
As researchers get to know more about stress and its effect upon the human body, there is increasing attention on how we need some degree of stress in our lives. According to a BBC article, researchers and professionals such as Phillip Hodson suggest that some pressure is necessary in life. Stress helps us to perform at our best when facing difficult or challenging problems. Consider for example how you would feel in any of the following situations:
- A job interview
- A test or exam
- A first date
- An important presentation
The stress experienced in these situations encourage us to perform at our best. The chemicals released in the body promote a heightened sense of awareness. Our ancestors ran away from sabre-toothed tigers, relaxed when the danger was over, and were healthier for it. Human experience today is rather more intellectual than physical, but the same effect is achieved: after giving a killer presentation, a person may feel happy, relaxed and in the mood for celebrating. We celebrate and are healthier for it.
Stress and Health
According to Mr. Hodson, this type of stress even boosts the immune system. It functions in the same way as a workout. Too much or prolonged physical exercise will stress the body to breaking point. It will no longer be healthy. In the same way the stress chemicals that promote health in the short term and in small amount become destructive when remaining for too long.
Short-term stress can also be mentally healthy. It can push people beyond the boundaries of what they believe they can accomplish. Consider for example dangerous, life-threatening situations. A child falling into a lake may trigger a response in a parent who did not believe he could swim. The rush of adrenaline caused by an accident could temporarily strengthen an uninjured friend to lift a car wreck to free those trapped beneath it. Losing a job can trigger pressure to search for a new position until one is found.
Stress and Motivation
Short-term stress helps you to never give up. It motivates you to greater heights than you thought possible. So what to do with this knowledge, especially when trying to cope with long-term stressors such as a new baby, a difficult boss, or a disability? Certainly, there are good ways, as previously suggested, to handle stress. Also, knowing that stress can be good for you can provide a platform for handling long-term stress better. Handling short-term stress in an effective way boosts physical immunity and mental confidence.
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Retrieved from BBC.co.uk. "Getting Stressed Now and Again May be Good for Your Health, Research Suggests".
Short-Term Stress Boosts Immunity and Performance
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