A (little) pain is good for you

When you voluntarily engage in a tough activity, you trigger the body's hormesis mechanism that stimulates your brain

- Divya Naik

For 38-year-old Delhi-based Amit Mehra, stress had become an unshakable companion. As a senior executive at a multinational firm, his days were a blur of deadlines, meetings, and endless notifications. After work, he would collapse onto the couch, scrolling endlessly on his phone, snacking on comfort foods, and convincing himself he was "relaxing." But the reality was different—his sleep was restless, his patience was wearing thin, and his motivation was plummeting. A turning point came when a friend suggested intermittent fasting and cold showers. "At first, it felt awful," Mehra recalls. "Skipping breakfast made me irritable, and the cold water left me gasping. But within weeks, my focus improved, my stress levels dropped, and I felt an unexpected sense of control over my emotions."

His experience aligns with a growing body of research suggesting that controlled discomfort can help regulate dopamine, stabilize emotions, and enhance mental resilience. But why does it work?

THE SCIENCE OF DISCOMFORT

In today's world, convenience is king. We have food at our fingertips, entertainment on demand, and climate-controlled environments that ensure we rarely feel too hot or too cold. But this comfort comes at a cost—our brains are not designed for constant ease.

According to Swati Dubey, a counseling psychologist at the department of mental health & behavioral sciences at Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai, "The brain thrives on challenges. When we voluntarily expose ourselves to discomfort, whether through fasting, cold showers, or high-intensity exercise, we engage a physiological mechanism called hormesis," she explains. "This is the process where small, controlled doses of stress stimulate adaptation, making us mentally and physically stronger."