7 Surprising Benefits of Stress

We hear it all the time - stress is bad for our health. It can increase blood pressure and cause symptoms such as insomnia and weight gain. But the "flight or fight" response we experience when stressed is our body's way of protecting us from danger, so it hasn't evolved to be harmful.

It's only when stress is long-term, and we feel that we can no longer control a situation, that it can harm our mental and physical health. If you constantly feel stressed and worried, Bach Flower Mix 71 can reduce anxiety and help you to feel in control again.

So rather than seeking a stress-free existence, take a glass-half-full approach and make stress work for you! Accept that a bit of stress can actually be good for us, benefitting our minds and bodies. Here are some reasons why short-term anxiety or "good stress" can make you healthier, stronger and more productive!

1. Stress can give your brain a boost

Short term stress strengthens the neuron connections in the brain by stimulating the production of neurotrophins, chemicals produced by the brain. An excellent example of this is exercise, which can help to boost concentration and increase productivity.

Psychological stresses have a similar motivating effect: many of us find that we can do our best work when a deadline looms. Plus, studies on animals suggest that stress responses can improve learning and memory scores.

2. Stress can improve immunity

A low dose of stress can help you to dodge colds - at least in the short term. As well as protecting you from injury or other external dangers, moderate stress also increases the production of interleukins, chemicals that play a crucial role in the body's immune system.

Your body is preparing to protect itself from injuries or infections, and this response gives a temporary boost to its defences. So next time your stress levels rise, remember that your anxiety could help your body resist any nasty bugs going around your office or school.

3. Stress can make you stronger and more resilient

While you may hate feeling stressed and anxious, there's no doubt that learning to cope with challenging situations makes you stronger and more resilient. The first time you run up against a problem, you may struggle because you don't know how to deal with it. But the next time you confront a similar challenge, the resilience you gained from your previous experiences helps you feel in control and cope much better.

This is the idea behind some military training, where recruits are repeatedly exposed to shocks and stresses. Because they learn from the experiences and become more resilient, they are less likely to "freeze" when faced with an emergency situation.

The concept that repeated exposure to stress makes us stronger may be valid even at the level of cellular biology. Studies have found that while long term stress can damage the DNA and RNA in our cells, moderate stress seems to have a protective effect and enhances our resilience.

4. Stress can motivate you to achieve your goals

The secret is to see stress as a challenge to overcome rather than allowing it to overwhelm you. Sometimes we need the fight or flight response to kick in to get us started on a project. We've all been there: revising for an exam or preparing a presentation, we procrastinate until we're under time pressure.

Short term stress can also help you concentrate, whether in a creative endeavour, in a sport or at work. When you enter the state of "flow", your awareness is heightened, you're unaware of time passing, and you're entirely focused on the activity. As a result, your productivity and creativity are maximised; some psychologists believe this effect is primarily driven by the stress of wanting to succeed and achieve your full potential.

5. Stress can enhance child development

Mums-to-be sometimes worry that their anxiety will affect their babies if they're stressed, and it's true that unrelenting stress can have a negative effect. But studies have shown that children whose mothers experienced mild, short term stresses during their pregnancy had better developmental and motor skills at the age of two than the children of mothers who had not felt stressed at all.

6. Stress may promote bonding

Stress can help to grow relationships, which are the basis of mental and physical wellbeing. When people feel loved, appreciated and understood by a family member or friend, they feel less isolated.

Talking to family and friends can strengthen relationships. Supporting each other through tough times helps to build bonds that can last a lifetime. Support groups also allow people to talk about their anxieties with others who can relate to their difficulties, transforming a negative experience into positivity.

7. Stress is part of a purposeful life

You might dream of a life that's stress-free, but in reality, a roses-and-sunshine existence might not be better. The things we achieve in life that we're most proud of are the most challenging and stressful, whether that's passing an exam, running a successful business or raising a family. If you take away stress, it's likely that you'll also take away the most meaningful parts of our lives.

Sources:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_surprising_benefits_of_stress

https://www.psychreg.org/psychological-benefits-of-stress/

Other articles

Fact or fiction? Is it truly healthy?

There's so much contradictory health advice out there, it gets confusing. One year, butter is said to be bad for you, and margarine is better. The following year, it's the other way around. One article says running causes strain on your joints; another says it's good for you because it increases bone strength.

Did you get stuck in the past?

Do you find yourself often thinking about your past? Do you wish you could turn back the clock to days gone by or things as they were before covid disrupted the world?

I don't want to!

Motivation can be somewhat elusive - some days, you just can't seem to make yourself do the stuff you don't want to. But putting things off just leads to stress, frustration and a sense of guilt.

Isn't depression just a fancy word for feeling a bit down?

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety affect around 1 in 6 people at some stage of their life. Despite it being such a common problem, many sufferers wait months or even years before seeking help.

Subtle signs your child is unhappy

According to figures from the World Health Organisation, more than 260 million people worldwide suffer from depression. And it's not only adults who are diagnosed with this illness. Children as young as three or four years old can experience depression.

Letting go of the past: 5 tips

Lynn Anderson told it very nicely in her song “I beg your pardon; I never promised you a rose garden”. Life isn’t all roses and everybody experiences something they would rather not once in their life.

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school?

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school? Here are our hints and tips to help if your child is expressing a refusal to go to school.

5 tips to survive autumn healthily

We simply can’t avoid noticing the changes all around us. Autumn is here... Autumn is also called a transitional season. Slowly and steadily, it prepares us for the transition...

Is your sex life putting your relationship at risk?

Sexual desire is a complex interaction of hormones, emotions and well-being. When your partner is not as interested in sex as you are, it’s rarely a rejection of you as a person. So it’s essential to be as empathetic as you can regarding your differing libidos.

Can you accept things you can't change? Take our quiz!

Your relationship ends, or you lose your job, and you get stuck in a rut of negative thoughts and suffering. How good are you at letting go of grudges and accepting that some things are beyond your control? Take our quiz to find out!