STRESSED OUT

Wait, can a little pressure actually be good for you?

- COMPILED BY: MADISON BOGISCH

Stress starts with sweaty palms and often ends in sleepless nights. And you certainly wouldn’t be alone if your doctor has suggested trying to lower your levels. However, according to the author of The Experiment Mindset, Tamsin Simounds, worry can often serve as a powerful catalyst for personal growth. Not all stress is bad, and growth is possible, even when you’re under the pump, she explains in the science-backed deep dive. Even though most of us associate high-octane periods with negative outcomes such as burnout, anxiety and overwhelm, it can also be an adaptive force that shapes our potential. Psychologists call this the stress paradox, where the secret lies in distinguishing which type of pressure you’re experiencing so you know how to use it.

PRODUCTIVE STRESS

Biologically, humans have evolved with a stress response for a reason. It triggers you to take notice of a problem that needs attention, and motivates you to respond, take action and adapt. Dr Sharon Bergquist is an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician and longevity researcher. In her book The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier and Happier, she argues that mild, intermittent stressors — for example, running experiments that stretch you — are essential for activating the body’s repair and adaptation systems.