You grow up with your stresses. Stress is the black shadow that never leaves us. Whether you’re alone or in a public place, day or night, success or failure, stress is present in all spheres. Still, we all wish to have a stress-free life which is quite impossible. But do you know the possible part?
Well, the possible part is another side of a stressed coin. This side shows the positive aspects of stress. Stress not only causes damage in our lives but also motivates us, boosts our immunity, increases our confidence, improves memory, protects against oxidative damage, and many more. This positive side of stress is scientifically termed as “eustress“. Eustress or good stress doesn’t work in every condition. Then?
Good stress works only when the amount of stress is low or moderate. Hence it’s necessary to learn which situations demand mild stress and its benefits. So, let’s go down.
First, you should know which conditions can activate good stress. Some of the positively stressed situations are:
- During Exam preparation
- Assignment completion period.
- Daily challenges hour
- When riding a roller coaster
- Compete for a promotion
- Go on a first date
- During pregnancy
Now I’ll show how stress helps you in these and other situations also. If you’ll give a read to the following discussion, you’ll get a clear concept about when and how stress is actually good for you.
A) STRESS IMPROVES BRAIN POWER AND BOOSTS MEMORY
One major benefit of moderate level stress is that it improves your brain capacity and increases the performance level. Acute stress with a short duration also gives a boost to your memory. Do you know how?
Well, low-level stressors can stimulate the production of brain chemicals called neurotrophins. Then strengthens the connection between neurons in the brain. This improves memory, increases attention ability, and makes you more productive. Take me as an example.
During the pandemic, we’ve to submit assignments in online classes regularly. While completing these tasks, the thing that boosts my performance speed is the deadlines. Actually, deadlines can be termed as a small-amount stressor. It gives me a better brain performance instead of panic. You may not know that “exercise is a physical stressor that helps to boost our productivity and concentration”, says Dr. Shelton.
B) EUSTRESS INCREASES YOUR IMMUNITY
Apart from brain chemicals, moderate stress stimulates the production of another chemical called interleukins. This chemical can give an instant boost to your immune system for temporary defense. Here defense refers to your fight-or-flight response. Do you have any idea about the fight-or-flight response?
If not, then I’m explaining here. When we perceive any kind of danger, illness, or infectious conditions, we become stressed out. The body’s reaction toward stress at that moment is a fight-or-flight response. During this fight-or-flight response, you try to save yourself by either fight or flight. And you know the interesting part?
The low-level stressor that gives you stress also helps to tackle stress as well. The stressors do this help by producing extra interleukin and providing a temporary defensive boost. So you can see, stress doesn’t always panic you in danger. Instead helps you by increasing immunity is present in small quantities.
In this regard, A 2012 Stanford study found that subjecting lab rats to moderate stress produced a “massive mobilization” of several types of immune cells in their bloodstreams.
C) MODERATE STRESS MAKES YOU RESILIENT AND STRONGER
How do you feel when facing an unexpected incident? Stressed obviously! Because unexpected incidents always scare us and give the worst look. We get puzzled about how to solve them. But in the end, you need to deal with unknown situations and achieve a new experience. And shockingly your stress helps you to do so. How?
Every time you face a problem, stress arises. This stress boosts your confidence and improves your skills. This makes you resilient and more capable to confront any problematic condition. Stress stays with you and gives strength to deal with stressful incidents. Consequently, you become stronger, mature, and more prepared to face another new situation.
However, the impact of moderate and chronic stress varies in case of danger and improving resiliency. A 2013 San Francisco study at the University of California found that “While chronic stress promotes oxidative damage to our DNA and RNA, moderate levels of perceived daily stress actually seem to protect against it and enhance “psychobiological resilience.”
D) STRESS MOTIVATES YOU TO SUCCEED
In case of any academic exam, job preparation, interview, or another competitive exam, constant pressure hangs on our heads. This pressure keeps reminding us that we’ve to give our best and do well in the competition. Don’t you find motivation in this reminder? Not only competitions, but stress also gears us up in our daily life too. Can’t believe it?
Well, we all have more or fewer tasks to complete daily within a limited time. This time limit keeps giving you pressurizing breaths. If you can take this pressure as a challenge, then your focus will be stimulated and the task will turn out more productive. See! A little bit of stress can help you manage daily, weekly and all other situations effectively.
According to research from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, “Moderate stress can heighten your sense of awareness and increase absorption into an activity.” This gives you pressure to succeed and achieve flow in your activities.
E) MILD STRESS ENHANCES CHILD DEVELOPMENT
A moderate level of stress enhances child development during pregnancy. As would-be mothers keep thinking about their child, it’s natural to feel periodic stress during this time. If it’s not chronic stress, then a helpful one actually. Because normal stress helps to enhance a child’s development without causing any harm. Also, the view of pregnant mothers plays a key role here. How?
Well, women who see their pregnancy in a negative view serve lower development capability to children than positive ones. Hence mild stress is not bad in this perspective. A study of Johns Hopkins in 2006 found that “women who reported mild to moderate stress levels during pregnancy, their children showed greater motor and developmental skills by age 2 than those of unstressed mothers”.
So, you can see how a little amount of stress can be good for you depending upon the situation. You just need to be aware of these and change your perspective. Try to view your stresses through a positive corner. Life will be balanced with both sides of stress and a happier one.
