{"id":222,"date":"2022-07-25T03:03:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T03:03:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-12-12T12:22:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T04:22:44","slug":"surprising-benefits-of-stress-and-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/surprising-benefits-of-stress-and-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprising Benefits of Stress and Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Table of Contents
1. Good Stress and Bad Stress: The Key Differences<\/a>
2. The Benefits of Stress<\/a>
3. Greater Awareness and Mindfulnes<\/a>s
4. Improved Productivity, Cognitive Function and Performance<\/a>
5. Enhanced Immunity<\/a>
6. Powerful Motivation and Resilience<\/a>
7. Social and Relationship Support<\/a>
8. Other Potential Benefits of Stress<\/a>
9. Understanding the Benefits of Stress<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Studies into the benefits of stress indicate that feelings of stress and anxiety may sometimes hold value. For years, medical professionals and researchers have highlighted the dangers of stress<\/a>, telling us high levels of anxiety and cortisol can cause everything from headaches, muscle tension and heart problems to depression and skin conditions.<\/p>\n

Stress has even earned the nickname, The silent killer. <\/em>However, despite the obvious disadvantages of being constantly stressed, there are still some benefits of stress that should be discussed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that stress is a natural physiological and psychological response in the human body. As such, it often plays an important role in our lives, and not always for the worse.<\/p>\n

Staying healthy and ensuring ongoing wellness may not require us to avoid stress entirely, but simply change our attitudes towards it.<\/p>\n

Altering the way we perceive, respond, and leverage stress in our lives could mean we can access more of the benefits of stress, while side-stepping some of the risks.<\/p>\n

Good Stress and Bad Stress: The Key Differences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stress is a common experience in our lives. According to statistics<\/a> in the US, approximately 77% of us regularly experience the physical symptoms of stress<\/a>, while 73% experience psychological side effects.<\/p>\n

With so many studies outlining the potential dangers of stress, it\u2019s easy to see why most people assume any kind of stress is bad. However, the reality is just as there are different kinds of cholesterol (both good and bad) and different forms of carbohydrates (both good and bad), there are various types of stress as well.<\/p>\n

Stress is often dangerous when it\u2019s a chronic problem. When you\u2019re constantly overwhelmed by high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), you\u2019re more likely to suffer cognitive and physical side effects. One study from Harvard showed people with high cortisol<\/a> struggled with their memory.<\/p>\n

Chronically high cortisol can also contribute to other health problems, from obesity and hypertension to type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n

However, short-term, acute periods of stress (not chronic stress) can actually often be beneficial.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to a TED talk by Kelly McGonigal, stress is a powerful motivator<\/a>, and a versatile tool in our lives. For instance, oxytocin is a type of stress hormone, but it\u2019s also linked to our feelings of empathy, and the relationships we build with other people.<\/p>\n

Even anxiety has its benefits. Anxiety is a kind of internal warning system, handed down over the generations through evolution. Anxiety alerts us to external and internal threats, so we can avoid, or respond to them correctly. Anxiety only becomes unhealthy when it reaches chronic levels, causing our \u201calarm\u201d system to go off without a valid reason.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The key to unlocking the benefits of stress, is learning how to recognize different forms of stress, and respond to the stressful experience correctly. When we embrace stress as a friend, motivational tool, and source of internal power, it becomes less of a threat.<\/p>\n

While the advantages of stress are still being researched, some of the most significant benefits of stress that we\u2019ve already discovered include:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Greater Awareness and Mindfulness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stress and anxiety are natural responses created by the body to help protect you against threats. A little bit of anxiety<\/a> can often be a good thing if it forces you to think twice about doing something dangerous. For instance, you\u2019re likely to feel some nerves before you try skydiving for the first time, or jump into an icy pool. This is because you\u2019ve evolved to associate these experiences with danger.<\/p>\n

One of the major benefits of stress is its ability to act as a warning or alarm system when you\u2019re exposing yourself to risky situations. <\/strong>Stress can help us to identify when we\u2019re dealing with circumstances we need to change. For example, if you\u2019re constantly feeling stress as a result of a relationship, you may come to the realization that it\u2019s a toxic relationship, and decide it\u2019s time to break cut ties.<\/p>\n

