The truth is that stress can be good for us.
Huh? I thought we unanimously agreed that stress is not only difficult but something that takes a toll on our health. That stressful situations are an everyday occurrence, and are simultaneously inevitable and unavoidable.
There are thousands of resources online about simple ways to reduce stress overnight, but what about when it’s not possible because of your job, home life, health, finances or something else unexpected? Or for the people who thrive with a packed schedule, who look at busyness like a gold star, it can be more troublesome to slow down than to operate at full throttle. You know the feeling: heart racing, palms sweating, stomach twisting… It doesn’t feel good, so how can it be good for you?
What it comes down to is a mindset shift – rather than prevent, supress or fear stress, you can determine your stress response. In moments of intense adrenaline, you’re more likely to act on impulse – and under this pressure, science has proven that people perform better and make better decisions. You are forced to embrace the moment and rise to the challenge, accelerating your growth. Your heart might still be pounding but you’ll be aware of how you’re handling the stress, and are more productive because of it. In this way, it is helping you.
It is instinctual to want to stop stress before it happens, but enduring the waves of stress as they roll over you is just another way to be present. Resisting reality won’t help – all you can really do is accept what is happening and remember that it will pass.
Our own thoughts and behaviors are often the culprits of our stress, causing us to buckle under all the ‘what if’s.’ As stress repeats, our natural stress response strengthens; when your brain is wired to react in a particular way it is tricky to rewire that. Potentially, believing stress is healthy can make it so.
Nervousness, worrying about the future, anxiety… The list goes on for other emotions that people associate with stress. And all of these can result from high-stakes scenarios. In looking at it from another angle, these situations also have the highest likelihood to magnify a phenomenal moment. In a 2013 study on a sample of adults in the US, the people who said they were under a lot of stress also rated their lives as more meaningful. It’s the deliberate choice to enjoy the moment and embrace the outcome that reprograms the experience.
So, maybe the unpleasantry does have an upside. It is one more learning opportunity for mindfulness, with the acceptance that life can be stressful.
Or if you just want a quick fix, try: meditation, breathing exercises, movement and time-management.
