Can stress actually be good for you?
(Newsweek Dec 20, 2006)
As a yoga instructor, Jennifer Parmelee knows what to do to find her inner calm when hit with daily stresses. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by pressures or annoyances, Parmelee uses them to keep her motivated.
“You need stress to a certain degree,” she says. “You just try not to let it take control of you,” she says.
For her, the idea is to turn a stressful situation into “fierceness or fun.” Stress ... fun? Could stress actually be good for you?
In small doses, yes.
We may talk about cutting the stress from our lives, but we need those precious, powerful fight—or—flight hormones our bodies produce. When the brain perceives physical or psychological stress, it starts pumping the chemicals cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine into the body. Instantly, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, senses sharpen, a rise in blood glucose invigorates us and we’re ready to rock.
Good stress is the type of emotional challenge where a person feels in control and provides some sense of accomplishment. It can improve heart function and make the body resistant to infection, experts say.
The upside of stress
Increasingly, researchers are probing the upside of stress. Some believe shortterm boosts of it can strengthen the immune system and protect against some diseases. Recently, a study suggested that stress could help prevent breast cancer.
Of course, there’s the rub. Stress can be positive, but get too much of it—when the flood of hormones bombards your body longer than 24 hours, doctors say—and all kinds of bad things start to happen.
The problem is, it’s difficult to shut off the onslaught of stress hormones when they become harmful. People can’t control how high their hormones go when they experience a difficult situation.
The body does give off signals when healthy tension has tipped over into bad stress. Mental fogginess, frequent colds, increased sensitivity to aches and pains are all signs of an overwhelmed immune system.
“What we can do is change the way our brains respond to ［stress］ with coping techniques such as deep breathing, meditation and exercise,” says Dr. Bruce Rabin, a professor of pathology and psychiatry.
Matter of perception
Indeed, stress is a doubled-edged sword that affects everyone differently. Multi-tasking or living in a hectic urban environment is a thrill for some, a confusing sensory overload for others.
The goal isn’t an absence of stress. It’s an unavoidable reality. The key is channeling stress energy into productive action instead of feeling overwhelmed, experts say.