If your workplace causes you undue stress, your cognitive, physical, and emotional responses might be telling you it\u2019s time to switch paths. Listening to stress and learning how to understand the messages it\u2019s sending you <\/strong>can improve your self-awareness. It\u2019s a good way to practice being more mindful, and start taking control of your life.<\/p>\n

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2.<\/strong> Improved Productivity, Cognitive Function and Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stress has a physical impact<\/a> on the body. When you feel stressed, your heart rate increases, your adrenaline spikes, and you become more focused on the issue causing the stress. While the experience might not be pleasant, stress can potentially improve your physical and mental performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moderate stress actively enhances the connections between the neurons in your brain, improving attention span and memory, so stress can help you be more productive.<\/strong> Think about how you feel when you suddenly remember you have a task to complete before an impending deadline. You might feel panicked and overwhelmed, but you\u2019re more likely to focus and get the job done.<\/p>\n

Anxiety has a similar result. It works similarly to caffeine, adding adrenaline to the body, increasing respiration and blood flow, to help boost alertness. Just as high levels of caffeine can be dangerous over time, high levels of stress become problematic with chronic exposure. However, for brief intervals, stress can be just what you need to get a job done.<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> Enhanced Immunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While large amounts of stress can make it more difficult to combat illness and infection, small doses of stress could be a powerful way to enhance your immune system. Since the dawn of time, living creatures have been exposed to stress on a consistent basis. This stress has led to the development of \u2018fight-or-flight\u2019 responses, which prepare us for dealing with threats.<\/p>\n

The fight-or-flight response you feel when presented with large amounts of anxiety or stress also stimulates the production of chemicals in your body called interleukins. According to studies<\/a>, these chemical reactions can accelerate wound healing, strengthen your immune system, and make you more resilient in the moment.<\/p>\n

Essentially, the role of stress as a \u2018protection\u2019 system for the body goes a lot further than simply alerting us when we\u2019re in danger. Your stress response often gives you the strength you need to battle illness <\/strong>and infection.<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> Powerful Motivation and Resilience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the most significant benefits of stress is that it can motivate you to achieve your goals and accomplish more. The stress you feel before you take an important test at school, deliver a presentation to your boss, or compete in a sporting event encourages you to take action to improve your performance<\/strong>, and improve your chances of success.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re particularly nervous about an upcoming event, you\u2019re more likely to take additional measures to prepare yourself, such as studying or training harder. In other words, stress \u201ckeeps you on your toes\u201d. \u00a0Combined with the impact stress can have on your focus and cognition, the motivational elements of the emotion are excellent for helping us achieve our goals.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, as we continue to experience and overcome stress<\/a>, we also develop resilience. Going through stressful situations builds resilience and inner strength. <\/strong>We learn which challenges we can reasonably tackle, and become less concerned about them in the future. Stress can help us to develop confidence and self-esteem, as we learn more about what we can do, and continue to push our limits.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Social and Relationship Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As mentioned earlier, stress comes in many different forms. It\u2019s not just the butterflies you feel in the pit of your stomach when you\u2019re starting a new job, or the headache you get when thinking about a complex task at school. Oxytocin is a hormone enhanced by stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oxytocin is released when we hug someone, or feel close to another person. The neuro-hormone helps to enhance your brain\u2019s social instincts, and place you in a position where you can start deepening your connection to other human beings. This hormone is also responsible for improving your emotional intelligence and your empathy levels.<\/p>\n

The oxytocin released into your system as a result of stress can help push you to take important steps in your relationship, such as having important conversations<\/strong> or telling someone how you feel about them. It can also push you to seek out social connections and support when you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed, improving the relationships you develop with friends and family over time.<\/p>\n

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Other Potential Benefits of Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Outside of the 5 key benefits of stress mentioned above, researchers are beginning to uncover additional advantages of stress as well. Once again, it\u2019s worth remembering the benefits connected to stress are generally only present when your exposure is moderate. However, the positive outcomes can include:<\/p>\n