Stress Can Be Positive.. 5 Tips to Benefit from It

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - We often hear the phrase "stress harms our health".. and this is true, as stress causes a wide range of diseases, especially when it becomes chronic and persistent.

However, it has become clear that some types of stress may provide opportunities for growth. Dr. Sharon Bergquist, an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, founder and director of the Emory Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Center, and author of the book "The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life," stated that the right amount of it may actually be necessary for our well-being. Bergquist explained in her interview with CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, on the "Chasing Life" podcast that "excessive stress harms us, but insufficient stress causes us the same harm."

Bergquist's experiences in her childhood planted the seeds of her interest in stress, as she lived through the Iranian Revolution, and her family had to flee to England, eventually settling in the United States. However, life in the West was not free of stress either, as she explained: "In eighth grade, I couldn't write a single paragraph in English without great difficulty."

Nevertheless, she thrived, graduating as the valedictorian of her high school, attending Yale University as an undergraduate, and then Harvard Medical School. Bergquist told Gupta: "In the end, it sparked this obsession in me: why do some people grow and thrive amidst these experiences, while this is not the case for others?"

She added that she became truly interested in the question of whether all that stress is harmful. Through her research, she found that it depends on the type and amount of stress a person is exposed to, noting that she works with many professionals who are highly passionate, indicating that they also live lives considered "full of stress."

This type of stress is called "beneficial stress," which I believe has a completely different effect on our bodies compared to harmful stress that has become synonymous with what people describe as 'stress.' I believe I can now confidently say that this type of stress (good) releases biochemical levels that enhance health: for example, we release dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.

What can be done to introduce positive stress into your life? Bergquist has five tips: Find your Goldilocks zone. Bergquist told Afaq News: "Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone without feeling overwhelmed," explaining that "positive stress is medicine.

Growth resulting from stress occurs when the stress is in the Goldilocks zone, meaning within its ideal limits, not too much and not too little." In other words, push yourself to get into the water and swim, but don't let yourself drown.

Focus on self-integrity. Bergquist asked: "Do you challenge yourself in ways that align with your beliefs? Or do they conflict with them?" She explained that "your heart and mind recognize the difference.

Persevering in situations where you feel stuck or disconnected from your values can become a harmful form of stress." She continued: "Good stress is not just about reframing the stress in our lives positively, but also involves taking thoughtful actions to confront tangible, purposeful challenges as an antidote to chronic stress that we cannot control or avoid."

For example, this may include accepting or creating a job opportunity that aligns with your values, or learning a skill that you find rewarding. Be strategic about recovery. Bergquist pointed out that "to relieve stress, you need to allocate time for rest and recovery," adding that "under pressure, your body shifts into a mode where it conserves energy and takes care of its internal tasks."

She explained that during recovery, your brain and body are reshaped, creating new connections that better prepare you to face future challenges." Bergquist noted that "recovery is just as important as good stress for achieving benefits, and even good stress can accumulate to become harmful without any recovery."

Understand the relationship between your mind and body. Bergquist observed that "physically stressing yourself can help build your mental resilience, and vice versa. It’s a wonderful process called reciprocal adaptation."

She explained: "When you experience good physical or psychological stress, you repair and renew your cells, making every part of your body healthier and stronger," pointing to examples related to "eating plant-based foods that contain phytochemicals that enhance stress resistance, exercising vigorously, exposing yourself to heat and cold for short periods, and intermittent fasting by restricting eating time." Trust that you were created to withstand some stress. Experiencing stress is not a flaw, but a trait, as Bergquist considered that "our human history is rich with overcoming stress and gaining strength because of it."

She added: "Through repeated cycles of stress and recovery, we tap into our innate abilities. It’s a gift we inherited in our genes, where resilience is a muscle we can all strengthen, regardless of where we are or the circumstances we face.

It is okay to have fears, and it is okay to want to avoid challenges.