7 Ways Stress Can Be Good for You
As a general rule stress is bad, but there are a few exceptions when a little stress can actually help you live a fuller, happier, and healthier life.
Short bursts of stress can boost your immune system. The stress hormone cortisol can lead to obesity in large amounts but when released into the body in small doses, like while playing a game with a timer or going to a nerve-wracking job interview, it’s actually beneficial and increases the body’s immunity.
Stress can make you more creative because it forces our brains to look at things differently in an effort to find a solution. Artists, writers, and other creative professionals often experience breakthroughs during or immediately after times of great stress.
Stress can make you fitter. Moderate amounts of physical stress, i.e. pushing yourself to run faster and lift more, is a good kind of stress and triggers your body to grow stronger and become more efficient.
Stress can help with problem solving by ‘illuminating your values.’ Consider what things cause you stress and what the underlying principles are and you’ll be better able to focus on solutions that will really make you happier.
Stress might keep your kids safer if it means you’re more alert to potential dangers and more likely to keep your kids out of harms way.
Stress could get you a promotion and a raise at work if it’s in the right amount. A small level of stress is needed in the job environment to keep a person focused and motivated to do their best and keep improving, but too much stress can cause people to burnout and shut down.
Stress can help keep you healthy after surgery or other major medical procedures. Experts don’t know exactly how or why but think it has something to do with the ‘fighting spirit’ that sometimes comes with a scary diagnosis like breast cancer.
